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Topic: Insulted (11/01/04)
TITLE: Insulting the Sacrifice By Mary Elder-Criss 11/06/04 |
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“King of the Jews! Indeed! He doesn’t look too Kingly right now, though, does he boys?” The Roman soldier threw his head back and laughed mockingly.
“Hey, Jesus! How about this for a crown?” the laughter swelled, as another soldier cut branches from a nearby bush, and formed them into a crude circle, which he then forcefully jammed into the man’s brow.
“Can you believe the way that new Sunday school teacher was dressed for church this morning?” Marge asked her friend Hazel. “I declare, it was an insult to the body! All those rings and bracelets, and her skirt didn’t even cover her knees! Well, I’ll be having a talk with the Pastor about the whole thing, you can just bet your bottom dollar on it.”
“Let’s see how the King appears in his royal purple robes!” With strips of flesh hanging from his back, and blood dripping from his brow, Jesus endured their mocking in silence as they roughly clothed him in the finery.
“Ah, yes, I believe that was just what I needed to see that you are indeed of royal blood!” The soldier spit in his face. “Noble, indeed!”
“I can’t believe the Pastor preached on tithes AGAIN!” Jim told his wife Sandy on the way home from morning services. “I find it so insulting, considering we are faithful.”
“Hmmmph,” snorted Sandy. “You find that insulting? You should have heard what Sister Morgan said to me this morning.”
“What?”
“Well, she actually had the nerve to ask if I could tone down my volume just a little bit during praise and worship. Evidently, I’m drowning HER out, and since she’s the worship leader, we certainly can’t have THAT!”
“It’s a disgrace, I tell you!” retorted her husband. “I’m thinking seriously about looking for another church!”
“Yeah, just one more incident like that, and I’m inclined to agree with you,” Sandy replied. “Maybe we can find a church that actually APPRECIATES our faithfulness!”
“Hey Savior!” the thief called. “If you truly are who you say you are, why don’t you come down from that cross and save yourself and us!”
“Save yourself! Save yourself! Save yourself!” the crowd began chanting. “King of the Jews, save yourself!”
“I have never been so insulted in all my life!” Sarah spoke into the receiver. “The Pastor’s wife didn’t even mention my name when she was thanking all the people who helped to make the play a success. She claimed that she forgot to write everyone’s name down, and that it was just an oversight. Well, I’ll be doggoned if I’ll ever help again! Everyone appreciates a little acknowledgement now and then, you know.”
(3)He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
“You can argue that men were created equal all you want, but I won’t have my children havin’ to associate with the likes of them! It’s an insult to my granddaddy, God rest His soul. He was one of the founding fathers of this church, and by gum, I figger I have some kind of say so about the whole thing. Never been no coloreds in this church, and I don’t see no reason for it to start now. The Pastor liked to fall all over hisself gettin’ to ‘em and makin’ em welcomed! Well, dang if I’ll welcome the likes of them!”
(7)He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth. Isaiah 53:3,7
The echo of His ageless cry is disregarded.
“It is finished!”