1.0The Coffee Oasishttps://thecoffeeoasis.comCreative Communicationshttps://thecoffeeoasis.com/author/creative-communications/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="ZRwKIR3RxW"><a href="https://thecoffeeoasis.com/easter-meditation-day-2-punished-and-wounded-2021/">Easter Meditation Day 2: Punished and Wounded</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://thecoffeeoasis.com/easter-meditation-day-2-punished-and-wounded-2021/embed/#?secret=ZRwKIR3RxW" width="600" height="338" title="“Easter Meditation Day 2: Punished and Wounded” — The Coffee Oasis" data-secret="ZRwKIR3RxW" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(c,d){"use strict";var e=!1,o=!1;if(d.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(!(t.secret||t.message||t.value));else if(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret));else{for(var r,s,a,i=d.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),n=d.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),l=0;l<n.length;l++)n[l].style.display="none";for(l=0;l<i.length;l++)if(r=i[l],e.source!==r.contentWindow);else{if(r.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message){if(1e3<(s=parseInt(t.value,10)))s=1e3;else if(~~s<200)s=200;r.height=s}if("link"===t.message)if(s=d.createElement("a"),a=d.createElement("a"),s.href=r.getAttribute("src"),a.href=t.value,!o.test(a.protocol));else if(a.host===s.host)if(d.activeElement===r)c.top.location.href=t.value}}},e)c.addEventListener("message",c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),d.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",t,!1),c.addEventListener("load",t,!1);function t(){if(o);else{o=!0;for(var e,t,r,s=-1!==navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE 10"),a=!!navigator.userAgent.match(/Trident.*rv:11\./),i=d.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),n=0;n<i.length;n++){if(!(r=(t=i[n]).getAttribute("data-secret")))r=Math.random().toString(36).substr(2,10),t.src+="#?secret="+r,t.setAttribute("data-secret",r);if(s||a)(e=t.cloneNode(!0)).removeAttribute("security"),t.parentNode.replaceChild(e,t);t.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:r},"*")}}}}(window,document); </script> https://thecoffeeoasis.mystagingwebsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Easter-Meditations-Crown-Banner_R1-v1-01.png1200638We considered him punished by God. Wounds beg for words of explanation A story that justifies the suffering I see on this tortured and weary face“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parentsThat he was born blind?”If he’s a sinner I can ignore his wounds they are his punishment, after all.So I will conjure a story for him a tale of his laziness of his selfishness of his having wasted plenty of opportunities so that if I have compassion, it is because I am saintly, but if I ignore it is because he is a sinner bearing the consequences of his waywardness struck down by God.Punished.Afflicted.My own wounds beg for words of explanation a story that justifies my suffering as they fester into resentment infecting my soul with a self-righteous sense of victimhood; as if they were caused only by others these wounds I keep reopeningO! I am afflicted!O! I am stricken!Or sometimes they fester into shame; I am being punished by God because I am hated by God despised and rejected by God unloved.The wounds of a crucified man beg for words of explanation hanging naked for all to see and scorn in shameful scandal open wounds festering, we considered him punished by God.“Who sinned that this man hangs there like that?”No, this man didn’t sin. This happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.Wounds beg for words of explanationNo story can justify the suffering of this crucified man but his story is of a suffering that justifies this tortured and weary face suffering with all who have been naked and homeless for all to see despised and scorned suffering for those who would be rejected by God the punishment that brought us peace was on him by his wounds we are healed by his wounds we are loved.