One might think that it can't get any worse than the intense, relentless pain illuminated so forcefully in The Passion of The Christ, but I believe the worst part of Jesus’ suffering was the rejection:
by the civil government
by the religious elite
by the crowds that once followed him
by his disciples (Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him, others ran away)
and, in my opinion, the worst thing anyone has ever suffered, Jesus’ own beloved Father turned his back on his beloved Son.
The Father had to forsake the Son when the sins of the world were dumped on him.
If you've seen Slumdog Millionaire, you'll remember the scene in which the young protagonist falls into the cesspool and emerges covered in feces. I think that might begin to illustrate the revulsion that the perfectly holy Lord Jesus must have felt when our sins were put upon him.
Thank you for leaving the glory of Heaven to suffer for us, Lord.
Have a happy yet pensive Holy Week.
