Isaiah 53:4-5
Yet it was our grief he bore, our
sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a
punishment from God, for his own sins! But he was wounded and bruised
for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; he was lashed—and
we were healed!
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
Pick someone...anyone...who
is truly important to you. I don’t care if you choose a “significant
other”, your spouse, a child, a parent, your best friend – or even your
beloved pet. Now imagine that every time you sin, this person (or pet)
takes a beating. Every time you get sick, this person or animal will be
whipped until bloody. And you will feel better...right?
Wouldn’t
you be mortified if you thought that your well-being...mentally,
physically or spiritually...depended on the suffering and mistreatment
of someone else? Yet this is exactly the exchange that Jesus offers
us. He was wounded, beaten, and pressed down by our sorrows and
sins...all so that we could have peace and healing of all kinds – and
Eternal Life in His presence!
Crazy, isn’t it? Heart-wrenching
even! Yet we essentially brandish the whip and hammer the nails day in
and day out. We press the thorns of the crown deeper into His head and
either take His forgiveness and restoration for granted...or we thumb
our nose and effectively say, “I really don’t care what He did for me.”
Here’s
a challenge for each of us...the next time you are tempted to be unkind
to someone else...to pass judgment...to criticize...or to berate...hear
the lash of the whip as it tears Jesus’ flesh – for you. The next time
you are healed of a sickness or injury...think of the Roman soldiers
spitting on our Savior – for you. The next time you turn your back on
God and try to do things your way...the next time you go days without
talking to God or studying His word and then wondering why things aren’t
going so well...think of Jesus hanging on the cross as nails dig
through His hands and feet and people mock Him – all for you.
When we stop and remember Jesus...when we focus on what He did for us
– it surely must seem a little harder to disappoint and disrespect
Him. Hopefully, we will pay closer attention to how we are acting and
thinking as we think of Jesus and what He did for us – what He does for
us each and every day. He suffered greatly...for us. Believe it...He
really loves us that much!
We cannot fathom another breathing
thing suffering such horrors because of anything we have said or done.
So why can we so readily accept this treatment of Jesus on our behalf?
Isn’t it time for a mental shift? Don’t we need to refocus our
awareness...and re-direct our efforts to live in a way that glorifies
the tremendous sacrifices of our Great Healer? Will this be the day
that you say, “By His stripes I am healed...and I will serve Him forever
with each word and action!”? Don’t you think it should be?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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