Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus, signifies humility, sacrifice and forgiveness for our enemies. These were the three main virtues demonstrated by Jesus besides the physical pain and agony of being tortured and killed in a most cruel way.
However, we tend to highlight the physical suffering of Jesus more than the lessons he tried to teach us going through those sufferings. We tend to over emphasise on the evils of the those who unjustly tried and sentenced Jesus, the Jews who handed him to the Roman rulers who tried him and sentenced him. We readily condemn the Roman soldiers who carried out the sentence with no mercy or compassion whatsoever. We tend to sympathize with Jesus forgetting that sympathy is not what he wanted from us. God knows what and why he allowed Jesus to go through this ordeal which we call “Passion of Christ”.
Instead on sympathysing with Jesus let us uphold the lessons from his passion and see we can employ these in our lives,especially at a time of a major pandemic crisis,the Covid-19.This virus has managed to do something no man could ,close done all places of worship regardless of religion.Yes,our churches are closed even during this Holy Week,the most important in the church calendar.We Forced to follow the services online from our homes. We cannot lock up Jesus in the churches but carry him whenever we go and whatever we do to guide us.
The sacrifice of Christ, dying on the cross, is no ordinary sacrifice. It is self-sacrifice or agape, which is the ultimate sacrifice no man can do for another. During this MCO and Covid-19 crisis, we have a lot of opportunities to sacrifice a little for the benefit of someone, infected with the virus, under quarantine and those lonely confined to their homes. Are we willing to sacrifice a little for someone?
The other important lessons on Good Friday is on forgiveness,especially to those do bad to us and our family.Despite all the agony Jesus went through,he did not react with and anger or hate towards those who unjustly crucified him. He but accepted all the insults and torture with great humility. He freely and unconditionally forgave them and prayed for them saying, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they do”.Let us pray for that magnanimity of heart not to hold any grudge against those to ill treat us and act with vengeance against those who deprive us of our rights.
As we follow the Good Friday services online, let’s pray those infected with Covid-19 and undergoing treatment in all lone under quarantine.Let us pray God to grant the strength to endure the agony of dying all alone in the ICUs all over. Let’s pray for the families of those inflicted with the virus, may they gain the strength and courage to bear with the pain, agony and fear of loneliness and isolation.
Jesus reminds us of his cross on Good Friday; that injustice and pain are inevitable in life but as his followers we must accept them humbly without anger and hate. There is no place for revenge but only forgiveness for our enemies.
As for the Covid-19,with faith patience and doing the right things with the right attitude, we will surely overcome the ordeal soon
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Have a meaningful and blessed Good Friday
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