Sustained by Sacrificial Love

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him. (Psalm 34: 18-19)
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

In Psalm 34 we find phrases that some days, seem unbelievable. “The Lord hears the cry of the poor”; “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted”; “the Lord confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth”; and “when the just cry out, the Lord hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them”. My first response is I don’t see much evidence of this happening. When? Where? Where is God with his justice, compassion, confrontation of evil, protection, and heart for the poor? With wars raging, families being separated, personal and corporate vengeance, hunger, injustice, and unthinkable emotional pain, I, for one, ask where is God? He seems so far away and downright absent some days.

It's easy for us to keep asking the question why. Why ______? You fill in the blank with questions about what is happening in your life or what is happening in the world. Oh, how we want all of life to be logical, full of answers, predictability, and joy. We want to know, to be assured, to see signs of God’s faithfulness. What’s more, we want all of that to happen --- like NOW! --- or yesterday.

The better question to ask is what is the work of God? What does it mean to be sustained by the sacrificial love of God? How do we move past our blindness so we don’t miss seeing the convincing evidence of God’s mercy? We witness it as we celebrate Resurrection. Christ is alive! The tomb is empty! Did you miss it?

Assuredly, the world and life will never be logical and without injustice and heartache. It will not. We sinful folk exploit, trample on, and crush one another in small and large ways. We seemingly forget (or simply choose to disregard) God’s commandment to love one another. Not just select others, but everyone. We are called to love all --- generously and with compassion.

Today, remember that Christ redeems our doubts, our impatience, and our poor choices through His death and resurrection. Christ continues His work in and through us. Be reminded that you may be the only face of Christ another may see in their day. Life is still filled with pain and injustice, but each day and certainly in the end, the Lord hears our cries and His victory is ours. Hold fast to this Easter truth and walk boldly as a child of the Risen Christ. Grace doesn’t arrive in the plan going perfectly. Often it arrives in the presence that holds us when everything falls apart. We are Easter people.

Prayer: Risen Christ, please remind us that you hold us in the palm of your nail-scarred hands. You hear us every time we ask why. You invite us to deeper faith and trust. Help us to keep our eyes on the empty tomb and the fullness of your grace given freely, if our hands and hearts are open. In your holy name we pray. Amen.