Word to the Wise
Wednesday, September 14, 2016 - Sept. 14 - The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
[Num 21:4b-9; Phil 2:6-11; John 3:13-17]Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. [Philippians]
Why would St. Paul say, "EVEN death on a cross." The early Christian community had an "image problem." The cross was not a symbol of salvation in their understanding. It was an embarrassment. How could they preach a savior who was executed in the most brutal way the Romans used. That could make Jesus a criminal in the eyes of the public. It would be years before Christians would begin to see the cross as a symbol of salvation and begin to depict it in the catacombs in Rome. Now the cross is the primary Christian symbol, and we sing hymns like "The Old Rugged Cross," and "Lift High the Cross," and we celebrate this feast day which was originally established to commemorate St. Helena's "finding of the true cross" in the Holy Land.
Nevertheless, the gospels show that the community was aware of the cross as a symbol of suffering in the life of Jesus because of the quotes concerning taking up the cross and following after him. They also began to interpret it as the self-giving of God for the sake of all of us - a sacrifice, related in some sense to the Jewish or Roman notion of sacrifice. Jesus "gave up his life" for us. His execution by the Romans was unjust, no matter what, but the event went beyond just the execution of an innocent man. Today's gospel scripture, from the Gospel of John, shows how the interpretation of the event began to develop: And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
The cross, which we take so much for granted, takes on additional meaning when we put the body of Jesus on it and it becomes a crucifix. Today, we simply celebrate the cross itself, which is an invitation to consider not only what Jesus did for us, but what we can do for all who suffer. AMEN
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