If you love me
Then let go of me
goes a lyric of the
Evanescence song "Weight Of The World". The song is about the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual burden on Jesus in taking the sins of the world onto himself and not fighting back at his accusers even though he was infinitely more than capable and deserved of doing so.
Evanescence songs have a habit of being a dialogue between a human and God. The above lyric appears to have the persona of Jesus. The raised the question, "Why would Jesus want the person who loves him to let go of him?". An answer came to me this morning. I was reading John 14 on the bus this morning and came across this verse:
"You heard me say 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I."
- John 14:28 [NIV]
On the walk to work I whacked on my iPod, as I do. As soon as I heard those lyrics it instantly hit me where they were inspired from!
Jesus's disciples had bonded tightly with him during the time that they followed him. It was now the eve of his betrayal and he was forewarning them that he wouldn't be with them physically for much longer, although he does promise to return. The distress of the disciples is understandable. Despite all this, Jesus had a job at hand. If his disciples loved him, they would allow him to complete the Divine plan, in spite of the pain of separation.
