II. Jesus carries his cross
Pilate handed Jesus over to be scourged. Jesus undergoes it all. The time of action is past. He does not speak any more; he does not protest; he does not reproach or admonish. He has become a victim. He no longer acts, but is acted upon. He has entered his passion. He knows that most of human life is passion. People are being starved, kidnapped, tortured, and murdered. People are being imprisoned, driven from their homes, separated from their families, put into camps and used for slave labor. They do not understand the cause for it all. Nobody explains. They are poor. When Jesus felt the cross put on his shoulders, he felt the pain of all future generations pressing on him and he loved the least of us with an immense compassion. . . .
I have to act in any way possible to alleviate the pain I see. But there is an even harder task: to carry my own cross, the cross of loneliness and isolation, the cross of rejections I experience, the cross of my depression and inner anguish. . . . We must each take up our own cross and follow Jesus, and so discover that we are truly brothers and sisters who learn from him who is humble and gentle of heart. In this way only can a new humanity be born.
Excerpt from Henri Nouwen’s Walk With Jesus, Orbis Books. Posted with the kind permission of the publisher.
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February 15th, 2008 @ 9:43 am
Jesus Carries His Cross – I’m challenged by Jesus words “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:22-24 I’m challenged by the “if…then” sequence. “if” we are to follow Jesus, “then” we are to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow. What a poignant message to reflect on during our 40 days wilderness journey together. And what are our crosses to take up daily? For me it’s the continuing awareness of my own failing. I “kvetch” frequently to God, “if I’m truly a Christian, how come I have these negative thoughts, words and deeds….I’d like to be perfect, NOW, please” And I’ve come to the realization that my imperfections and shortcomings are a cross – instead of “kvetching” with God about them, the path is to deny my tendency to fret, argue and kvetch, accept the cross of my limitations and breathe in “Jesus, Son of God” and breathe out “Have mercy on me”. Being human is it’s own cross, isn’t it? Crosses you’d like to share?
February 15th, 2008 @ 9:24 pm
The book just came in the mail today and I have been reading up through “Jesus Carries His Cross.” The meditation about the young Guatemalan is profound. I feel that our economic situations all over the world are intricately connected if we could only be made sufficiently aware. At the top of page 17 “Somehow my bond with those who suffer oppression is made real through my willingness to suffer my loneliness.” means to me that I must take up my cross of loneliness and not try to lay it down and take up instead greed, self-indugence, self-interest, all things mistakenly tried to alleviate the pain of loneliness and which are part of the destructive forces that impact on oppressed peoples everywhere.
February 15th, 2008 @ 10:02 pm
Just was thinking again about the cross of loneliness and I think that is a real cross for me, oftentimes because I and another have not looked into ourselves sufficiently to allow ourselves to be genuinely intimate with each other. So then I look around for someone/something to provide that intimacy, fill the huge void, and the result is that someone, somewhere, somehow is enslaved by my need which was actually egocentric. I think the young Guatemalan is victimized by those same kinds of destructive forces and I feel the pain of his cross and my cross being so related to each other.
February 16th, 2008 @ 9:16 am
The point of Jesus crucifixtion, where Jesus is hanging on the cross and the thieves are hanging, one on each side of him, somehow has suddenly become deeper to my own story as I realize one acknowledges he didn’t bear his own cross, was it also of loneliness and that Jesus was bearing it and the other yet refused the whole reality of God’s dying for all of us. The stealers and the people stolen from.
February 17th, 2008 @ 7:35 am
How do I bear my Cross-of prayer, study, work, community, charity, and love without the Grace of God?
Our Bishop will give a sermon today on The Life Giving Wind (John 3:1-17) and then during our Sunday school hour, a lesson on Treasure in Clay Jars (2 Cor 4: 5-7).
After reading these scriptures, I was reminded to continue to believe that the good news can only come from God and the only way possible for me to bear my own Cross is through following Jesus Christ.
I pray this morning that God can send His message through our Bishop to our congregation and it will parallel the task we all share in bearing the Cross. As Henri put it,
Till next time!
February 17th, 2008 @ 5:51 pm
Looking at the picture of the wood carrier with the carrying band tight across his head and reference in the text to the crown of thorns - I feel the tension and pain experienced by both men. I feel this at times when I have too many thoughts in my head and don’t know where my life is leading - it’s a real cross for me. But by God’s Grace like these two men I just keep walking.
February 17th, 2008 @ 8:24 pm
Hi to all of you, from Regina,
It seems to me all of us have crosses to bear and none can be compared to someone else’s simply because we all have as much we can bear. For me, there is the obvious one of being progressively more handicapped - a blessing in many ways - and attempting to care for my terminally ill husband. But their is the hidden one of many, that of liking to eat more than I need.
However if you look again at what Henri says about where Jesus say He is : Gentle and humble of heart.” Taken from Matt. 11:29. Read the verse before that Matt. 11:28, “Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome . . Take my yoke upon your shoulders. . ” and you will see what likely helps that Mexican carry the wood, as most Mexicans are devout Christians. Certainly that passage helps me carry my crosses, which I tend to look more upon avenues of growth and compassion. It helps me because if I take His yoke upon my shoulders than He is walking with me and helping me every step of the way.
February 20th, 2008 @ 7:00 pm
Yes, crosses to bear. We all have our own. I have more than one, but I realize that it keeps me asking for help and leaning on Jesus even more. I’m weak and I know I can only get through this life with Jesus at my side. I shudder to think about all those years I was without Him, my back was turned outward towards the world. Only when I returned to my faith and learned to lean on Him, did my life turn around and my crosses bearable. I also lean on the Blessed Virgin Mary, she had helped more times than I can count. Thank you everyone for your thoughts I appreciate reading them. God Bless!