The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. (Isaiah l. 5) The Lord Jesus Christ has been pinned to the gibbet or the Cross of Calvary. His ears are open always to His Father’s voice. He will not rebel nor revolt in the time of His agony. He will find neither bitterness nor resentment in his heart of hearts. He has come to do the will and work of His Eternal Father, and the Father’s will and Word is always begotten in Him. He will open His ears to what the Father commands Him to say. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. (Ibid, 6) The Lord Jesus Christ is full of bodily pain and agony. Prior to this Crucifixion the whips and chains have lacerated His back and torn the skin from his body. He is utter pain. But those who have done this thing do not yet know the Father’s love. And so the Son, Jesus Christ, will beg forgiveness for them. They are His enemies today, but tomorrow they may become the dearest of His friends. Jesus does not hate them, but loves them. He desires no revenge upon them. From heart of His mercy and from this new throne of His Grace He longs for them to receive His love. For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint and I know that I shall not be ashamed. (Ibid, 7) Jesus believes and trusts that the Father will help Him. He shall not entertain confusion, conflict, or cowardice. He will courageously face the progressive increase of pain and agony to body, soul, and spirit. He will embrace courage in the midst of His powerlessness. He is bearing the burden of human sin and bringing it into death. He is bringing Fallen Man into death. He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.(Ibid, 8) The Father justifies and vindicates the Son’s death. The devil is invited into the suffering and death to do what he may with Jesus. He has never been able to conquer Jesus within, and cannot now. He attacks His body hoping to get at His human soul. He cannot. The body endures the devil’s final blows, but the devil, more exhausted than Jesus, falls back into hell. Human Nature is brought into death, to be sure. But the human soul and the divine soul continue the dialogue that leads to salvation. The devil is defeated and the salvation event moves forward towards the sepuchre. Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. (Ibid, 9) The body must die but Jesus is not condemned. Jesus is fulfilling the Father’s will. Man’s old nature must be ushered into death surrounded by the goodness and love of God that forever animates it and desires its reconciliation. Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. (Ibid, 11) Man thinks that he can walk by his own light. He cannot. The Lord makes his life and the light by which he walks through it. The Lord has revealed His Everlasting Light in Jesus Christ, and the world has preferred the darkness of pride, envy, unforgiveness, and hatred for now. But only for now. Now is never forever. Man has made quite a fire for the Son of God. The fire is the crucifixion. Man has thought that he could destroy God. Man is proved to be impotent and meaningless in the face of God’s wisdom, which generates the love that make life out of suffering and death. The light is God’s wisdom and the love is His forgiveness. Both shall be offered but never compelled. If we resist and refuse this life, this light, this love, God says this: This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow. (Ibid, 11) Let us rather embrace God’s light and love this day. In His light, let us see that light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world, (St. John i. 9) especially from the throne of His suffering and death.