The Humiliation of Jesus

Dearest Ones,

One of the saddest things that happened to Christ was His humiliation. Humiliation means someone is looked down upon, publicly degraded and made to look like a fool - making one ashamed of who they are. We have all experienced this at some time or another. Maybe as a teen-ager, when our self-image was fragile, we felt put down or snubbed by others. When someone doubts or mistrusts us, we feel humiliated. There is no one higher than God and yet, He chose to let Himself be put down by those He had created - such humiliation. Think about it - God, our creator, allowing Himself to be put into the lowliest condition possible - to be crucified in a shameful death between two thieves, all because of love. Knowing all this, could we ever doubt His love for us?

Have you ever experienced the loneliness of having nearly all your friends turn against you? Have you felt rejected by those you love most? Have you ever felt misunderstood, laughed at, falsely accused of something you did not do? Have you felt alone in your misery? Have you been spit upon and called a liar, when you were telling the truth? This is the humiliation Jesus went through - all because of love for us. Maybe most humiliating of all was when He was even called a devil. It wasn't the soldiers, who crucified Jesus, it was our sin. I don't say this to make you feel guilty - God knows how hard it is to live on this earth. The devil tempted Him, too.

All He wants is for us to be aware of His suffering, so that when we are asked to suffer, we will know He went through the same thing. Because He was God, He could have had 10,000 angels come to His rescue - but then, who would save us and open the gates of heaven? He knew it was the only way.

God won't ask us to suffer the same things He suffered, but during Lent, it is a good time to think about what He did for us and to thank Him. How could anyone doubt His love for us after knowing what He went through? If we have to endure humiliations, we know He is right there helping us to go through them. He understands when no one else understands.

They humiliated Him by mocking Him, whipping Him and placing on His Sacred head a crown of thorns. He was betrayed by a "friend" - how humiliating. He was made to carry His cross - another humiliation! He was spit upon by a jeering crowd - how humiliating. And he said not a word! He didn't try to defend Himself. When I am falsely accused, I try to defend myself and it's hard for me to keep quiet. Jesus taught us the value of silence. In the world's eyes He was a total failure.

Anyone who has read the Old Testament is not surprised that Jesus was rejected by those He came to save. Hundreds of years before Christ came, His passion and death were predicted by the prophet Isaiah in these words:

"All who see me mock me. They have pierced my hands and my feet and for my clothes they have cast lots." (Isaiah 50:4-7)

Throughout the Old Testament, more than 300 times the coming of Jesus is predicted. Jesus is "all over" the Old Testament. People knew He was coming, but how sad that they didn't recognize Him.

Have you ever felt abandoned by God? I think most of us have. To be abandoned by His own Father must have been the worst thing possible for Jesus. We know He did feel abandoned by His Father, because He said these sorrowful words from the cross,

"My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"

It is bad enough to be rejected by men, but to be rejected by His Father was almost more than He could bear.

He even allowed Himself to die and be buried. But the best was yet to come - He conquered death by rising from the grave after only three days! How humiliating for Christ to have people say He was a liar when he said He would raise Himself from the dead on the third day. Everything He said came true. We all know He was not a liar. He knew the joy that was coming - now, Jesus is triumphant in heaven, where all bow down to Him and He is the judge of all.

Lent comes around so that we will never forget what Christ did for us - it is not to make you feel guilty or sad, but to realize what a lover and a friend we have in Jesus. Knowing what He went through to save us, how could we ever doubt His love? You are His precious child. Even though we may not always feel His love, He proved it by dying for us. He's always in love with us and wants us to be happy.

Take your family to confession this Lent and they will feel so much better. By confessing our sins in humility, our souls become so beautiful! "If your sins be as scarlet, I will make them whiter than snow." This is the promise in Isaiah 1-18. May this Lent change your heart forever!

My prayer is that you'll know how much I love you and that whatever tomorrow brings, God will be there when you need comfort.

My love in Christ,
Sister Francelle