We must forget about ourselves. To save our life we must destroy it. This doesn’t mean we need to develop amnesia or commit suicide. No, He means we must let go of our self, our sense of self - we must destroy our sense of self. We must give up selfishness and become selfless. This is also a message of the cross to us, for this is one way we take up our cross so that we may follow Jesus, by giving ourselves to Him.
Crucifixion may not have first been devised by the Romans, but they certainly put it to horrific use as a means of torture and execution, intended as a deterrent against breaking the peace imposed by Imperial Rome. They would leave the bodies hanging there for days as a warning to everyone who passed by. To them, the message of the cross was, “This will be your fate if you cross us.”
But to us - we who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God – to we who follow Him, the message the cross sends is much different. It is a show of God’s power and wisdom. It is a wondrous sign that our Lord defeated death and conquered the grave, winning a victory that we will share in.
And it is also a message of God’s love. For like Jesus said, “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.”
The message of the cross is not simply a saying or an ideal - it is a way of life. Each and every day we may be challenged because of our faith. We don’t know when we may once again have to lift our cross upon our shoulders and face the scorn of the non-believing world. But if we find ourselves in that situation, let us willingly and gladly bear our load, giving of ourselves to Jesus. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, who bore the cross for us. Amen.
Let us pray… Almighty God, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your own Son into the world to offer us forgiveness of our sin and life everlasting. You used the cross to send us a message, one that the world cannot understand and thinks is foolish. But we get it, Father. We understand that the cross, the empty cross, is a clear sign of Your love for us and Your creation. Thank You for sending this message. Sometimes, though, dear Father, we lose sight of what You did for us through Your Christ Jesus. We hesitate or even downright refuse to go out into the world sharing the Good News and making disciples. Please forgive us these times, Father. And forgive us when we can’t seem to let go of our sense of self, giving of ourselves to Jesus. Please help us reach out more into the world, serving You by serving others. Help us be more like Your Son Jesus, being more forgiving and merciful in our dealings with others. Guide us around any pitfalls in this life and strengthen our spirits to do Your will. And please help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.
Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own. Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live. And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what the world throws at us or holds out before us.
Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…
Lord Jesus, You gave up Your mortal life there upon that cruel cross, and You did it for our sake, carrying out Your Father’s will. Your cross is our sign of Your sacrifice, and of how You conquered death so that we too might have eternal life. Lord, we really do want to please You and do the mission You gave us. We try to live as You would have us live, Lord, but sometimes we just get too caught up in the world around us and we lose sight of the cross. Please forgive us our weaknesses, dear Jesus. Forgive us our hesitation. Please help us be more considerate and caring of others. Help us as we go about spreading the Gospel message. Help us share Your love by being more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving of others, offering aid when we can. Not everyone believes in You, so it is our job to help them see the truth and believe. Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.
Lord Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises. Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares. Help us see though his temptations and all the false teachings. Help us fend off his attacks. Please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You. Heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another. Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer. This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior. Amen.