During Holy Week and, especially, during Good Friday, our minds focus on the cross. It appeared that Jesus had been ultimately, finally and forever defeated. But the church has refused to see it that way. We call His death a victory and have adopted the cross as our symbol. We Christians have a strange vocabulary.
Some of us become overwhelmed by life’s contradictions. The pain and injustice that they see on every side cause them to lose all faith in God and in life. That could have happened to Jesus. No one ever felt the world’s great agony more deeply than He did. When people were cold or hungry, or sick or in pain, He experienced their pain as if it was His very own.
And no one was ever treated more unfairly than He was. You want to talk about injustice, look at Calvary. You want to talk about human suffering, look at Calvary. You want to see religious hypocrisy and political corruption at their very worst, look at Calvary. You want to wonder where God is and why He does not do something, look at Calvary…
If there was a person who had the right to doubt God and to despair of the human race and to become cynical about life, that person was Jesus. But listen to Him as He says to God—Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.
Without striking a blow, He has conquered more hearts and changed more minds than Caesar’s soldiers ever dreamed. Jesus showed us that the cross really is a symbol of victory. Love is stronger than hate; faith really is more valid than cynicism. Non-violence really is more powerful than brute force…
The question for us is—do we dare to believe it? Do we dare to try it?
I always enjoy all of Father Bob’s articles.
beautiful jjust beautiful christ died for us and do so proudly Jesus love all of us and we jjhust have to love him back. god bless you all this Easter season.
Well said Father Bob. Your commitment to sharing truth and blessings to all of us is a needed and constant reminder. Thank you and God bless you.