Jesus - The Lord Who Abolish ReproachSpeaker: Dr. D.G.S. Dhinakaran Gist: Do others reproach you in your work-spot or in your surrounding? Do not take any disastrous step, but take all your sorrows and pains to the feet of Lord Jesus. He will relieve you from agony and shame. He will give you comfort and console you. The loving and compassionate heart of Jesus was shattered when He hung on the Cross bearing our tribulations, grieves, weaknesses, iniquities and sins. Lord Jesus would have lamented according to the prophecy of Isaiah, "Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; And for comforters, but I found none". That is why, 'He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds' (Psalm 147:3); He revives 'the spirit of the humble' and 'the heart of the contrite ones' (Isaiah 57:15); He does not despise 'a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart' (Psalm 51:17).
When He came down to this wretched and sinful world, He proclaimed, "He (God) has anointed Me to heal the brokenhearted, to set at liberty those who are oppressed" (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18). Lord Jesus completely surrendered Himself so that He could traverse through the path of 'Reproach'.
"Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; And for comforters, but I found none." (Psalm 69:20)
When Lord Jesus Christ was fulfilling His mission on earth, many Jews said, "He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?" (John 10:20). Some said, "He deceives the people" (John 7:12). When He was hanging on the Cross, those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself. If you are the Son of God, come down from the Cross." The Chief Priests, the Scribes and the Elders mocked at Him saying, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him" (Matthew 27:39-44). Those reviling words should have cleft His heart.
Dear friend, in a similar manner, are there not people who break our hearts with their words which, according to the Bible, are 'Like the piercing of a sword?' (Proverbs 12:18).
I happened to read about a horrible tragic incident in a magazine. A young man and a young girl were united in a love marriage. A few months sallied away quite sweetly. But when the girl conceived, the young man began to be hostile. He began to thrash and torture her. When the girl was in the eight month of her conception, he came home and abused her with ferocious words and smacked her. She bore all his smacking patiently. At the crescendo of vituperative abuse, he railed at her shouting, "You are a prostitute". That was all, her heart was pierced. She bitterly wept and said, "I came out of my home, hankering after you like a destitute, spurning my mother and father, my lofty status, because I loved you... only you. You have never taken me out of this place. You have called me, who has no knowledge of the outside world at all... a harlot." Emotionally overwhelmed by grief, she doused kerosene on her head and immolated herself. Even while being charred to death, she shrieked an out cry, 'At least now, realise that I am a chaste woman, not an adulteress." One word of reproach had split her heart and annihilated her whole life.
Dear friend, you may also be a target of words of reproach in the place of your work-spot or in your in-laws' home or in the society and may be living with a shattered heart. Do not plan to commit suicide because of the ugly situation. Suicide is not an end in itself for the temporary tribulations and vilifying reproach. Lord Jesus gave His heart to be shattered by reproachful words just to give us victory over our tribulations. For this, He triumphed over death. Let us submit with lamentation, our woes to Him. He will understand our agony and cracked heart. Agitated in heart, He will rush to us to help us.
Prayer:
Loving Heavenly Father,
I am unable to bear the mocking and the reproachful words spoken at me. Lord, deliver me from such situation. You alone are my comfort, my fortress and my shield. Help me not to take any disastrous step. Teach me to trust in You. Help me to come and share all my sorrows and believe that You shall make a way and set me free. Grant me Your grace to forgive those who spoke harshly and reproached me. I make this humble prayer through Christ Jesus, my Saviour.
Amen. |