Passing beneath Christ’s outstretched arm. (Part 1)

(A devotional reflection in 5 parts, taking up a thought from “Jesus holds open a door”)

Passing beneath Christ’s outstretched arm

Part 1: A look of love

Passing beneath Christ’s outstretched arm, a drop of his blood falls into our souls and this, to us, is pure grace.

The life of Christ, in agony, drips away, but with each drop he imparts life. Aching with pain I look upwards, desperate for hope, or maybe relief of my suffering, or, if there is nothing else, a peaceful end. I don’t know why this man means so much, yet, when there is nothing else – and everything in my life tells me there is nothing else – I am drawn to him. Perhaps that is why he was lifted up, so that through the crowd, through my despair, I would see him. And as I look up, surely in vain, to my amazement, beyond all hope, he is looking down at me. I cannot bear his gaze, yet neither can I draw my eyes away. The exercise would have been pointless, my hope futile, if he had not looked down at me, but look he did. His suffering never left his face, but that did not prevent him looking at me with love. And that is all I needed; it is everything. It is that look that has set me free, that even in that moment, he should look at me with love. Yet that is why he chose that vantage point, that he should be able to see us all. But not all look at him.  But if you do, you also will see him looking at you with love.