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BECAUSE OF ME
Today's VIP meeting
was just like any other one that had gone on annually for almost 2000 years,
except for one thing. On this day, a human was allowed to sit in on the meeting
for the first time. Most in attendance did not like it as they did not trust
humans, especially considering they were the ones that were the cause of these
annual meetings in the first place.
After a while the outcries and murmuring stopped as they voted to
get on with the meeting with the human present. It might help them to understand
more if there was some human insight.
The attendees were a motley crew. They were members of an ominous
group as they were the instruments of Christ's suffering as they saw it, this
was forced upon them against their will. They vowed from that moment after to
hold a yearly memorial for the one that had suffered and died at that place they
all knew as Mt. Calvary. Some even called it the hill of the Skull or Golgotha
as it was better known, but that name was just too ghastly so they settled on
Mt. Calvary for the purpose of the minutes of the meeting.
There were five members in all. The list included the whip, crown
of thorns, wooden cross, spike brothers and the sword. As usual, they would
start the meeting with a reading of the minutes of the last meeting, but, also
as usual, they started arguing before the minutes were finished. Their arguments
always centered on the same thing. Who was affected the worst by this horrible
injustice.
It was not like this in the beginning. As time had passed though,
they began to forget the significance of what had truly transpired that day.
Of course the whip was usually the first to speak up as he felt
that it had all started with him and from there it just escalated.
He would say, "Oh! It was just terrible. Every time my metal
tethered balls would strike His skin they would draw blood as the skin split
open.
"The sound was terrible as I tore open His flesh. I could not stand
it. I kept hoping He would cry out and beg them to stop doing this to me, but He
would not.
"All He had to do was recant and I would have been spared that
awful scene."
Yes, the whip felt his ordeal was the worst.
The cross always piped up next.
"Everyone knows it was really the hardest on me, as even the humans
sing songs about me.
"I was so heavy. I weighed in at about 250 lbs. then, I had to
endure the grunts He made as He drug me across the ground. I had to hear Him
groan as they put me on His shoulders.
"That one man carried it for a while but then He carried me again
as He drug me up that long hill. I could feel His muscles and flesh rip as He
carried my awesome weight.
"I did not mind the spitting too much, but I would be hit every
once in a while, as they would throw things at him to hurt Him. To hear them
yell and scream, 'Crucify Him,' has caused me emotional problems until this day.
"When they dropped me into the ground with a crashing thud, I am
sure I heard some tendons and ligaments snap as His wrists, ankles, and knees
were ripped in the joints. His shoulders and hips were horribly in tore in their
sockets.
"It was just to much for me to take."
The spike brothers
felt that they surely had suffered the worst as it involved several family
members.
Usually one of them would speak for the group to say, "That's
right. We had to hold His body up the whole time. Try that one on for size.
Yeah, I know that we are very thick even to the point of being ten times larger
than the average nails. That is why we are called spikes.
"It still did not help us feel any better as they drove us through
His feet and wrists. We can still hear the crushing and splintering of bone to
this day.
"The feeling of being driven through the fleshy parts still gives
us the shakes.
"The worst part was when He would go limp occasionally and we could
feel His fingers curling around us.
"We felt even worse then you did cross, when you were dropped into
the ground because when this happened we could hear and feel His flesh rip and
tear.
"Oh, the humanity of it all. We suffered so."
Not to be out done, the crown of thorns would then follow up with
how it was much harder on her.
She was heard to say, "Those Roman soldiers didn't just lay me down
on His head, no, no, no. They smashed it down hard. Just look at my thorns.
These are not your average garden-variety thorns.
"When I go into the flesh, I really dig in. I burn and sting
horribly. Every time I am moved, I cut deeper and it almost killed me when they
twisted me on His head.
"I remember actually penetrating His skull that day as I was
pounded into place. It was just awful as His blood got all over my thorns. I
shuddered when I saw the blood and sweat fall into His eyes and burn them. I am
not sure but I think He was crying.
"It was most humiliating when they mocked Him, especially when they
said, 'If you are a king then wear this crown of thorns.' They said it with such
cruelty in their voice. I almost felt like they were taunting me. Yes, it was
definitely hardest on me."
The sword always felt slighted as his role only lasted a few
seconds, but his argument was stated as, "Yeah! Well I know my roll was not as
big as the rest of you, but I was used to harm Him when He could stand no more.
"I had a bad feeling earlier that day. When that soldier took me
out of his scabbard, I knew I was in trouble. It was eerie going in as I felt
the flesh on His side sink in with me as I sliced Him open. When I was pulled
out though, that was the worst moment of all for me.
"As I was pulled out, I felt this warm wet sticky stuff all over
me. I felt Him twist and writhe in pain and then suddenly I felt all His blood
and water gushing all over me and I swore I heard a muted cry.
"It was a mess. I can still see the crimson stain on my blade
today. Woe is me."
Nothing had changed. They all felt sorry for themselves. It was
after the last had spoken that the human had decided to stand and speak on the
matter. Before he could finish rising he was met by a chorus of boos and jeers
as they tried to shout him down.
They cried out to him, "How dare you attempt to speak. What do you
know of the horrors we went through."
The human interrupted them and said that he wanted to speak about
what Christ had endured not what they had.
They were taken back for a moment but quickly gathered their
thoughts and screamed at him, "What do you know about his suffering, his pain,
his agony, his humiliation, his degradation, his loneliness, his heartache?"
He looked around the room at each one of them before he said his
final words.
"I will never understand the depth of his suffering. I only know
that He was there because of me."
Abruptly, the group's attitude changed. Their misguided pride
suddenly changed to guilt. They were having trouble accepting the fact that they
had been so wrong for two thousand years.
To hide their shame and guilt they began to point fingers at each
other.
"It is your fault," one of them shouted. "No, it was you that
caused Him the most sorrow and pain," another retorted.
After ten long minutes of insults and barbs being traded back and
forth, the human again interrupted. "None of you have understood what I have
shared with you. You just do not get it," he added.
"It wasn't about blame, fault or who was the worst. It was about
love. True love. That love that came from the Father's heart. It was the only
way for Him to draw all of creation back to Him.
"Our heavenly Father did not want any to perish. His Son went
willing to the cross to make that sacrifice, once, and for all. It was His way
of looking past our faults and seeing our needs.
"Instead of placing blame, reach out to each other like He did for
you and comfort each other in the knowledge that all is forgiven. Simply accept
His awesome gift and turn to His word for guidance on how to live your life
according to His grace from here on out."
When the human finished he looked around and saw that there was not
a dry eye to be found.
That very moment they passed a resolution, to meet annually as they
had done for so long, but now their goal was to share what Christ had done for
them in the year that had passed.
After all, it was BECAUSE OF ME
that He was crucified.
~Author Steven A. Hudson~
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