Taking Advantage of the Powerless
Sometimes, it's a real cruel world.
Today is Holy Tuesday. We continue in our journey through John below, but if you want to remember the traditional happenings of Holy Week’s Tuesday - the cursed fig tree.
Perhaps it just feels like a cruel detail. We only sit with these verses once or twice a year, and they can pass by quietly.
But think about it—Jesus is hanging there, dying. And just feet away, the soldiers are more focused on their measly loot than on the one dying in front of them.
It’s often like that for those who suffer. When someone is stripped down—of dignity, of agency, of power—there always seem to be others nearby ready to take just a little more. A few scraps. A tunic. A moment of pride. Not because they need it, but because it’s easy.
The world keeps turning. Men cast lots. Clothing gets claimed. The dying are left to die alone. This is the humiliation Jesus bore. Not just the nails, but the mockery. Not just the physical pain, but the further disregard for dignity and worth.
And yet, in the very act of being stripped, he clothes us with grace. Even here—especially here—he is taking on the weight of our broken world, letting it play out its cruelty upon him… and still he refuses to curse it. Still he gives himself away.
We follow and worship a Savior who knows what it is to be treated like nothing. And yet, he is everything.
John 19:23-24
When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and his sandals, and divided them into four shares, one for each soldier. His shirt was seamless, woven as one piece from the top to the bottom. They said to each other, “Let’s not tear it. Let’s cast lots to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill the scripture,
They divided my clothes among themselves, and they cast lots for my clothing.
That’s what the soldiers did.
Psalm 22:18-21
They divvy up my garments among themselves; they cast lots for my clothes.
But you, Lord! Don’t be far away! You are my strength! Come quick and help me! Deliver me from the sword. Deliver my life from the power of the dog. Save me from the mouth of the lion. From the horns of the wild oxen you have answered me!
Prayer
God,
Jesus was stripped of everything—his dignity, his clothing, his breath— while the world carried on just steps away.
Teach us to see what others overlook. Give us eyes to stop, to stoop, to grieve, and to notice those who are being taken from.
And when we are the ones who suffer, remind us that Christ has been there too—unnoticed, unheard, yet never unloved.
By your Spirit & in Christ,
Amen.