Today and next Monday we reprint two
final excerpts from the 1993 book, Thirty Days at the Foot of the Cross. These final two segments were written by
Tom.
The cross. It
says almost everything there is to say. It points us inward, upward and
outward. It reveals our sin, shows us the nature of God and calls us to the
service of others. It cuts us to the heart, yet it heals us completely. The
cross. It challenges the complacent, yet it comforts the broken and contrite. It
shows us just how dark our hearts can get, yet it reveals to us how incredibly
far God will go to change us. It brings us to tears, yet it lifts us to the
heights. No wonder Paul would say. "I have decided to know nothing but
Jesus Christ and him crucified." If you get the cross, you get it. If you
miss the cross, you miss it all.
Jesus and his
cross are inseparable. There have been those through the years who have tried
to sever the two. Like those first century Corinthians living in the shadow of
sophisticated Athens, they have become embarrassed by the cross and sought to
portray Jesus apart from it. They want Jesus to be the wise man, the moral
leader and even the victor, but they don't want him on the cross.
I appriciate this message and the opportunity to meditate on its meaning. It helps me look at the cross in a deeper way. The Cross is a mystery, and following its trail and sharing it with others surely is a narrow pathway. How often I try to flee from its message, only to find myself powerless and no different from the world. I pray to follow this conviction, not recommending myself, but the power that lies in a crucified life, through the example of Jesus Christ, our Lord.:)
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts Tom. Focusing on the cross. When we think of Jesus we must also think of the cross as you help us to remember. There is so much meaning in the cross. I don't think about it as much as I should. Thank you Tom for bringing me back. Thank you Jesus for your life, death, and resurrection.
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