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From a Communion Message given by Linda Bulloss, February 26, 2011

While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26: 26-28)

As Jesus was breaking the bread he told his disciples what was to come for him. It was a picture of his coming death in which His body would be rendered helpless, powerless and unprotected against the evil of men.

Breaking, whether it is physical or emotional involves a loss of control and the loss of normal defenses.  It is a violation of the basic instinct of self preservation.  When we think of brokenness, we think of areas of loss, physical weakness, relational breakdown and failure.  Brokenness can also   be a shattering of the image we have of ourselves or the image we wish to portray to others.  It   can involve the loss of the dreams we have for ourselves and our future.

Jesus allowed himself to lose everything:  comfort, image, friends, fellowship with the Father for our sakes.  The defenses He could summon were voluntarily laid down.   The time and means of his sacrifice were not chosen by Him. They were chosen for Him by others and allowed by the Father to fulfill the perfect plan of salvation.  He endured it for our sakes and our benefit. He also chose to allow his disciples to watch and be with him through the process.

Brokenness is part of the human condition since the fall whether one chooses to acknowledge it or not.  It is unavoidable and comes to all. Many times in pursuit of the Lord and His kingdom purposes we can be broken.   Not everything done for love’s sake feels good.  Sometimes the cost is great, perhaps greater than what we had anticipated.  Storms come and we can be broken in the process.  Our response determines the value.  The normal human tendency is to hide, circle the wagons, gather new defense strategies or just hunker down and wait ‘til the storm passes and hope that it does soon.  To be seen for who we are in our weakness and vulnerability adds another level of suffering to the human condition.

Not only was Jesus publically broken for our sakes, but in the breaking gave himself for others. In giving ourselves to the Lord and waiting for His word to come, we demonstrate trust in the one that can redeem, comfort in the season of our deepest loss.  In our dependency, we wait, believing that we will see the goodness of the Lord.  .  In the midst of great loss, the last thing one would want to do is think of someone else and what we could give them.   It is the time to get healing, get comfort, get encouragement, pour in the balm of Gilead but in his time of ultimate brokenness, the Lord gave it all.   He gave all he had to undeserving thankless man.

We like to measure what we give.   Keep a reserve…hold back.  Feel generous and good about ourselves yet still protecting who we are and what we have.  At this time of full surrender and ultimate sacrifice he was so beyond holding back and measuring his gift.

What made it possible for the Lord to give what he did?

It was the deep knowledge of the love of the Father.

It was His great love for us.

It was the unshakable faith in the call by the father and knowledge of the value of the sacrifice.

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2)

These are the same things that when formed in us, allow us to be broken by life and yet be able to give ourselves for the sake and benefit of others.  Seen as weak and vulnerable by the world, yet motivated by the father’s love, we allow ourselves to be seen in truth for who we are and offer ourselves and what we have as the very life of Christ within us for others.  We keep our eyes on the prize while we wait in faith for His word to be fulfilled in us, through us, on behalf of others.

One final thought on giving through brokenness is the role of the community of faith, the local church.  Within the context of our church family we come to know others more than just superficially and become aware of each other’s brokenness.  As a family of faith we are called to love, support and encourage one another in the hope that we have in Christ.  We walk along side listening, being present, bearing one another’s burdens, contending for one another in prayer and by the power of the spirit speaking into one another’s lives the word of the Lord. Sharing the seasons of our lives, our capacity to love, forgive, and honor one another is worked out in day to day moments of giving loving and caring for one another.    We are brought into freedom to become who we were created to be in the context of Christian community.

So Lord to the degree that each of us has experienced brokenness, we ask that you would be so formed in us and that our heart would remain fixed on you.  We pray that with the grace you give to us we would risk being both visible and vulnerable giving ourselves to each other and to the world around us.

We also ask that as a community of faith, we would listen, love and care for one another in such a way as to release the life of the Lord through one another and provide a witness to the unsaved community around us of the love we are growing in.

 

Anyone with the slightest familiarity with the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion knows of the account of His words spoken from the cross. “My God, my God why have you forsaken me!”  There have been countless speculations as to what was going on in Jesus as He cried out  to His Father in this way. Many of them are quite true and excellent meditations. I just want to share something that occurred to me as I was reading Psalm 22.  Why Psalm 22 you  might say? Well when Jesus was on the cross He was quoting from the Hebrew Scriptures!  He was praying Scripture to His Father.  Scripture that had been written hundreds of years before He was born.  Not only does this psalm depict exactly what was taking place but I believe it was giving us a glimpse into the heart of Jesus as He was paying the full price for OUR sins.  He was buying us back for the Father.

Let’s look at the Psalm:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

and by night, but I find no rest.

Yet you are holy,

enthroned on the praises of Israel.

In you our fathers trusted;

they trusted, and you delivered them.

To you they cried and were rescued;

in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm and not a man,

scorned by mankind and despised by the people.

All who see me mock me;

they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;

“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;

let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

Yet you are he who took me from the womb;

you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.

On you was I cast from my birth,

and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

Be not far from me,

for trouble is near,

and there is none to help.

Many bulls encompass me;

strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

they open wide their mouths at me,

like a ravening and roaring lion.

I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint;

my heart is like wax;

it is melted within my breast;

my strength is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue sticks to my jaws;

you lay me in the dust of death.

For dogs encompass me;

a company of evildoers encircles me;

they have pierced my hands and feet–

I can count all my bones—

they stare and gloat over me;

they divide my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots.

But you, O Lord, do not be far off!

O you my help, come quickly to my aid!

Deliver my soul from the sword,

my precious life from the power of the dog!

Save me from the mouth of the lion!

You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

 I will tell of your name to my brothers;

in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:

You who fear the Lord, praise him!

All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,

and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

For he has not despised or abhorred

the affliction of the afflicted,

and he has not hidden his face from him,

but has heard, when he cried to him.

 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;

my vows I will perform before those who fear him.

The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;

those who seek him shall praise the Lord!

May your hearts live forever!

All the ends of the earth shall remember

and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

shall worship before you.

For kingship belongs to the Lord,

and he rules over the nations.

All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;

before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,

even the one who could not keep himself alive.

Posterity shall serve him;

it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;

they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,

that he has done it.

I just want to point out in this original post that Jesus was crying out to God the Father from deep agony. He had been totally rejected by His people and  generation. Yet at the same time praising Him for His faithfulness.  He was crying out in faith as Scripture was being fulfilled. He knew that He was accomplishing something that would redeem the world.  He truly was/is the Lamb of God taking away the sins of the world.

He is altogether worthy of our consideration!