Wednesday Word . . . The Eleventh Station
Jesus is nailed to the cross
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name Amen.
I came across a video the other day from the Rev. Joseph Yoo talking about the “why” of the crucifixion. In the history of the Church, there are a lot of reasons put forward about this – things like, “He was the perfect offering to satisfy an angry God,” or “He had to die so he could defeat death,” as well as several others. I don’t think there is one right way to understand the crucifixion, and neither does Fr. Yoo.
His current take on the crucifixion is this: What if Jesus died on the cross because humanity keeps choosing violence, power, and fear over love, justice, and mercy? We see this all the time where people in general, and those in power in particular, choose to follow their fears and commit acts of violence to uphold their power. We saw it with slavery, in fascist Europe, in the fight against civil rights, and we’re seeing it now.
Jesus offered a way of love, and as he stretched out his arms to welcome everyone into God’s loving embrace, those in power nailed his arms to the cross.
Love and resurrection will win, and we are on the verge of seeing that on Easter Day. But even with that assurance, those who utilize violence, power, and fear will do all they can to keep God’s perfect love from manifesting itself in the world. In these times, may we, like Jesus, stretch out our arms in love.
Blessings,
**Stations of the Cross devotions are held every Wednesday in Lent at Noon at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church. These services are also livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person. https://www.stlukesbuffalo.church/services
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