Reflections on Shitty Saturday:
Saturday of the Holy Week is my favorite day. Weird, right? Well, to me, it best summarizes those of us who struggle with faith and worry.
All of Jesus’ follower’s believed he was the Messiah on Friday. Yet, he died. And he was buried behind a rock. It seemed like the story was over.
I imagine the grief, disappointed, and conflicted feelings the followers of Christ must have felt on Saturday. It looked like it over. There was no sign that Jesus was going to be resurrected.
Jesus had endured a humiliating and painful murder. His followers were helpless to stop it. And, it looked like the enemies of Christ won. On Saturday, it looked liked they had proven the Jesus was just a regular person. The Roman ruling class and the corrupt Pharisees mocked the faith of the believers and put the phrase, “Jesus of Nazareth. King of the Jews” over Jesus’ beaten, bruised, dead body. A great modern day translation would be, “Jesus of Englewood, Chicago. King of the Christians” hanging over the corpse of a state and church supported crucification of a leader who brought good news to the poor and the oppressed.
On Saturday, it looked like they were right. Jesus was dead. He was buried. And his believers had nothing but their faith that He was the Christ, in spite of the clear evidence that He was dead.
There isn’t a lot in the scriptures about what people did on “Shitty Saturday (tm. ShaRhonda).” But, no doubt, it was a shitty day. There were no celebrations, no boastful declarations, just shitty sadness. The Messiah was dead. Some believer, of course, were even questioning if Jesus was the Messiah if he died in such a horrible way.
I doubt there were many people who were anxiously waiting for a resurrected Christ; rather, they mourning a murdered Messiah. They had no idea what was going to happen tomorrow.
That’s what “shitty Saturday” is my favorite day. Because we, as believers of Christ, are in a constant state conflict between grieving the evil and terribleness we see with our eyes and the faith in the beauty and power of God we have in our heart. Often it seems like things in our personal lives, our country, our world, are final. That evil has won.
But thank God for his “Surprise Sunday!”
I try and remember when I am in a “shitty Saturday” time in life, that I serve the God of the “Surprise Sunday.” A God who takes what looks like the impossible and turns it into miracle!
Love to you all and Happy “Shitty Saturday!”
“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19: 26