Why this Friday is Good Friday?

Because today is the moment when Justice and Love meet...

Justice always stands for the righteousness and perfection, Justice can't just forgive and forget one single mistake because there is always consequences in every mistake we've done. Just like the police officer has to fine us when he found us breaking the rules. It's his duty to maintain the justice and fine us because of our mistake.

On the contrary... Love always giving, always forgive and forget.... To be opposite to Justice, Love doesn't want to punish us, love wants to set us free from our punishment even though we have mistakes... love forgives no matter how many mistakes we've done. Love doesn't remember bad things we've made. Love really accept who we are even though our deeds have hurt Love.

How Justice and Love could meet? They are so different, they are so contradictory! Justice can't stand of any mistakes at all, every mistake has to be punished... and if all the mistakes are counted, punishment is too hard to bear! Love really wants to deliver us from this unbearable punishments... love doesn't want us to suffer because of our own mistakes. What a dilemma...

YES! WHAT A DILEMMA!

This dilemma was experienced by General Shamilla. In early 20 century, Shamilla led a group of revolutionists who strove to defeat the dictator Tsar in Russia. They lived as guerrillas in deserts and brought their families as well. The food supplies were really important to them, that's why General Shamilla made an order, whoever stole the rations would be punished - whipped 50 times in front of all his people.

One day, the guard came to General Shamilla and reported him that there was someone who stole the food supplies and they have managed to catch the thief. Shamilla was furious, and told the guard to bring the thief to him. He was trembled and shocked as he saw the thief brought to him... He was very sad when he found out that it was his own beloved mother who stole the food supplies!

He faced a great dilemma... if he stood for Justice, he has to whip his old mother 50 times and she might died! If he didn't punish her because of his Love, he will not be a good leader and no one will respect him as a fair leader anymore. He decided that the punishment has to be done.

The next day, all his people has gathered in a field to see what happened. The crowds were divided into two major opinions... Some people said, Shamilla has to punish and whip his own mother as a fair and respective leader, justice has to be maintained. If the thief was one of them, Shamilla will sure whip them so he shouldn't set her free just because she was his own mother. They wouldn't follow an unfair leader.

Some people said that Shamilla was a very mean leader if he dared to punish his own mother. He dared to do that to his mom, he surely would be more mean than Tsar. They didn't want another mean leader so they wouldn't follow Shamilla if he did whip his mom.

It was the time when the punishment has to be done. The executor was reader with the long scary whip. Shamilla's mom was placed in the middle of the field and all the eyes stared at Shamilla and his mother. All hearts beat so fast, felt intense of what would happen in a minute.
The crowds were silent when Shamilla came forward to announce his decision.

"For the sake of Justice, the punishment has to be done."

The executor raised his whip... "STOP!!" forbid Shamilla. Shamilla approached his mom, and hugged her... he said,"Mom,I love you... don't worry about this, I will do this punishment for you..." Then Shamilla told the executor to whip him instead of his mother.... he was whipped as a replacement of his mother... he was punished to set his mother free... that was when Justice and Love met... when there was a sacrifice...

This Good Friday is the moment of God's justice and God's everlasting love meet in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ at the cross. All of our sins and mistakes has to be punished because God is a Just. God is holly and He can't accept any single sin. He is to punish us because all of us are sinners. No matter how good we are, we are not perfect and can't fulfill God's holiness standard to receive the glory of heaven. We all are condemned to be punished in hell forever. However, God loves us so much that He really doesn't want to punish us. That's why Jesus has to come to set us free... be crucified to set us free from our punishment. He was punished instead of us... He sacrificed His life because of his love for us.. to set us free... so that we could live...

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life... but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Happy Easter...