Punishment or Grace? The Cross

a reflection for Good Friday

Two individuals are walking with Jesus to the Cross, one on either side of him.
One is Punishment, the other is Grace...

Jesus condemned to death
 
They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. The chief priests accused him of many things. So Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of." But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.  Pilate spoke to the crowd. "What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" "Crucify him!" they shouted. "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. 
 They shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
 
Punishment: See, Jesus, you deserve it. That sense you’ve had of being special, unique, not deserving of punishment like everybody else - it was all your self-delusion. You’ve got what was coming to you - we reap what we sow, do we not? Roman justice is the best in the world; you don’t think you’re the one exception, do you?

Grace: It was the people, and the religious authorities, who wanted to crucify you. They are the ones in error. But they are blind and don’t see what they are doing - they will see, in time, and be truly sorry. Meanwhile, I, Grace, am with you - you can forgive them.

Jesus and the soldiers 

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace and called together the rest of the company. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.  And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spat on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.  And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
 
Punishment: You think the soldiers are being cruel and unfair, don’t you? No, they know this is how the world works - they get punished, and in turn they pass it on to others - such as you. Its me, Punishment, who keeps everything in order, stops the world descending into chaos, maintains authority. I, Punishment, make things fair.

Grace: Remember how you turned the order of things upside down? - showed forgiveness at every opportunity, showed that I, Grace, am the true and good pattern? You were right! It’s hard to hold on to me when all around preach punishment. But you have shown true poverty of spirit - well done, keep going - the kingdom of God will be yours.

Jesus carries his cross

'Who would have believed what we now tell?  Who could have seen God’s hand in this?'  (Isaiah 53)
 
Punishment: Quite! It takes some distorting of your rosy image of God being love, doesn’t it? And that’s because he’s not. He’s vindictive, punitive, demanding - just as everyone fears he is. Your story of the loving father who welcomed home the prodigal son with outstretched arms - pure fantasy, and pampering to what people want to believe.

Grace: You and the Father are one - you were absolutely right - there is no need for a wedge to be driven between you. You and the Father both love the world - you are doing this together, you are suffering together. Love is an extraordinarily difficult road to walk sometimes. And take heart, no-one will ever have to walk the road you're on, the hardest-ever road, again.

Simon helps Jesus carry his cross

On their way through Jerusalem they met a man named Simon, who was coming into the city from the country, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross
 
Punishment: What was it you said? ‘If anyone wants to be my follower, they must take up their cross and follow me’? You’ve burdened people - with guilt and obligation and self-loathing. This innocent young man, so dutifully thinking he is doing the good thing: look into his eyes - if you dare - and see his fear of what will happen to him if he lets down ‘The Master’.

Grace: Yes, do have the courage to look into Simon’s eyes. Yes, he is conflicted, he doesn’t understand, he can’t make sense of the brutality of the Roman crucifixions, he does feel burdened by his guilt and his failures that he knows only too well. But the love for him in your eyes will dispel all of that. He may be physically burdened with a heavy wooden cross, but inside he will now be free - and he will follow you to the top of the hill even with joy. Take heart!

Jesus speaks with women from Jerusalem

A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.  Jesus turned and said to them, ‘Women of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.’
 
Punishment: You are cruel. You’re breaking so many hearts - particularly women’s. You were the ultimate charmer - kind-hearted, listening, making each woman feel special. You were their dream husband, and you knew you were leading them on. And now you ram it back in their faces - ‘weep for yourselves’, you say. Yes, they will, because you have let them down. They will never forgive you.

Grace: Each word you speak sparkles like a gem to these women. They will take your words deeply to heart and be strengthened by them. And your presence with them now, sharing the suffering world with which they battle every day, will stay with them forever. You know the resilience women have, and you have given them the heart to endure.

Jesus crucified

They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha which means The Place of the Skull. Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. Then they crucified him and divided up his clothing among themselves, throwing dice to see who would get each piece of clothing.
 
Punishment: Man is made in God’s image, is he not? So look at the wonderfully creative ways man has devised to be cruel. Where does he get that from? I wonder... Or, perhaps God is just sitting there, casually rolling the dice of destiny - and ‘Ooops, there goes Jesus - oh, I am sorry about that. But nothing’s fair in the world, you should know that’.

Grace: Taking responsibility. You are giving the most amazing lesson, in taking responsibility. Everyone has tried to avoid doing so - the religious people, Pilate - even the soldiers would say they’re just doing their job. But you are taking responsibility, not just for yourself but for everyone. The mess people have made of the world - you are showing them that God is not blaming them for it but shouldering their responsibility, their burden, their consequences. They will thank you and worship you for it.

Jesus on the cross

It was nine o clock in the morning when they crucified him.  The people stayed there watching him, the leaders jeered at him and the soldiers mocked him.  Some women, his friends from Galilee, looked on at a distance.

Punishment: So now you know what suffering is like. Now you know what the people you created have to go through. You were there when the world was created, so you say. Are you so pleased now? You regret it, don’t you? Now that you’ve seen into the jaws of death, you will suffer infinite regret, you will punish yourself, for all eternity.

Grace: The darkness is indeed closing in. But close your eyes for a moment, and see the light. The smouldering wick will not go out, the light will overcome the darkness. The light of your Father’s love shines on you even now. And your light is - right now - shining into the world.

Jesus dies

It was about twelve o clock when the sun stopped shining and darkness covered the whole country until three o clock.  And the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two.  Jesus cried in a loud voice, ‘Father, in your hands I place my spirit’.  He said this and died.
 
Punishment: This is it, then, Jesus. This is where you find out what is beyond death. Will it just be.... nothing? - a dark, cold, loveless, floating void? Or, will it be eternal suffering - what you’re enduring now, for ever? And that’s the path you’ve asked for, by taking responsibility for the evil of the world. For I, Punishment, was from the Beginning, and I will be Forever!

Grace: You have shown the world the Father: that he is pure grace - your task is finished! Now you can rest in my hands. And I will carry you over the threshold, to the wonderful new life that your Father has created for you. I will carry many others through this door, but you are the first. So go, you are safe in the grace and love of God.

Jesus taken down from the cross

And when evening came, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Joseph took the body down and wrapped it in a linen sheet and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock.
 
Grace: At last, peace. Peace for the world, peace for all people. The demon that is Punishment has died. I, Grace, have thrown open the door to eternal life. For I was from the Beginning, and I will be Forever! Grace and peace to you.

-------------- 

Alphaeus adds (for 21st century readers):
The Scripture passages are taken from the Gospels of Mark and Luke.
With thanks to Simon Parke, for the inspiration of 'The Punitive universe and the Gracious universe'