He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
We cannot move forwards unless we have been freed from sin, and this entails an acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice and suffering. Through his suffering we have been cleansed and made new; this offering is made to everyone, and not one person, or group of people has been singled out. It is an undeserved and free giving of a merciful and loving God. We are now free to live for righteousness, goodness and kindness; and there is no turning back.
In this letter of Saint Peter, he creates a striking reversal, comparing wounding and healing. Two opposites that are interconnected and made one on the cross. Jesus wounds have the capacity to heal us, and this is expressed as an exchange, his pain and damage for our health and healing. But there is no guilt because, to put it simply, we can never repay this debt. It is so huge that it is impossible to recompense, therefore the feeling of being beholden to Jesus is not a realistic option. How could we ever match his great sacrifice, his great love? For we are mere humans. But Jesus doesn’t want us to beat ourselves up about it, or to feel unworthy or bad. The overwhelming sensation for us should be one of relief, that our own suffering has been alleviated, and that our helplessness has been replaced by the power of Christ within us.
What we can do is love him with all our heart, and with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength. That’s how we move forward from the pain of the cross. Jesus raised himself up, and he raises all of us up with him, healed, made whole and cleansed by his wounds.






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