When Pain Closes The Eyes

 

When Pain Closes The Eyes

Once Upon A Time In The West – A 1968 “epic spaghetti western.”

Luke 23:46 “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”

     Harmonica played his eerie tune.  Short time later, three men shot dead at the opening train station scene.  Harmonica, taking a hit himself, lived to see the next day.  Frank, however, suffers the ultimate and gets the instrument placed in his mouth before ‘biting the dust.’

     None of this has a bearing on real life at all.  Death does not meet the Hollywood face in a way depicted by the lens.  Try as they may, the director can’t capture that look.  Sudden jerks of the comical sleep in made for T.V. dramas don’t fulfill the void as if death’s suffocation can be revved up to 78 speed.

      “My God!  My God!  Why have You forsaken Me?”  Sound familiar?  These are the words which haunt our ears.  These are the ones which documented a Man’s final time.  Then He turned to say, “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.”  Death came and squeezed out His spirit like a bloody sponge lit into the air.  And how do we explain that?

     No Hollywood producer could capture the scene because, it was all without drama.  Just a plain ole crucifixion on a plain ole day.  The Romans took note and said, “Next!”  Miraculous signs whirled about.  Women shrieked.  Man cried out.  Cloaks were thrown over head as disciples went into hiding.  Mary relinquished her stance and John took her home.  All 140lbs or so of a corpse hung in the drying wind.  Like leather stretched across the nails.  Yet, drama gone.

     No dialogue.  No great debate of Satan, God, or Moses contending for the body or soul of our Christ. No great recital nor regurgitation of law this or law that.  Just a Man, alone.

     Pain closed the eyes of Him who was so used to seeing afar.  Entirely over the horizon, His gaze brought hope to those who could only see to their hands.  Now, He squinted to see the blackness come for Him.  What He had been promised looked to be swallowed up by the serpent’s gape.  A final glimpse of the rattler striking His heart He wondered, “What in the world am I doing here?”

     The pain of One despairing to death.  Not in time leading up to final breath, but at that second when hope left.  When the door was shut, and He saw the Father’s face no longer.  Heaven’s glow drew down and left Him cold.

     This was the picture they could not recreate in the studio.  What character could play the part?  Where Ultimate Life met Death head on only to have Light extinguished tragically.  Sony would have paid millions to capture the ‘look.’  A full close-up into Jesus’ eye down through the window of His soul.  Still, take two! would be unheard of.

     Thanks Brother, You only did it once.  You only dragged us through Hell once, recorded four times.  Pain marred Your vision temporarily.  In Hell, You got back 20/20 and started preaching again just like You were used to doing.  (A man’s job is never done!)

      If You tarry, our pain will be brief.  It will be a pleasure to sleep in You.

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