It's Good Friday.

"Wheelerguy" (wheelerguy) 03/30/2018 at 10:15 • Filed to: Musings, Lent, Good Friday, Jesus

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Think of the robed man. Think of him as he was stripped of his clothing. Think of him carrying a wooden cross around town, with a barbed crown on his head, being incessantly mocked by the people he thought he can change.

Think of the trial beforehand. Think of the fact that he was his own attorney. Think of how the jury would rather set a convicted murderer free than keep free a good man who is equal parts doctor, food provider, and preacher. Think of the fact that no one from the towns he visited were let in the court to his defense, which is something no court today will ever allow.

Think of him as he was left hanging on that cross. Think of the torture and punishment—undeserved and unwarranted—that he had to endure beforehand. That’s got to fucking hurt so much as to numb. Think of how surprisingly chill he was to two actual crooks. Think of how he tried to alleviate his mother’s grief, even if the pain of burying your own child is worse and more unbearable than childbirth itself. Think of his immediate family, who watched helplessly as soldiers tease and taunt the man into submission.

Think of that dinner. It was supposed to be an ordinary night, like usual. The robed man and his crew will talk about plans for the next week, itinerary, how to get funding, when and where to hold their sermons, and review that day’s progress. And yet the robed man knows he’s fucked. His own crew member, his treasurer, ratted him out. After his prayer, he gets arrested, with none of his crew there to bail him out. Even his own subordinate—the guy who got the Keys to The Kingdom from this same robed man—disowned him.

Think of what the entire ordeal must have been like to his significant other. She knows the robed man is good and has done no crime—in fact, she was saved from a life of disgrace thanks to him—and yet here he is, arrested for blasphemy, despite saying nothing slanderous or libelous to anyone. She saw him die anyway even if she did everything she could to save him, even if the robed man himself wanted to die.

Think of how, through all this, the robed man did not mind. He screamed from the pain, cried from the grief, but he took the whole process in stride. He knew his treasurer was a double-crosser. He knew the trial was rigged. He knew he was gonna lose his life. He knew that all his crew and his 72 recruits were gonna be found, tried, and executed for following what the ruling dynasty sees as a man that the world today would call, with derision, a “mindfulness expert”, and continuing what he set out to do.

And yet he took every single wound and bruise with a calm acceptance that is veiled in the mortal screams. He still managed to allay the worries of the few who believed in him. He recognized the compassion of the man who helped him out in carrying the plank on which he will be nailed. He gave a proverbial free ski pass to a thief, while in total clinical shock, hanging maybe 15 feet in the air. He recognized the fact that many of the soldiers and torturers were merely following orders, and deserve forgiveness. He knows that he has accomplished all that is needed to do, even if he’s just 33 and can do even more had he lived for 33 more.

So before you celebrate Easter, think of the robed man’s death. More to the point, think of those who sacrificed it all to try and make the world a better place, in one way or another. Few are willing to give it all; even fewer will ask for nothing in return.

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > Wheelerguy 03/30/2018 at 10:20

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There are good posts, and then there’s this.

This transcends what I understood as good.

HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute > Wheelerguy 03/30/2018 at 10:48

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Religion really isn’t my thing. But for y’all who do it, happy Good Friday

Wheelerguy > HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute 03/30/2018 at 11:05

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Eh, I’m a religious bloke in the nominal sense. I subscribe to the teaching because they raise good points and do my best to live by it (they work about 8/10 times), but not a strict adherent that goes into every ritual (barring masses). I do admire saints, at least the ones recognized and canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, because they did embody the spirit of Jesus, and were one of the many I referred in the last paragraph.

Wheelerguy > BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo 03/30/2018 at 11:05

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Thanks, man. Glad you appreciated it.

Chariotoflove > Wheelerguy 03/30/2018 at 11:07

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The ultimate example of how to give and the ultimate test of love

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > Chariotoflove 03/30/2018 at 11:07

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This. A million times this.

HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute > Wheelerguy 03/30/2018 at 11:25

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Im glad religion works for you, but it didn’t particularly work for me as I’m currently in one of the shittiest situations ever that was caused by other people and it’s been forced on me before so I just lost any interest, but that doesn’t mean I’m totally against it. Just isn’t my thing ¯\_()_/¯

Ash78, voting early and often > Wheelerguy 03/30/2018 at 11:37

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Think of how this savior, this king that everyone had heard about, showed up in town expected to overthrow the powers that be with great force and supernatural power, but instead passively accepted a role as a servant and a slave to be brutally killed in front of all the people who were hoping to be rescued by him.

That’s the biggest flipping of the script in human history. I can’t even imagine how horrified everyone must have been, since virtually nobody truly believed him at the time.

The first one to really believe it and announce it? The Roman Centurion at Calvary. Also ironic.

Wheelerguy > Ash78, voting early and often 03/30/2018 at 12:07

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Aye, the first big trope subversion in history. He had all the power, so to see him bet it all and intentionally lose it is just wild. No other prince, or elected leader, would do that.

“virtually nobody truly believed him at the time.”

Which is why I really am interested in seeing how the modern world would respond if it turned out that he DID come back for the Final Judgment, or even if he just tried this stunt again. By this time he’d have certainly seen all the shit we did—how would he adjust his message? What jobs would he take? Who’s gonna be part of his new crew? Are we gonna take him seriously now that we have all sorts of context and know who he is and that he knows that we know?

Find out next week, or something.

Wheelerguy > HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute 03/30/2018 at 12:10

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Different strokes. I just beat it to my shape and made it like an elf in a shelf. Easier that way.

Wheelerguy > HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute 03/30/2018 at 12:10

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Different strokes. I just beat it to my shape and made it like an elf in a shelf. Easier that way.

Wheelerguy > Chariotoflove 03/30/2018 at 12:20

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Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 13:15 NIV

Ash78, voting early and often > Wheelerguy 03/30/2018 at 12:22

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Yeah, it’s also funny how the modern world thinks it invented Biblical skepticism...when it was rampant back then, too. Even as this guy stood there and was like “check my resume and read the scriptures, I’m your man!” They still mostly refused to believe him — or at least had their doubts constantly.

The story back then was just as crazy sounding as it is to agnostics today...

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > Wheelerguy 03/30/2018 at 12:26

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So before you celebrate Easter, think of the robed man’s death.

THIS. I grew up with a very devout catholic grandmother (who died at 99 last year). Good Friday was a very somber day for her and my mom’s side of the family. I don’t prescribe to a specific religion but remembering my grandma it always bugs me when for a lot of people the most important part of Easter is figuring out where to make brunch reservations, while not even acknowledging or knowing the significance of the Friday before it in many cases.

Is this an American thing? Or a catholic specific thing? I was very surprised to not even hear any mentions of it when I moved to the US, being such a heavily Christian country.

HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute > Wheelerguy 03/30/2018 at 12:34

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I really don’t knows. And also it’s Elf On A Shelf, not In a shelf lol. My dad went and bought one online just so he could put a shelf on the elf

Chariotoflove > Wheelerguy 03/30/2018 at 12:42

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For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:7-8

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 03/30/2018 at 12:58

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same thing over here in the netherlands.... think its a christian thing

(to me its just a day off but im agnostic at best.... i mostly believe there could be a god coz i’d like to think me dad went to heaven)

(eta) i mean the somber day of rememberance being a christian thing... not the lunch bookings being the most important part

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 03/30/2018 at 13:59

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Devout Catholic here.

Today’s a very quiet day in my house. As always, only fish today for lunch and dinner.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo 03/30/2018 at 14:29

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Fridays were always fish only at my grandma’s house - and Good Friday was a day of fasting. Although her passing was somewhat expected after years of slow decline it has left a huge void in the family (she was the central figure and was around for 99 years, after all!) so my mom is no doubt doing a lot of solemn reflecting today.

Never met my grandfather, he died of a heart attack the morning after Christmas when my mom was a teenager (and her youngest brother just 9). They were always poor and my grandma was a single mother of 6 who worked her butt off to feed the family. Their faith was a huge part of what kept them going and gave them the strength to accomplish all that they have in life. Even though I don’t really follow any specific religion I’m often surprised by how introspective I get on days like today.

We all have a lot to be thankful for and have people who came before us who sacrificed a lot for what we have today. Never a bad idea to stop to reflect on that and recenter on our true priorities in life.