Lent Reminds Me

...how ridiculous I was as a child and yet, how ridiculous I still am! At some point in my childhood (old enough to know what I was saying but young enough not to care) I proclaimed my theme hymn (pastors family, hymns were much more appropriate to model after) to be “Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted.” Everyone in my family thought it hysterical. None of them probably realized that even at a young age I was mastering sarcasm nicely and, buried beneath the witty comment was a true self-esteem issue. To this day, when Lent comes, we anticipate the singing of this hymn…and we try not to giggle. And I try not to go back to a time when I truly thought I was rejected by those around me and my life was a thing of affliction, of pain.


Today was Palm Sunday and as I perused the church bulletin I noticed this song as our sending hymn and had to laugh. I mentioned it to the friend beside me and we both chuckled at which point he questioned if I was feeling more stricken or smitten. I commented that “afflicted” was most accurate. All of this set my mind thinking about what these words truly mean. Most recognize the root of this hymn from Isaiah 53:4 “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.”


As I have done before, I dug into dictionaries and other sources to see what these three identifying words can tell me. Please be warned I am taking them out of order but you will see why.


First “Stricken” – To hit or wound by a weapon, missile or the like. To beset or afflict with disease, trouble, sorrow. To deeply affect as with grief, fear or other emotion. Pretty easy to understand this part; Christ was beaten, scourged, whipped. He was beset with trouble, sorrow, excruciating pain and agony. He was abandoned, rejected by his followers, and left to suffer the whims of the people alone.


Secondly “Afflicted” – to distress with mental or bodily pain. To trouble greatly. We can see how these two words flow from the same concept, to beset with great and overwhelming pain and trouble. Now, let look at two obsolete definitions; a) to overthrow or defeat and b) to humble. While the initial understandings reflect closely the first word “stricken” (minus the weapons) the two definitions the dictionaries consider obsolete resonate boldly in this text. Christ was there to be “overthrown” to be “defeated” in his earthly body so he could conquer death and sin on our behalf. He was humbled on our behalf…His affliction was truly affliction in every connotative and denotative sense.


Lastly, “Smitten” – To strike, as with a hard blow. To be grievously or disastrously stricken or afflicted. (A return to our other words; it would seem they belong together!). Now for the surprise - the last and final definition: to be very much in love. Wow! When connected with Christs act of dying, we find the gruesome Law and the glorious Gospel in one word. First, let’s recognize the extreme language “smitten” brings with it. It is not just to be stricken but to be “grievously or disastrously stricken.” There is an extreme nature to the language, a severity that must be recognized in the beaten, tortured, crucified Christ. We cannot truly comprehend this but the text asks us to try (see link below for additional information). Now, coupled with that horrendous visual of a tortured Christ we encounter the most striking definition; to be very much in love. Some of us have experienced that feeling of being smitten, of being so taken with another person that our lives are altered and we willingly devote time, energies, and selves to that person (no judgment’s here…a conversation for another time, maybe!). What an awesome thing to realize that amid the realities of the crucifixion, God was smitten for us because He was smitten with us! All of those moments during Holy Week were done because God is so very much in love with His creation and wishes to be reunited with us for all eternity. We are redeemed by that overwhelming pain and overwhelming love.


So, as I newly ponder the text of my “theme hymn” it is more and more a love song.

Here we have a firm foundation,

Here the refuge of the lost.

Christ the Rock of our salvation,

Christ the Name of which we boast.

Lamb of God for sinners wounded!

Sacrifice to cancel guilt!

None shall ever be confounded

Who on Him their hope have built.

www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/t/stricken.htm



For a more detailed and horrifying medical description of Christ’s death check out: http://www.frugalsites.net/jesus/physician.html