Jesus In A Bathroom

Lord,
I saw You in a bathroom
At Carl’s Jr. yesterday.

A group of “special” adults
Had arrived in the restaurant.
Each had unique
Physical & mental needs:
Challenges
That they required outside help
To face.
To overcome.
They needed the adults who attended them.

As I entered the restroom
I saw
What I thought was a drug bust --
A man spread-eagled against the far wall.
But then I saw that his pants were down
Around his knees.
The smell of excrement
Was strong.
Very unpleasant.
A Mexican-American man
Was cleaning him off.
The attendant was moving
With toilet paper
Between man & toilet
Speaking softly,
(As if to a beloved child)...
Speaking comfortingly to the frightened
Man with his pants down.
“It’s okay.”
“But it sure smells bad,” the man said.
“That’s what happens
When you mess your pants,” was the reply.
But don’t worry, I’ll get it
Fixed up...right away.”
He spoke patiently
As he continued to work.
I did not want to stay there
Very long at all.
As I left,
It struck me that
I had been in that bathroom
With You, Lord.
You were that Mexican-American
Attendant
Cleaning the clothing,
The excrement,
Wiping the butt
Of that frightened man.
You were there speaking words
Of encouragement and comfort
To make the task
Not only lighter for Yourself
And Your charge,
But also to make
It understandable
To an uncomprehending
Public.
You served the dirty ones
As well as the ignorant ones.
Isn’t that what You did
On the tree?
You wiped the butt
Of the world.
You cleaned off the waste products
Of our lives.
Our own excrement
You took upon Yourself.
Even saying this,
I want to retch.
Bile rises in my throat.
But isn’t that
What Gesthemane was about?
Golgotha?

Perfect God-man.
Perfect life.
Subjected to the Father’s Will.
Completely.
Become the sin offering,
The excrement-catcher
For the whole world.
Target of the total wrath
The holy wrath
Of the Infinite YaHWeH-God!
The I AM THAT I AM-at-war to purge
His creation,
His people
His kingdom from sin.
It was not the blood.
The pain.
That caused you to pray so deeply
In the Garden...
Rather it was the absolute
Stench of death,
Of decay that our sin brings.
Yet, You carried it all.
Perfectly...completely.
Disposing of it in the only possible way.
Forever...“It is finished!”
When it was all over,
I was clean.
I could not clean myself...
For You see,
I was in that bathroom, too!