The penultimate
word of Jesus marks a return to what we would
expect from Christ; the mention of his Father
as the one who can save him out of death.
We have here a dramatic presentation of these
last minutes of the agony of Jesus and the
conflict between the elements surrounding the
event. For it is spring in Palestine, so the
sky is clear. Jesus was crucified at the third
hour, that is at 9 am.
Then at the sixth hour, noon, suddenly
darkness covers the land, and descends on
Golgotha.
In this painting, two figures are present
beneath the cross, Mary of Magdela,
who represents the reformed sinner, and the
figure of death. Jesus has
his head turned away from this figure and
looks down at Mary; for death
has no power over him. Death will have a short
stay with him, but we know
in faith that he would burst asunder the
holding place of the death chamber
and walk free.
And what of the words themselves? One
commentator opens up for us what
they could mean.1
"For Luke, Jesus’ last words are
not a cry of abandonment but
a giving of himself back into the
hands that had made him. At an
ordinary funeral, this is called “the
commendation.” The official stands
near the body and commends the person who
has died to God. There was no
one to do that for Jesus, which is why he
did it for himself. This may
have scandalized those who could hear it,
but by doing so he took himself
out of their hands. By commending himself to
the God whose enemy they said
he was, he redefined what was happening to
him.
"He gave away what they thought they were
taking from him, and the whole
scene lost its balance.
"Thus Jesus introduced us to the shocking
power of sacrifice. Which
can turn something that looks for all the
world like loss, into something
that feels for all the world like gain?”
The Good Shepherd lays down his life for
his sheep; he gives up his
life for none can take it away from
him."
As we look at this work we could do nothing
better that repeats the prayer
of Charles de Foucauld:
Father, I abandon myself into your
hands;
do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me,
and in all your creatures -
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you with all the love of my
heart,
for I love you Lord,
and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands,
without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
For you are my Father.
1
The Rev. Dr. Barbara Brown Taylor,
Butman Professor of Religion and
Philosophy, Piedmont College, Demorest,
Georgia
