Christ Crucified?
Christ Crucified?
“Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles (1 Corinthians 1:22-23).”
“Jews demand signs...but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block.” What sense could this make? For us the cross is a sign we see everywhere! Drive through the Bible belt? Roadside crosses! What’s on so many necklaces? The cross! What sign could be demanded?
The Jewish people at the time of Christ were in recent memory of the Maccabean Revolt (see 1 & 2 Maccabees). They faced annihilation by the wicked King Antiochus. Judas Maccabeus led a rebellion that led to the freedom of the people. The Jewish people eventually became free only to later be occupied by the Roman Empire.
Rome made a lot of accommodations for the Jewish people and frankly, life was good. It was the so-called Pax Romana, or the “Roman Peace”. Ahead of the Midnight Mass at Christmas we recount that the world was at peace at the birth of Christ. Still many resented that the Jewish people were not free from taxes, and besides, was not God supposed to restore them as a strong state?
Remember the people were the ones who demanded a king in the first place (see 1 Samuel 8). God sent them a great prophet, Samuel, but they desired a king. God knowing His people’s hearts granted their request with David. But God’s will was for them to have something greater than an earthly ruler – He desired to be with His people and them with Him.
So then throughout the Old Testament we see the cycle play out. We see them grow from adolescence (receiving the 10 Commandments) into Exile. We see that God will always be faithful, but virtue will be rewarded, and sin will be punished. The promises will be fulfilled; whether that happens in your lifetime is up to you. The covenantal relationship of God to His people intensifies, leading up to the birth of Christ. Yet, some were looking for the signs in the wrong places.
Some recognized the signs though. Look at Luke 2:22-38, where Simeon and Anna receive the gift of seeing the fulfillment of God’s promises, His covenant, during the presentation of Jesus in the Temple.
Do we not look for signs but fail to see them? For many in Israel, the signs were there, God was fulfilling His promise, but they had chosen the sign they would accept. God provides the signs, but do we receive them in faith and love or view them as a stumbling block from our own expectations?
Where is God prompting you to a deeper conversion, surrender, and trust? In my last bulletin article, a month ago, I touched on restlessness as a sign to turn to the Lord. Have you grown close to God, farther from Him or stagnated in your relationship with Him in the last month? If your relationship has deepened – Praise Him! If not, know He waits for you to turn to Him like the dad in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).
Nothing you do will please Him except to offer yourself whole and entire (Romans 12:1). Surrender all to Him and He will take care of everything and give you rest.
“...Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified... foolishness to Gentiles.” Indeed, the thought of the innocent man, the man who is God, taking on the sin, pain, brokenness, woundedness, of us all is something beyond the greatest wisdom ever arrived at by Aristotle, Plato or Socrates. Justice would seem to demand our annihilation for even a small, venial sin. Yet God is perfect in Justice and the perfection of Justice is mercy.
It used to be that John 3:16 was common to see on walls, bumper stickers, you name it. Our Protestant brothers and sisters, despite having an impoverished view of the Bible, excluding a number of books, like Maccabees, understand the beauty of this verse—“for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Do you think God is foolish for loving you? Do you think God is foolish for dying for you? Do you struggle to see His love for you when you see a crucifix with His arms stretched out, writhing in immeasurable pain for you. Do you reject those arms, nailed down in His precious blood, which desire to hug you? Will you reject His love or will you let Him love you?
It’s the third week of Lent. Where is Jesus desiring to love you but you refuse to let Him? Ask Him and say: “Jesus, love me there.”
In Christ,
Thomas Marten, Seminarian
Kenrick-Glennon Seminary
5200 Glennon Drive
St. Louis, MO 63119