Day 9: Why We Still Preach the Cross
Week II Theme: A Love Like No Other
Maxie Dunnam tells the story of the First United Methodist Church of Dallas which, during one Lenten season, erected a huge crude wooden cross in front of the church. The church was situated directly across the street from the Dallas Museum of Art and the cross apparently disturbed a number of community folk. One caller, bothered by the contrast between the loveliness of the museum and the crude, even ugly, cross on the front of the church, called in and said; "Can't you do something about that dreadful cross?"
I would venture to guess that most every Christian, at one time or another in their faith journey, has wished in their heart of hearts; "Can't they do something about that dreadful cross." In fact, over the years we have done just that. We have adorned the cross with gold and jewels for processions in beautiful sanctuaries and Cathedrals. We have turned it into a piece of accent jewelry to hang around the neck, or wear on our lapel. Gone are the splinters, the nail holes, and the blood.
But, the cross of Christ is dreadful. It was a tool of torture, ridicule and death. It was a sign of suffering for those who did wrong in the Roman Empire. It was a sign of the ultimate power of the Roman Empire in the lives of the people. The cross was the place where human sin and wrong met its end. Christ's death on the cross redefined human sin and wrote a new ending to our life story. Unwilling to selfishly seek His own life, faithful to God's message of loving sacrifice as the path to salvation; Christ died on the cross. His blood on that cross washed away the despair it used to symbolize and resurrected it as a symbol of God's ultimate power; life-giving love.
When Rome's power reached its peak in the execution of Christ, God's resurrection power was only just beginning. When we look at the cross, we should remember that "dreadful" day of God's loving sacrifice in Christ. We should pause and feel the enormity of the cost. Then, in faith, we must move from grief for his suffering and death, to gratitude for his life-giving sacrifice.
There can be no denial in how challenging it is to live faithfully in a world still selfish and sinful. There are high costs to those who claim to live in Christ. To avoid the dreadful is sometimes to risk missing the divine.
Prayer:
Lord, they will be done; not mine. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
Do you feel you are in greater need of forgiveness or forgiving?
How is the cross of Christ a challenge or comfort to you?
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