Tuesday of Easter 4

Lamentations

Lamentations 3:22-33 (ESV)  The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust— there may yet be hope; let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.

The Man who put His mouth to the dust and gave His cheeks to strikes, who was insulted, who was cast off ("My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?") is Jesus. He takes the hell we deserve in our place. "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

The translation "willingly" isn't great. Better, it's not "from the heart." That is, God doesn't afflict us "from the heart." While He certainly does this "willingly" (yes, God wants you to suffer the temporal consequences of your sins!) the important thing is to recognize that it isn't "from His heart." That is, His heart doesn't ultimately want affliction for you, but comfort. He does His "alien work" to do His "proper work" (Isaiah 28:21). "Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted" (Isaiah 49:13). This is Law and Gospel at work. He wants to hurt you to bring you to repentance (Law) but then to comfort you with the forgiveness of sins (Gospel).

To spank a child (or discipline in some other way) without a goal in mind is abuse; to do so for the sake of teaching a lesson is fatherly (or maternal) love. God "spanks" us with His Law in order to make us appreciate the Gospel, His full forgiveness of all of our sins for the sake of Jesus. This "spanking" involves the reproach for our guilt as well as the pain of the suffering and death of our bodies. Only through this pain do we recognize our need for forgiveness and resurrection. And this is the consequence of His steadfast love, not a contradiction of it!

Prayer: Almighty and most merciful God, in this earthly life we endure sufferings and death before we enter into eternal glory. Grant us grace at all times to subject ourselves to Your holy will and to continue steadfast in the true faith to the end of our lives that we may know the peace and joy of the blessed hope of the resurrection of the dead and of the glory of the world to come; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.