23.01.2006
Pain is not necessarily equivalent to defeat, as in the case of God’s own experience of suffering.
It is not pain we need to avoid, but defeat (in its moral and spiritual dimension, which is sin).
Jesus’ heart is true. It has been broken by grief cf. Gen 6:5-6, “ 5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.” Isa 53:3, “He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”, and healed.
The guilt and shame he bore was ours and not his, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; ” (Isa 53:4).
The cry of the cross is a cry of a wounded heart (Mark 15:34).
The wounded heart is made visible in the preservation of the scars on the body of Jesus (Luke 24:40; John 20:27).
Faith is proportional to a revelation of the wounded heart of Jesus. The wounded heart of Jesus reigns on high over all for me. This makes it possible for me (with my wounded heart) to identify with him.
His wounded heart cries and beats for me. It lives in me.
The wounded heart of Jesus means his primary identification is with those of a wounded heart cf. God’s preferential option for the poor.
What is the difference between the power and attraction of the wounded heart of Jesus and the wounded and healed head of the beast?
Revelation 13:3-4 “3 One of its heads seemed to have received a death-blow, but its mortal wound had been healed. In amazement the whole earth followed the beast. 4 They worshipped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?””
- The wounding of Jesus is voluntary not involuntary, John 10:18 “17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.””
- The wounding of Jesus is for others and not for himself, John 10:15 “I lay down my life for the sheep”
- Jesus never dies again, Revelation 1:18 ““Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades.”” Rev 19:20- 21 “20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed in its presence the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur.” Jesus life is not of this world, that of the beast is of this world.
- The heart of the beast is not wounded, only his exterior form i.e. he is not inwardly affected, so that the revelation of his wounding does not reveal his inner nature, only his outward power.