DISCOVERY: THE DEFILED ARE ACCEPTED AS A SWEET SMELLING SACRIFICE

I listened to the Good Friday passion story. The lectors arrived at a place that said “Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium. It was morning. And they themselves did not enter the praetorium, in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover.” And then later on “So Pilate went back into the praetorium  and summoned Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”” Then it hit me! Jesus by being brought into the praetorium had become defiled and thus excluded from eating the Passover.  Could a defiled lamb be offered as sacrifice? Could a defiled lamb lead the way to a full life? Pilate later confesses. “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”

My thoughts go to anyone who has been defiled by others, you were brought so low that you have lost faith in your ability to rise and live out your life’s purpose and achieve your full potential and glory. Is it wasted years? You look back on your life and due to someone’s actions you see so many wasted years and sense it is too late to start again on your path. Were you raped? It must have scarred and stigmatised you as our Lord suffered and perhaps you have lost self-esteem; you feel like waiting to be re-incarnated, then maybe with a pure self you would live out your purpose. Or perhaps it is heartbreaks, rejection, betrayals even death of a loved one that paralyzes you; or someone around you keeps treating you like you are stupid and you just don’t have the strength to get out of that situation; they keep you bound as Jesus in the tomb. Maybe you are just tired of no tangible results for all your efforts; this is the shit that binds your feet. 

Living our purpose on purpose, is no easy task! Over and over we will have to take up our cross and go against the grain of people who wish to define who we are and how we should live; to follow who the Trinity created us to be, in the beginning, and how we may fully engage the exciting life mapped out for us which through suffering buds open to leave a legacy for our generation. This is the sacrifice we must make; this is the sacrifice Jesus asks us to do in memory of Him; Jesus asks us to let NOTHING stand in the way of our being who we each are created to be. You may think it is easy to follow one’s purpose, try it! It is pure painful sacrifice as we are each so unique no one will fully comprehend us each time we forge ahead on our path. What Jesus asks requires nothing short of total self-dependence on our creator, who at times will abandon us so we can stand on our own two feet and mature in every kind of virtue and good work.

The defiled wrought with innocence are not an abhorrence in the eyes of the Most High; Jesus models that for us! Anyone with guiltless heart, can take up their cross sure that a resurrection awaits them! Rumpling a $100 bill in no way reduces its value or its potential to achieve results in the market. So on this Holy Night, you decide that it ends here! That your being bound is finished! This Holy night all that binds you is about to be shattered; soak yourself, dream again in every one of the 6 readings and let your pain flow away in the psalm refrains as they glide you into the freedom of the rising of our Lord Jesus Christ and may you be lifted up in every way in His encounter. I have prayed for you! Amen.