Shame of the Cross
Originally scheduled for
December 6
It is
hard for the modern Christian to associate the Cross with the word “shame.”
There are a number of reasons for this:
The
death penalty is rare today; it was common then.
Criminals
were seen as despicable human beings then; now they seem much more like victims
of their environment.
Executions
are private, veiled to the public today. Then, an execution was a form of
entertainment as well as a warning.
The
shame extended to the criminal’s family, as well. Today the mother of a serial
killer receives a fair amount of sympathy, having such a personal disaster. In
those days, people assumed she was just as evil.
Few of
us approach the shame of the Cross. We are perfectly willing to hear the
gentle Jesus speak to us; but we are quite uncomfortable when the suffering
Savior speaks. We seek his comfort in times of suffering, but seldom share his
suffering as the honor it is. If you think not, what is your reaction when you
hear Christianity mocked? Do you shrink away quietly, or are you willing to
proclaim your Lord? We can share his suffering; we can also share his shame.
Communion
is a reminder of Christ’s conquest.
First,
he conquered the shame of the Cross. Once a symbol of evil, it is now placed
in honor in the church. It is no longer a symbol of shame, but of Christ’s
sacrifice by which he conquered shame.
It
is also a symbol of the conquest of sin. Before the Cross there was no true
forgiveness; only the poor atonement of animal sacrifices. Now, the blood of
Christ cleanses all who believe.
It
is the symbol of the conquest of death. Without the Cross there is no
Resurrection. We know that his resurrection is just the first; at his return,
all the dead in Christ shall arise as well.
Shame,
sin and death – Christ conquered them all. He did so at great price; he did so
out of great love. As you partake, remember the shame – and the conquest.
