Good Friday service reminds us of how much our Lord loved us and suffered for us. Few thoughts of mine this Good Friday as we look back 2000 years:

1. If we were alive during Jesus’s passion week …. whom would you be…what would have been your role:

a. One of the Jews? In fact, Jews were so strong in their beliefs that they couldn’t accept the teaching of Jesus even though he was one among them. They felt Jesus was challenging what they had seen and learned for years, and this was against the teachings of Moses. Jews who were against Jesus were well-educated and scholars yet they were blinded by their beliefs. How different are we today…are we able to accept anyone who says or does anything different from what we know or have seen or our beliefs.

b. One of the bystanders feeling helpless or the Hebrew ladies who were watching the scenes from afar. Are we a bystander or an upstander in our day-to-day lives? How often do we let things pass by as none of these things are personally our problems or not affecting us? Those bystanders would have given their verdict and judged Jesus. Would we have been any different?

c. Herod or Pontius Pilate had the power to change the situation however they passed responsibilities to each other and left it for people to decide. We are also in different positions in places we work, at home, or in other organizations but have we also come across situations where we have walked away from difficult right decisions? We are assigned to be in different positions in our lives so that we can make an impact and not let other people make decisions for us.

d. One of the crowds was cheering to release Barabbas the thief. Cheering to do the wrong and making the soldiers do the wrong thing. How many times have we encouraged people to do the wrong things in life? How many times have we joined groups where there is a majority because we assume the majority means they are supporting the right deeds?

e. The soldier who pierced into Jesus’s body. How many times have we poked people in their weak situations?

f. The soldier who gave bitter water to Jesus when he was thirsty. Weren’t their situations in our life where we can quench the thirst of people but pretend to be bitter?

g. His friends/disciples left him and ran away for their safety. How many times have we abandoned our friends because we didn’t want trouble even though they loved us? We tend to be more focused on our clean image and political correctness these days.

2. Judas was a chosen disciple and had good intentions for Jesus. However, at some weak point, he let temptations overpower him. Jesus even warned him during the Last Supper, but he was too driven by what he was planning to do. By the time he realized his mistake, things had gone out of control…. he ran out of guilt and killed himself. He would have been heartbroken not able to forgive himself. Would Jesus have forgiven his friend? We are like this at times. Even though we are chosen by God, sometimes we walk away from our purpose, and by the time we realize our mistake…it will be too late.

3. Jews sacrificed animals to pay for their sins. Poor animals or birds wouldn’t have done anything, but they were giving their lives up for people’s sins. I am sure Jesus would have felt sorry for them. He didn’t die just for us but for them too…

4. As a mother, my heart breaks when I see tears in the eyes of my kids. It hurts to see them hurt even though at times it is because of their bad behavior. But how did Mother Mary suffer seeing her innocent son being punished for doing good? He was healing people, he was a great preacher, he understood the scripture well, he was well behaved…yet he had to suffer in front of her…oh! she must have been heartbroken.

      © Jyothi Paul