Good Friday Devotional: Reflections on Compassion for the Hopeless

My Good Friday devotional as published in the 40 Days of Lent Devotions by The God Article.  

By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours—a total blackout. The Temple curtain split right down the middle. Jesus called loudly, “Father, I place my life in your hands!” Then he breathed his last. When the captain there saw what happened, he honored God: “This man was innocent! A good man, and innocent!”
All who had come around as spectators to watch the show, when they saw what actually happened, were overcome with grief and headed home. Those who knew Jesus well, along with the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a respectful distance and kept vigil. Luke 23:44-49 (The Message)

Good Friday. The day that Christians around the world observe the death of Jesus. The day that a man who was said to be God in the flesh was crucified and died like a common human. Not just a common human, but a criminal. Christ was crucified for standing up to the religious leaders of his culture and speaking out against their hypocrisy. Christ claimed His Divine relationship with God and rebuked the Pharisees in the name of their own God that they believed they were representing.

This Jesus who died on the cross was the Friend of the outcast. The Champion of the downtrodden. The God of the average human experience. The Advocate for justice that the people had been waiting for. Many believed He was the Messiah. 

When He died on the cross that day, the people were filled with grief, defeated, hopeless. Today as we observe Good Friday, let us feel that defeated hopelessness that the spectators felt that horrific Friday. Let us feel it because it is often the everyday emotional condition of the homeless, the poor, the sick, the wounded, the helpless, the ones who are victims of injustice, those who are grieving loved ones they have lost, those who Christ cared so much for when He walked the earth. Let us enter into their suffering even for one short day, so that we may feel greater compassion for them, as Christ modeled for us in word and deed. May we remember that Christ is not only in us, but in the ones we reach out to in love.

Lord Christ, teach us to have compassion on those who are hurting, those who are grieving, those who are hungry, those who need justice. Let us be Your hope, Your hands, Your love, Your words to them in our daily deeds. May those who meet us never head home in grief, but go away from us with hope and love rekindled. Lord, let us see You in all people. In your Holy and Loving Name, So Be It.