We have been focusing on the last 24 hours of Jesus' life and today we go through his final 6 hours, which were spent on the cross. Mark 15:25-39 tells us part of the story of Jesus' time on the cross.
Crucifixion is one of the most inhumane forms of execution. The person is made to suffer terrible pain. The point of crucifixion was to help the person live as long as they could before they died. The Romans used this as a deterrent for crime. People who had seen a crucifixion would not want it to be them on the cross.
As we look at the cross I want you to think about what it means to you.
This past weekend I went with a small team to Cedar Rapids to do some flood recovery work. I am from that area, but had not been into the neighborhoods since the floods and I was amazed at home much work is left to be done coming on two years after the floods. One of the jobs I worked on was to cover the outer walls of a house with green guard. The siding will then be put up over this guard.
The guard comes in a long 4 foot sheet folded every 2 feet, but the total length is probably 40 feet or so. The math geek in me came out as I start to try to figure out the best way to cover the walls without wasting any of the green guard. You have to figure in doors, windows and all of that.
Near the end of the project I was using the small scrap pieces to cover the last part of our wall because I did not want to waste any. I hate to waste stuff. I try to get all I can out of the things I have or use. But then I was thinking this morning that when I use the small scraps I may not be doing a good job of being efficient because I used more nails for each small piece than if it were a larger piece.
Anyway, when I look at the cross I see a great sacrifice. I see a price that was paid for me. And again, I do not like to waste things, so I do not want to waste that sacrifice. I want to live my life to the fullest in a way that brings glory to God.
I see many other images in the cross because it is a powerful symbol of our faith. What is it that you see in the cross?
3 comments:
What an experience! Both the last 24 hours of Christ's life and the day working in Cedar Rapids. For as long as I can remember the Easter story has had the most lasting affect on me. The suffering of Christ on the cross is the one story I remember the best from Sunday School. Every year, I learn more of the last week of his life. This series of Lenten services has been the best I can remember. It also made me more aware of the suffering of all people.
Pastor James challenged the congregation to do 2,400 hours of community service during the Lenten season. Since I was in high school, I have been heavily involved with helping people in need. I did numerous 4-H, church and school organization community service projects, ranging from reading to elementary students for National Honor Society; going into the run down, African-American and Chicano/Latino neighborhoods in Kansas City to help repair riot damaged churches and houses and going into Des Moines to make clothes rack and bed lofts for an African-American homeless youth shelter. In college, I became a ‘Big Brother’ to several fatherless boys and also got involved with the American Red Cross. I continued to be a regular blood donor and disaster services volunteer for the American Red Cross for over 30 years until I moved to this area.
Moving to Williamsburg has presented new opportunities to volunteer. For the past two years, I have had been able to help build a Habitat for Humanity house, help sandbag and move people belongings to safe areas and now do flood recovery construction.
All of my children are also heavily involved in community service projects. I have always recommended (required is more accurate) they get involved helping people in need. Our youngest has been the most willing and has volunteered more hours than the others. He helped 8 days on the Habitat for Humanity house and participated in the flood recovery project this past weekend. He commented that he learned several new construction techniques and wanted to know if we were going to do more flood recovery work. I told him we would find a way to do more, either through the church or Boy Scouts.
Something common to almost every volunteer opportunity I have been involved with is prayer. Many days of volunteering, start and end with prayer. Every time a group prays, they are reminded of the suffering Christ endured for us. This is comforting for the people that experienced the disaster and the volunteers. They see that the suffering of Christ was far worse. The victims and volunteers rally around Christ to get through the current troubles.
I challenge the congregation to continue to volunteer for the less fortunate. Let’s start planning other flood recovery weekends!
Anonymous (I know who you are), would you be interested in helping coordinate regular flood recovery trips for our congregation? Like one Saturday a month or every other month?
I woukd love to coordinate a volunteer weekend. I also believe we should plan a youth flood recovery weekend. There are many jobs they could do.
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