Two little boys are fighting and the hair is flying. It’s heartbreaking for their dad and he is so sad that they cannot get along. Actually, all the family relationships are in pieces.

The third brother, who is not involved in the fight at all, steps up and offers to take the punishment on behalf of the two brothers who are fighting and gives up his life. This selfless act by the third brother heals all the relationships and brings peace.

This story sounds a little absurd. Who would ever do something like that? But it is exactly what Jesus did. Through his death on the cross Jesus healed relationships: ²⁰… all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.

I don’t think we actually understand what impact Adam and Eve’s choice, not to live according to God’s will, had. It’s not just a children’s story of a little mistake that mankind made. O no, that one stupid choice disturbed the harmony to such an extent that God and man became enemies.

It was war and because God is God, mankind was losing. This upset God very much. God was so horrified by this that He and Jesus had to intervene. But the solution was not so small: ²⁰… all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.

I know you’ve heard this many, many times. But we should hear it again and again. Where would we have been today if Jesus’ blood did not flow? We take things for granted. As if this is just the way it should be. But what if you paint a picture with no Jesus in it? Then you’ll see destruction all around. People killing one another for nothing.

Yes, these things still do happen. My aunt murdered by her gardener while she was making him sandwiches. My cousin found by her husband in their kitchen in Wellington, hands and feet bound, strangled. Her purse and cellphone stolen.

Yes, then you struggle to remain upright. The questions too hard and the answers too insubstantial to help at all.

All around us we can see broken relationships. People consciously choose to draw a line through the relationship between man and God – and the net effect is murder and death and hurt and pain among us.

There are no easy answers. And not everything always makes sense.

But what I do know and what I hold onto with all I have is that Jesus came to give the relationship between me and God another chance. Jesus looks at me through the lens of his death on the cross. This lens prevents my sin from shining through. Now my relationship with God is healed and I have another chance to get to God.

Through all the hurt of the death and murder around and inside me I keep holding onto this: my relationship with God can survive, because Jesus’ blood flowed to heal it. Praised be his Name.

Scripture

Colossians 1:15-20

Reflection

What does Jesus’ death on the cross mean?

How do people around you experience your faith?

What do you do with the hardship of life?

Prayer

Lord, I know your story. It’s a wonderful story. I believe in it. I believe that you healed the relationship between us and God. But, honestly, it’s hard for me when I look around and cannot see it. I don’t know what to do. Amen.