Jane West shared this beautiful and yet imposing plant with me during Lent.

Scripture: Matthew 27:27-31

²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters,^[l] and they gathered the whole cohort around him. ²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹ and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰ They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. ³¹ After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

Prayer

When the beauty of this flower draws me close, I am then shocked by the brutality of the thorny branches. Lord, when I think at how your suffering sealed my salvation, I am filled with both grief and wonder. Thank you for your incredible love. Amen.