THE PAIN JESUS SUFFERED

I wept for all the pain that Jesus suffered,
When drops of blood were sweated for my sin,
And for his back laid open from the lashes
Inflicted there by cruel, blood-thirsty men.

It broke my heart to know that nails were driven
Into His hands and feet upon the cross,
And still, while there, He prayed for the forgiveness,
Of those who scoffed, unmindful of their loss.

But as I read about His life I ponder
About the added sorrow that He bore,
When those He loved rejected all His teachings,
And failed to heed His knocking at their door.

He felt the hatred and abuse of many,
And even His own brothers disbelieved
That He was sent from God as their Messiah,
And trusting Him could find their doubts relieved.

The crowds ate all the free food He provided,
And wanted Him to make their bodies whole,
But most of them forgot to stop and thank Him,
And didn't seek His food to feed their soul.

And still today we're causing Him to suffer,
When we, his children, scoff at His commands.
We break His heart each time we turn against Him,
And drive the nails again into His hands.

Yet even though we sin, He'll always love us,
And bind our wounds, and give us strength anew.
He understands each heartache that we suffer,
And grieves for every pain that we go through.

He wants us to be faithful, and to trust Him
To work all things together for our best,
Until the day our souls rise up to meet Him,
And enter Heaven's gates to find our rest.

Betty Jo Mings