Burdens

If we take on the burdens of others, we can feel alone in our suffering.

From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "This man is calling for Elijah." At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, "Truly this man was God's Son!" - Matthew 27:45-54

We often hear that Jesus died for our sins, taking on himself, all the burdens of sin that we carry, so that he could clear the slate for us.

While I can understand why he may choose to do that, I have a hard time understanding how he did that.

Nowhere in this reading do we see or hear him taking on the burden of our sins.  It is something we read in the Gospel of John and in the writings of Paul, but here in this Gospel reading the only indication that something has happened is Jesus crying out to God in Aramaic.

The idea that someone could carry the burdens of another is one I can comprehend.  We may choose to help someone, or may even be compelled to do so, like Simon from Cyrene.  But to take on one's sins and guilt is something I find harder to accept.

If somehow Christ took on our sin and paid the price of death for us, that doesn't mean we are free of guilt, or that we somehow become righteous through him, nor do we get to sin without punishment, which would be really cool.

Instead, we gain the knowledge that God is loving and gracious, forgiving of our sins, if, and this is important, if we truly repent.

In other words, the burden is on us, even though, Jesus opened the door for all of us to speak directly to the Father, pray to Him, and be one with Him through Christ.

So, if Jesus' cry was truly a feeling of abandonment by God, it may be a message for all of us to make sure we do not die in sin.  Sin keeps us apart form God and nothing could be worse than to die alone.

Now, the burden on us has changed to figuring out what it is that we do that is sinful.

If we are feeling weighed down by guilt, there is a good chance that is a sign something is wrong.

Maybe it is time to give God a call.

More to come...