DIVINE HOUR OF SOLITUDE

 

“Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.”  (Psalm 69:20)

The Saviour made many references to the Father during His earthly ministry. One year I counted He referred to Him 147 times during His visit to the Americas. His closeness with the Father is unmistakable. As Jesus neared the pinnacle of His mission, He was sure that this closeness would see Him through His hour of agony. He knew and acknowledged that everyone else would forsake Him, even His closest disciples, thus He said to them: “…..the hour cometh….that ye shall be scattered….and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me” (John 16:32). Imagine then the shock that induced the heart-breaking words that came from His agony on the cross: “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).

As in all experiences of mortality, there is a purpose. Christ’s experience on the cross is no exception. In fact, it heralded the completion of suffering that was the major part of the Atonement. The Father withdrew because:

1. Where there is sin, God’s spirit withdraws (Mosiah 2:36; Helaman 13:8; D&C 1:33). When on the cross, the agony of the Garden returned and intensified so the Saviour took upon himself once again, all sin and thus He became estranged or separated from God and his divine Spirit. (See Talmage, Jesus The Christ, p 661 and McConkie, Mortal Messiah, 4:232, note 22)
2. In that hour of solitude, it was needful for the Saviour to experience the full consequence of sin which leads to spiritual death, meaning being cut off from the presence of God, and His role in redemption of same (Helaman 14:16-18; Alma 12:16; Mormon 9:13-14; D&C 76:36-38; Jacob 3:11)
3. To glorify His Son, the Father allowed the glory to be exclusively His, hence the Saviour could say: “I have trodden the winepress alone: Isaiah 63:3; D&C 76:107, 88:106; 133:48,50).

And so what appears on the surface as cruelty, had a divine purpose. In our extreme moments of earthly suffering, may we remember that it is needful for us to sometimes suffer it alone that the ultimate purpose and tutoring may be accomplished…..but once the lessons are learnt, the test passed and the power gained,  the Saviour can step in and take away the burden. He can then say on our behalf, “It is finished”.

A life well lived,

The price willingly paid,

A glorious victory

At His feet laid.

-    CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Behold the Man by Christopher Young)