A Good Friday Reflection

Isn’t it interesting?

Yes, so interesting.

That the mother of Zebedee’s sons made a request of Jesus.

“Jesus”, she said.

“May one of my sons sit on your left in your Kingdom.”

“And may the other sit on your right.”

An absurd request.

Right?

I imagine the disciples arguing.

“Who does she think she is asking such a thing?”

“I mean, what about me?”

“Or me?”

“Yeah, why are they so deserving, but we’re not?”

What’s most absurd, though, is what actually happened when Jesus came into his Kingdom.

He hung on the cross.

And as he breathed his last breath.

There was one man hanging on a cross to his left.

And another man hanging on a cross to his right.

But.

Neither were disciples.

Neither were “good men”.

Neither were righteous men.

Rather.

Both were criminals.

Both were scoundrels.

Both were being made a mockery of by the Romans.

Both were outcasts.

Hm.

What does this show me?

It shows me that those who think they are deserving probably aren’t.

And those who think others aren’t deserving are probably wrong.

In Jesus’ Kingdom it’s all backwards.

The first are last.

The last are first.

The outsiders are brought inside.

The insiders stand on the outside.

Today I don’t ask that I can be seated next to Christ in glory.

An absurd request, that would be.

Rather.

I ask that God remember the criminals and outcasts and scoundrels.

I ask that God remember those that the church and society has pushed away.

I ask that God do what he did on that Good Friday 2000 years ago.

And I ask that those on the outside be brought closest to Christ.

So that dichotomies are erased.

So that walls are torn down.

So that divisions no longer exist.

And that All.

Yes All.

(All means ALL).

Are ONE.

Amen, may it be so.