The Invitation of the Cross; Walking Like Jesus

Fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

My preference is to skip the gospel accounts of Christ’s crucifixion. I begin the preceding chapters that tell the story of the last supper, the betrayal by Judas and the tears in Gethsemane, and I want to stop. I want to jump over the next chapter and celebrate the resurrection.

I won’t describe the gory details of death by crucifixion. But the word “excruciating” is derived from the words, “out of the cross”. The word we use to describe our worst pain comes from the pain incurred through death by crucifixion.

When I contemplate the crucifixion of Christ, the mental scene I conjure includes large crowds of humans gathered close, watching this King somehow endure a shameful death with dignity, His body covered from his waist to his thighs, hanging high up on a hill. A glorified image of his death, at best. But the reality is much different. Crucifixion was not an uncommon sentence, perfected by the Romans to be a deterrent; a slow, agonizing, public way to die. Most likely the King hung naked, exposed to the elements, His body already broken and bleeding, heavy. For the Roman executioners, just another job. For many in the city who had not been caught up in the fickle behavior of the crowds, just another day. Passers going about their business encounter the scene seeing just another man. Maybe even blindly assigning Him a crime, justifying the punishment.

I think about how He suffered alone but on display. The busy of the world humming around Him, work to do, people to see, mouths to feed, merchandise to buy. The King hung dying, surrounded by small pockets of Roman soldiers numb to severity of the persecution, gawkers caught in the frenzy of the gore, yelling out curses, religious leaders celebrating for a moment their perceived victory, and His followers watching their friend in agony, unable to bring Him relief.

How often do we observe the painful circumstances of others unfold while we do our work, see our people, feed our mouths and buy our merchandise? How often do we pass by, going about our business, while those who suffer around us blur as just another man or just another woman? Or how often do we join those just doing their job, the frenzied crowd, and the mockers? Do we see the frightened friends who watch without the means to bring relief?

There have been a lot of difficult things over the past few years, a lot of difficult things. If one perceived COVID-19 to be the be all to end all quirky events reminding us that our ability to keep all things under control is an allusion, then I imagine they were surprised when the ever-growing list of quirky events continued to build, continues to build. Suffering caused by quirky events seems to be surprisingly targeted. For those who lost their human(s) to COVID-19, the reality of the virus brought life changing devastation. For those who encountered a few days in bed with a fever, an inconvenience. For those who haven’t been touched except for cancellations and rerouted plans, perhaps a reason for posting a meme. Those who have encountered loss of livelihood from economic downturn have experienced an upheaval, for others, economic “downturn” brought opportunity for gain. Abnormal weather patterns have destroyed homes, brought unexpected death to regions unprepared for cold, excess water, and drought. For those watching from afar, a topic for discussion, a reason to mock those who were ill-prepared. Wars and rumors of wars haunt our news feed. Stories of those persecuted and sold highlight our Christian media outlets. Suffering comes in targeted pockets.

I am thankful when suffering skips my home, my family, and those that I love. My heart is grateful when I am granted mercy and am able to see it from afar without tasting it. I have no desire to invite suffering into my life.

Jesus invites us to respond to the suffering differently. He invites each of us to walk in it, to walk through it with others and for others. He forfeited all power and wrapped Himself in human flesh. Flesh vulnerable to heat, cold, hunger and excruciating pain. Over and over again the Gospels tell of the Messiah who healed the sick, made the lame walk, fed the hungry, touched the outcasts, saw the humans and called them by name. He restored those whose lives were devastated by suffering. Jesus walked in their suffering all the way to the cross.

It is one thing, to be pushed into the fires of suffering by the circumstances of human life. Quite another to willingly walk through suffering with someone else, for someone else.

What does this look like, in everyday life? I am not sure, but here are a few thoughts. Perhaps you have ideas that are much better than my own.

• Look at people when you talk with them, see them. Listen to them, use their name.
• Pray not just for, but with. Your prayers are powerful and when two or more are gathered, you’ve opened the door for the Third.
• Listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and obey them. Ask for God to show you where His hands are needed, where His feet need to move. Be His hands and feet.
• Let others go first, in line, while driving, when speaking, when opening the door. Discipline your mind to allow others to be first.
• Don’t rush. Every minute, every assignment, every opportunity matters. Jesus changes lives in single encounters, your response to every moment holds kingdom potential.
• Forgive those who have caused you to suffer.
• Don’t be afraid of those you don’t understand. Humans, we are humans. That in itself is sufficient. It was enough for Jesus, let it be enough for you.

If you feel I am being preachy, oh, this introverted safety seeking girl is preaching to herself. If you feel like leaving the shell of the bubble you’ve meticulously created is asking too much, our Jesus left a heavenly throne room to sit at the table with the likes of us. Our Jesus left continuous worship at His feet to walk in the dirt. Our Jesus left His heavenly robes to wear skin and hang naked on a cross. Our Jesus put aside the crown of life to wear a crown of thorns. The eternal Word of God absorbed words of scorn. Our glorified Jesus left the scars on His body as a reminder to us that He knows what it’s like to experience excruciating suffering. He knows what it’s like to be us.

Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all His disciples deserted him. On the Cross He was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause He had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes. There is his commission, his work. “The kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been spared” (Luther).

― Dietrich Bonhoeffer