The Hurt

"Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and lead him away to crucify him."
Matthew 27:27-31 ESV

Sometimes in life, people stop reading the story right here. Sometimes it feels like this is actually the last verse. Like it's really the end. But it's not.

"Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said...'"
Matthew 28:1-6a ESV

The pain of watching Jesus go through such torture is depressing and sickening, at best. But you can't...I mean it--you can't stop there. The story goes on and there is hope and joy.

Sometimes in life the hope and joy aren't quite so radiant like the proclamation of an angel. In the midst of the flogging and the mocking, hope is a vapor and joy merely dust within it. Because pain and disappointment seem to darken everything else around. The hurt is real.

But so is the good.

I wait and hope patiently for my First Love,
knowing full well that there is healing.
Soon I will dance again, laugh again, smile again,
and completely
feel
the fullness
He promises.