Jesus Bore the Guilt of Us All

Today's first reading, Isaiah 52: 13-53: 12, speaks of Jesus upon whom "the Lord laid...the guilt of us all."  Isaiah describes his appearance as follows:  "[T]here was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him.  He was spurned and avoided by peopled, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom people hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem."

That is the look of sin as seen by onlookers and as recognized in ourselves if we are open to seeing sins' ugliness!   The horror of sin has been shown to us many times: the images of war, of those slaughtered in war, those killed by murderers, by persons seeking revenge or acting out of jealousy.  We seen the ugliness of sin within ourselves when we cheat, lie, are verbally abusive, entertain gossip and so on!  Sin is not pretty at all! It robs us of our beauty and also does the same to those against whom we sin.  Our spirits are dimmed by sin. Our attitudes harmed by such.

What does God see? I believe that He looks upon us with pity, as "sheep" without a shepherd, as Jesus described His "flock".  I believe that He looks upon us with compassion and says to us, as He said to His executioners: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.  Often, it is in retrospect that we realize the effects of our sins. Before we commit sin, however, Jesus knows their effect upon us and upon the victims of our sinful behavior.  He grieves, I believe, and is ready to help us get up, as Simon helped Him on His way to Calvary! He is there to wipe our brows, as Veronica wiped His. He is there and gazes upon us with love, as He gazed upon the women and His mother and the disciple whom He loved following Him to the hill where He was crucified for our sins.

As ugly as sin is, that much more beautiful is our redemption from sin, our being raised to new life by Jesus' death and resurrection! Grace triumphs and sin loses its power. Satan, on Calvary, was defeated! God reigns! God lives in us and takes possession of us, rejoicing in His work as Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier of us all!