Good Friday: The Reproaches

[Cuban_Liberal]

My people, What have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me! I led you out of Egypt; but you led your Savior to the Cross. For forty years I led you safely through the desert, I fed you with manna from heaven, and brought you to the land of plenty; But you led your Savior to the Cross. O, My people! What have I done to you that you should testify against me?

Holy God. Holy God. Holy Mighty One. Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us.

[regnaD kciN]

1. I'm not too big on the traditional Reproaches...

They can all-too-easily be understood as being a condemnation of the Jewish people, rather than all of us.

There is a modern version of them (originally created, I believe, by the United Methodists) which I greatly prefer. In these, God spells out his case against the Church as well, in some cases connecting one of his actions for the Jews with a parallel action for Christians, making the universality of the charge more apparent:

I led you forth from the land of Egypt,
and delivered you by the waters of Baptism,
but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

(...)

I led you through the desert forty years,
and fed you with manna;
I brought you through tribulation and penitence,
and give you my body, the bread of heaven,
but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

(...)

I sent the Spirit of truth to guide you,
and you close your hearts to the Counselor.
I pray that all may be as one in the Father and me,
but you continue to quarrel and divide.
I call you to bring forth fruit,
but you cast lots for my clothing.

(...)

I grafted you into the tree of my chosen Israel,
and you turned on them with persecution and mass murder.
I made you joint heirs with them of my covenants,
but you made them scapegoats for your own guilt.

It concludes with the most devastating charge of all, that leveled against the lost in Matthew's parable of the judgement:

I came to you as one of the least among you.
I was hungry and you gave me no food;
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink;
I was a stranger and you did not welcome me,
naked and you did not clothe me,
sick and in prison and you did not visit me.

I'd print the entire text, but it's much too long for this forum.

[Cuban_Liberal]

2. Good point.

The modern ones are better worded.

:)

[RevCheesehead]

3. I posted the UMC version in the Liberal Christians group.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=291x1113#top