“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:4-8 NRSV
Often times during Lent, I choose to wear a cross I received back in 1981 when I made a Cursillo weekend. It’ a crucifix and during Lent, I often wear it as a precious reminder of the price Jesus paid for my salvation. As I have reflected on the meaning of Christ’s sacrifice this Lent, I have been humbled to think of what he gave up for me. I have also been wrestling with the reality that as a follower of Christ, I often fail to live up to his self-sacrificing love. In fact, over the last few months, I’ve been struggling with the reality of sin’s existence among those like myself who claim to follow Jesus. Why aren’t we living different lives? Why is it that people can’t see the love of Christ made visible enough in our congregations to want to come and explore the gift we have to offer them? According to David Kinnaman, the author of the book, Unchristian, part of the reason is that people do not see us practicing Christ’s example of self-giving love.
In the latest edition of Alive Now, author John Gooch heard similar sentiments from a person, who said,
Church people are so narrow-minded and judgmental. If you don’t measure up to some standard they set, you are made to feel like an outcast! If churches only practiced the love and openness they talked about, I might be interested. (Jan./Feb 2010 Alive Now, pg. 6)
Reading comments such as these has made me wonder how we have come so far from our Lord’s example as to actually keep people out of his church. And if our lack of hospitality and love is blocking entrance to the community Jesus founded, what hope do we have for the future? Can our actions negate the work of Christ?
As I have pondered these questions, I have been reminded of a small book of meditations written by Peter Storey on the seven last words of Christ from the cross. In this book, Listening at Golgotha, I have found words of encouragement and hope. While all the meditations are thought provoking, it is in the final meditation that I have found one thought that has carried me through some difficult days and given me hope that transformation is possible.
In this meditation on Jesus’ final words, Peter Storey begins by reflecting on the fact that every carpenter starts work with a vision in mind of how the product will look when it is completed. When the work is done, he suggested, it is natural for any carpenter to smile viewing the work and say with satisfaction, “It is finished.” How ironic that Jesus the carpenter’s mightiest work, contends Storey was done on the cross. Yet even then, he was able to turn the wood and nails into a good work; he was able to say at the end, “It is finished.”
However, it was costly work as its completion resembled that of two armies on a battlefield. In a critical battle, when everything is at stake, Storey suggests, each side in the battle will bring out their last reserves in an attempt to decide the outcome of the battle. In this case the forces of good and evil battled on the cross. He continued,
Here God did something that changed forever the moral equation of the universe, shifting the balance from evil to good, from the love of power to the power of love….On Good Friday in Jesus’ breaking heart the work is completed. Love wrestles to the death with evil and still remains love….Evil’s last reserves have been used up. Only love remains. (Listening at Golgotha, Peter Storey, pg. 78)
In Christ’s death on the cross, Peter Storey found evidence that people can be different. We can become new creations. “Because of Christ’s work on the cross,” he wrote, “we too can let go. We can leave the things that hurt, pierce, and suffocate our souls at the foot of the Cross.” (Storey, Listening at Golgotha, pg. 79) We can believe in and trust Christ to reshape our lives and our communities because when “love wrestled to the death with evil it still remained love”, it lost nothing of its innate nature and that is its triumph. The worst of humankind joined in the battle and was unable to negate the love Jesus offered. Instead those present received words of forgiveness and the offer of healing.
As we journey to the cross with Jesus this Holy Week, may we all find hope that the worst of who we are, our failures and hurtful actions are not enough to negate the work of Christ on the cross. Even as he poured out his life through his passion for our redemption, he never sacrificed his innate nature; he never stopped loving. It is in this reality we can find hope knowing that God’s love in Jesus remains constant and unchanging for all times. When we are truly ready to yield all of who we are to his lordship, we will find ourselves taking the first step towards inviting that love to live within us. That is the first of many steps toward living a life in the Spirit that brings true joy, peace, hope and enables us to live in a way that welcomes those outside our doors into the body of Christ.
Blessings,
Sandy Nenadal
John Gooch, Being a Christian in the Wesleyan Tradition: Belonging, Believing, Living, Growing. (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2009) as quoted in Alive Now January/February2010, pg. 6.
Peter Storey, Listening at Golgotha Jesus’ Words From The Cross. (Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2004), pg. 78-79.