The Passion of the Lord

Most of us probably missed the phrase last week, on Palm Sunday, spoken by the narrator.  We are told that Judas goes off to prepare to betray and hand Jesus  over, and that 'it was night.'  Early on in John's Gospel, John theologizes that Jesus has come into the world as light of the world.  But people preferred the darkness.  More so evil deeds are done in the dark so as not to be revealed, and the perpetrators will not be known.

John, from whose passion account we read from today, has a deep imagery of the contrasts of light and darkness.  Jesus as light of the world will be as a beacon shining in the midst of men and women.  Persons who seek the truth, and long for righteousness will be drawn to the light of Christ.  In the few miracle stories that there are in John, the blind, sinful, and the possessed, are seeking healing and wholeness in their lives.  These people live on the outside of society and are apart from others, and essentially from God.  Jesus Christ becomes the light which guides them to healing and communion with God and others.

The cross then continues to be this sign that the light of the world came into a darken world to reveal God's love and salvation.  The cross is a great comfort to us in that it conveys hope and promise.  But the cross is also a challenge to faithful discipleship.  Mark underscores that the apostles run away from Jesus.  In matter of fact a few chapters before the passion account, Mark indicates that even the family of Jesus thought that he might be mentally ill.  So that on the cross Jesus is seemingly very much alone.  Being faithful to the implications of the cross means that sometimes we stand alone for truth and righteousness.  John will remind us that Jesus came among his own people, yet they rejected him.  Today in many ways we continue to reject the presence of Jesus in many ways.

In a time and place where personal relevance takes precedence over core truths and values, the cross stands in the midst of the fray suggesting a counter-cultural response to the world around us.  Jesus does not only do 'nice' things for peoples, but suffers and dies for us too.  The cross is God's way of saying 'Amen' to the human family.  "If God is for us, who can be against?"  St. Paul's quandary offers us the insight and courage to live according to the sign of the cross.

We are baptized and confirmed under this great symbol.  The next time you make the sign of the cross, make sure that it is done deliberately and boldly.  Look at the cross.  Recognize the  one who loves us more than we can imagine and challenges us to faithful discipleship.  Then maybe we can become the sign of the cross.