As I’ve tried to make progress toward healing in my life, I’ve spent time each day reading and memorizing the scriptures. The app I use to track my memorization has me review scriptures daily, weekly, and monthly.
Today, just before my one of my daily scriptures moved to being reviewed weekly, I noticed something. Mark 15:34 and Mark 16:19 go very well together.
They represent two major points in Christ’s life. In Mark 15:34, we read
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
In this moment, God has completely withdrawn all spiritual support for Christ. This necessary art allowed the atonement to be completely and wholly Christ’s.
In this moment all the depth of human emotion, sin, hurt, depravity, and depression crashed down on Jesus and He again felt the weight of humanity that caused Him to bleed from every pore the night before in Gethsemane.
Contrast this with Mark 16:19,
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
After completing His divine mission, after finishing Atonement on behalf of all humanity–without which we would be cast off for Eternity and the whole of Creation would be wasted, Christ was welcomed to the presence of Father.
I am fully aware the depth and density of the darkness I’ve experienced is nowhere near that which Christ experienced, but knowing that I can have the same peace and reward He does gives me hope. It allows me to move forward with strength and hope.
My hope is a choice. I have to be vigilant in choosing to hope or I am overcome by the darkness. Even if there is a pinprick of light, it is better than oppressive obscurity. I choose to move toward light