Station Seven: Jesus Bears the Cross
Art
Milton Avery, Sally with Skull
John 19: 6, 15-17
When the chief priests and the guards saw [Jesus] they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him." ... They cried out, "Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your king?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha.
Reflection
Deacon Dev Lobo | Transfiguration Catholic Church, Marietta
Jesus had been severely flogged and humiliated. He was in sheer agony. He knew that taking the cross would mean even more suffering and pain, and eventually, death. And he knew that he would carry on his shoulders the weight of all the sin of humankind. And yet, even though he had the power to save himself, Jesus chose to accept the cross. Life can be difficult. It can even seem overwhelming at times. Jesus trusted that his Father would see him through his suffering. We need to as well. “He knows every hurt and every sting; he has walked the suffering. Let your burdens come undone. Lift your eyes up to the One who knows. He knows” (from the song “He Knows” by Jeremy Camp).