Week of Prayer 7 - The Place of the Skull

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23: 33-34) 

For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people by his own blood. (Hebrews 13:11-12) 

Golgotha was known as the place of the skull. It was the place that no-one wanted to go, the rubbish heap where the scum of society was disposed of.  We don’t know why it was called the Place of the Skull, perhaps because the rock of the hill was skull-shaped, or perhaps, more chillingly, the remains of previous executions may just have been lying around, bones bleached white in the rays of the unrelenting sun.

Yet it was in that horrific place that our own rubbish was dealt with and death itself was put to death in a way so wonderful, so mysterious that “In vain the first born seraph tries to sound the depths of love divine”.

Pause for thought

Think of places where no-one wishes to live, but where people are living nonetheless. Pray for those people and all who feel that they are worthless.

Simply spend some time giving thanks for the fact that Jesus was willing to be tortured and to die to save us from our own destructiveness.