O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
These past several weeks we have pondered on the wounds that our Savior suffered during our Wednesday evening Vespers. As the hymn, O Sacred Head, Now Wounded led us on our way, we have seen how the wounds of betrayal, apathy, denial, and mockery were reflected in the events of the first Holy Week. Judas betrayed Him with a kiss; Peter, James, and John had such apathy for His request to pray with Him for but an hour; Peter denied Him despite his promise never to do so; and the soldiers jeered and mocked. For all of these reasons, Jesus faced His Passion and death. For these reasons and all the additional reasons of our own betrayal, apathy, denial, and mocking did Jesus choose to suffer and die. Yet even these wounds do not hurt as much as the wound of abandonment. For your sake, Jesus chose to accept the wound of being abandoned by His Father. He chose to face hell and aloneness so that you would never have to know what it is like to not have God. Jesus was abandoned so that you would know that He shall never leave nor forsake you. He will be with you until the very end of the age; and on to eternity.
+ Pastor