The Weight of the Word

Off the shelf and in my hand, "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan

The author of Crazy Love has done it again.  I drank this one up and it stepped on my toes. 

What follows is not a review on this book but one should come, if only I could sum it up.  I think it's going to take some time for that.  Another reading for sure, more study perhaps.  

Some of you who have been with me awhile know that I am involved in ministry through the Walk to Emmaus.  This week I am working on a written talk and I want to share some scripture that is speaking to  me.

Isaiah 52: 13 - 15

 See, my servant will act wisely

 he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.  

Just as there were many who were appalled at him - 

his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man 

and his form marred beyond human likeness - 

so will he sprinkle many nations, 

and kings will shut their mouths because of him.  

For what they were not told, they will see, 

and what they have not heard, they will understand.

Isaiah 53: 5 - 6

But he was pierced for our transgressions, 

 he was crushed for our iniquities;

 the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

 and by his wounds we are healed.

We all like sheep have gone astray, 

each of us has turned to his own way; 

and the LORD has laid on him 

the iniquity of us all.

I marvel at this scripture because of what Christ went through to take the punishment of my sin upon himself.  

In this modern time we are so use to seeing  violence, that it has become almost easy to watch, painless to see.  I feel that we have become desensitized to the weightier matters of life.  And another thing, I have been putting a lot of thought into the words we use to describe things.  I feel that we over use words that should be saved for rare more meaningful times when the weight of their meaning is more appropriate.

"the punishment that was on him ..."  there is a word that describes this "punishment" that Christ went through.  I read in the interview between Lee Strobel and Dr. Alexander Metherall that describes what a Roman flogging was like, what lays behind the word "crucify."  See I didn't really know.  It said the pain associated with crucifixions was so bad that there was no word to describe it, so a new word was invented 

excruciating 

adjective - extremely painful; causing intense suffering; unbearably distressing; torturing exceedingly elaborate or intense   

Synonyms: unbearable, insufferable, unendurable, agonizing, racking.  

Origin: to torment, torture, crucify (derivative; of the cross)

I can say I have never experienced excruciating pain for someone else's guilt.