Prince of Glory

by Mary Beth on April 19, 2019

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Throughout Holy Week believers remember how our Lord Jesus suffered.

Through sufferings,

He struggled in deep anguish physically, emotionally, and mentally-

specifically the pain of rejection from

religious priests, the very crowd who praised Him earlier,

including his disciples who later deserted him.

Their lack of understanding to

His kingdom call as our suffering Savior, was painfully evident.

“All the disciples left him and ran away.”   ~Matthew 26:56

-The Prince of glory suffered greatly for us.

The book of Lamentations 1: 12, 16, 21,

foretells the painful sufferings

Jesus endured the last week of his life.

As disciples and ambassadors for Christ,

we’ll encounter our own experience of misunderstandings

or recurring memories of rejection and betrayal

from those closest to us,

even chosen friends.

A few years ago while traveling in Italy during Lent season,

I wrote this poem while encountering a painful struggle,

specifically betrayal from a close friend.

When friends flee causing similar pain,

-Christ offers us his example to love patiently and endure pain.

*

The Veil

Such friends are but trouble,

Unless walking side by side.

The soul exposing an imposter; a double.

Truth that sharpens, cuts and divides.

Many claim boldly to love.

Bringing a shadow of service,

What is the kiss?

Betrayal or an honest answer?

Conditional, upon the well they sip.

God of all comfort & compassion oversee,

A boldness must breathe, rest and plea,

Content in their deeper soul, I pray.

Mighty Warrior of the soul,

Tear the veil, chip away, and awaken hearts!

Reign through your beauty and art.

*

-Jesus Christ was fully human and fully divine.

Jesus experienced the struggles and pains of our humanity, even more, as the Prince of glory! He suffered greatly the shame of dying on a cross.

On the cross, justice and mercy met together

in the greatest beauty that bears fruit for God’s glory.

Fully human in his prayer to the Father; fully divine in His declaring,

“It is finished.”

C. S. Lewis encourages us to press into the Lord of all truth:

“{Pain} removes the veil,

it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul.”   

*

“But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is,

there is freedom.”  ~2 Cor. 3: 17

*

“How painful are honest words!

Does He not see my ways and count my every step?

          If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit

—let God weigh me in honest scales and He will know that I am blameless

  –if my steps have turned from the path,

if my heart has been led by my eyes,

or if my hands have been defiled,

           then may others eat what I have sown.”  ~Job 6:25, 31: 4-8

*

“Therefore, my brothers, therefore, sisters dear,

However I, troubled or selfish, fail

In tenderness, or grace, or service clear,

I every moment draw to you more near;

God in us from our hearts veil after veil

Keeps lifting, till we see with his own sight,

And all together run in unity’s delight.”

~George MacDonald, Diary of an Old Soul

*

God’s tenacious love, truth and faithful call for our obedience to *be holy* will show forth as fruit on a tree. Even Job knew & experienced truth that sharpened his soul among friends. Rabbi Abraham Heschel states:  “Faith like Jobs cannot be shaken because it is the result of having been shaken.”

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