Riding the Edge of Our Potential

Victimized by a mock court intent on labeling him a false upstart, bent on misleading others; he stood his ground before the religious council, knowing he was very God. Later as Pilate gave into the cries for Barabbas, looking past the pleas of his discerning wife; Christ could only despair at the dastardly crave for his death by the howling masses. As he was beaten to a bloody pulp, paraded as king, and shamed by having his beard plucked and being coronated with a crown of thorns; his heart was twice broken over the evil in human hearts. Isaiah put his plight best,

Isaiah 53:3-5, 7, 9-11 NIV

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.   Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.   But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.   He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.   He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.   Yet it was the Lord ’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.   After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied ; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

As a man, the death most despaired was in his horizon, he was being pushed to the edge of his potential as man. He would have to somehow bear and embrace the thing he feared most as man-death. Wrongfully punished as a criminal; his portion would be death on a cross.

Allow me to liken his fate to the race to the finish of a row crew of four or eight. His was no easy task. As our lead oar man and Captain of our salvation, his was to carry a heavy cross with help up the hill called Skull, where he would be nail-pierced at wrists and feet and raised for all to see, while he bore invisibly the sin saturation of mankind.

Stroke! Stroke!
Ease your forward slide!
A fair league still
To old Cock Hill,
Where Spuyten Duyvil roars.
No time for play;
Give Œway; give Œway!
And bend the driven oars!
When breezes blow
Then feather low
With level blades and true.
Stroke! Stroke!
Stroke! Stroke!
Steady! Pull it thr-o-o-ough!
-Arthur Guiterman

As the weight of sin's sour scourge saddled his bent frame "pull it through" was the cry of his soul. It seemed heaven abandoned him as well, for he cried to God, who had all but forsaken him. Earth had misread him. How could God dwell with man as man? As he tapped deep to the heart of his strength as man; his heart for man as God and reliance on the Spirit of God helped him  "pull it through." He rode to the edge of his potential.

Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

He'd push up to gain every breath only to be berated on the cross. They'd satire him as one, who came to save others but couldn't save himself.  His death race was something he alone could fathom and be faithful to in spite of the insult, injury, and injustice he would suffer till his last, chosen breath. "Stroke, stroke" he'd continue silent but belligerent in the race, he'd set out to trusting his Father's strength - he would finish the way he'd started. 

Virgil parallels the commitment he'd entered his race to Calvary with well by giving a snapshot of oar men at the starting line of their boat race.

The Boat Race

They are at their places, straining,
Arms stretched to the oars, waiting the word, and their chests
Heave, and their hearts are pumping fast; ambition
And nervousness take hold of them. The signal!
They shoot away; the noise goes up to the heavens,
The arms pull back to the chests, the water is churned

-Virgil

The faith that heaved in the broken heart of Christ from angels strengthening him in Gethsemane would continue to help him to plumb deep to focus on the needy
thief beside him. Riding the wave of his potential, he stroked on saving this sin-laden man, assuring him a place in Paradise. Were it not for his willingness to pull through his own piercing darkness to see through to the potential destiny of the criminal next to him, opportunity would be lost in that moment.

The thief beside him experienced a kingdom come or kairos moment as he was afforded safe harbor on his transition through death's door. While his wellbeing was secured through the words of promise Christ granted him; his avoiding a cavernous plunge in eternity beyond was a credit to the empowering work of angels and Spirit, who partnered to enable Christ to bring this dying thief words of life from the jaws of suffering. The glory of this man's salvation was in the team as it were as it is in rowing.

Reflect on your experiences and accomplishments. Remember the dedication, the pain, the jubilation, the camaraderie -- your family. Remember the feel of the oar in your hand, the swing, the perfect catch, the pull, the drive and the run of the boat beneath you. But most importantly, never forget that the glory is not in you or any individual. Instead, remember that the glory is always in the team." -- Joe Blasko, Novice Coach, Saint Ignatius HS (Cleveland) 1996-97

Christ could picture the open tomb at the end of his race and submitted relyingly to the enabling work of the Spirit to "pull it through" Calvary's dire straits.

Christ rode the edge of his potential. Though they set out to murder him, no one would take his life from him; he would give his life. When he said "it is finished," no Roman soldier would break his bones in attempt to take his life - he'd already given his life. He was no pretender but one devoted to the race he'd committed to on coming to earth. As there is no room for pretense in an oar man, Christ knew that calling down angels to save him on that tree would only serve to undermine his purpose and ruin the eternal hopes of broken men. His unsullied character showed itself in his tapping the limitless potential he had to be faithful till death.

"Physical preparation is, and should be foused on, with fanatic devotion by all good coaches. The practice of racing at true maximal and getting yourself comfortable mentally with riding the edge of your potential, it takes an excellent coach to recognize the importance of that. I know that our coach knows this, and I cannot wait until winter, when he bears down on us and separates the varsity rowers from the pretenders." -- Jeff Lindy, 2000 Tufts Coxwain

I'm so glad Christ was willing to "stroke, stroke," "to ride the edge of his potential" to "pull it through" to the finish, so that our eternity could be secured by his selfless giving of himself in our place to bring us to God.