It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. (Luke 23:44-49)
A lot of people watched Jesus breathe his last––the two thieves on his either side, the soldiers who crucified him, passersby who taunted him, the religious leaders who mocked him, his mother, his aunt, another Mary, Salome, Mary Magdalene, a centurion and the Apostle John. Each with their various connections with the Man being crucified.
This passage highlights three different collections of onlookers: the admiring crowd that was there for the spectacle, those who had nothing more than an acquaintance with him, and the women who followed him all the way from Galilee. Which are you?
Are you part of the spectacle-seeking admirers? Maybe he’ll do a miracle to convince you he’s who he says he is. You’re not actually following him, doing his bidding, devoting your life to him. You’re just hanging around him hoping he’ll perform for you like a genie in a bottle.
Or are you one of his acquaintances? You know stuff about him, even lots of stuff. But is it possible you don’t actually know him. You became acquainted with him through the story or when you met someone who knows him, but you’re no friend of his per se. Maybe your acquaintance with him is a little more meaningful than that. You identify as a Christian, but nothing has changed since you had your brush with him as a child. You said a prayer, and even meant it. But that’s as far as it’s gone.
Acquaintances are made through brief encounters. We might google their name or look them up on social media to learn something about them. But encounters like these are shallow and fleeting. They can hardly be called relationships. We met, we exchanged names, career choices, and a hobby or two. But we can’t claim to “know” them. They’re an acquaintance.
Or are you more like the women who followed Jesus all the way from Galilee to Jerusalem? The 80 miles of dirt roads would take a minimum of three days on foot. It’s apparent that these women were not just along for the “ride.” They loved him enough to go with him wherever he went, whatever it cost them. They didn’t just reap the joys of travelling with him, they served his needs (Mark 15:41). Other than John, the twelve were nowhere to be found at the scene of the cross. The men had already scattered in fear, but these courageous, tenacious women stayed with him till he breathed his last.
Which are you? Are you part of the crowd that admires Jesus for the spectacle of it all? Are you merely acquainted but not enamored with him enough to wait for his beck and call and accompany him on the sometimes-arduous road? Or are you poised to follow him wherever he goes, unconcerned for how far he takes you, or how much it costs you?
“One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.” (Luke 14:25-26)
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