Encouragement

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Will You Take Up Your Cross?
© 2005
by

Stephen A. Peterson


After church services at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Seminole Oklahoma, I sat alone in the second pew looking at the large crucifix in the middle of the church just behind the altar. I gathered my courage, looked up to see the nailed Body of Christ. Jesus hangs motionless, stretched full length, bleeding eyes looking upward in utter gruesome pain. The sight is breath taking, sad and disturbing.

“Why? Save yourself! Do something!” I thought as parishioners leave the church. “This is more than I can stand to look at or even think about.” Eyes fixed on the crucifix, Christ’s chest moves with painful effort to take in a little air as His eyes meet with mine as if to respond to my questions. His head uncontrollably moves from side to side with a look on His face that appeared to say: “I’m doing this for you and all of humankind that you and they might be saved. My work is your bridge to eternal life.” A painful smile comes to His face, another attempt to breathe, another shot of pain and another jerk of His head in respond to the pain. Due to the movement, blood bubbles up then squirts from His nailed feet to stream down His cross to the church’s floor. My head falls downward in response to the shot of pain the Savior just experienced. It is difficult to look at and hear. I am moved to get up and get out. The scene is too ugly and painful to watch.

As I attempted to get away, I am compelled and do get up to move closer to the cross to look at what I did. The closer I moved towards the cross I seemed to step in a pool of His Blood with a single drop to fall on my sinful head. That single drop of blood seemed to be the Savior’s love tap. The love tap that said: “This drop of My Blood is for you. The pool of My Blood is my sacrifice for humankind. Here is my sacrifice—Myself! I have denied myself. Can you take up your cross, deny yourself, and do My Will?” he smiles then grimaces in pain far more painful than the previous shot. “How much more can He take?” I asked.

I backed up, still stunned and not wanting to be there when the end comes. His breathing increasingly becomes more difficult. His life is slipping. He is losing His life that I and all humanity may gain their eternal lives. Then it happens. He breathes no more. Christ has died! His work is finished. My and all humankind’s life has begun. His last breath at Golgotha is my first breath of salvation. My questions have been answered not in my way but God’s way.

Christ finished what He started beginning with His birth. At that moment, He finished the words of the prophets and His earthly mission with His last breath. With His death on the cross, it seemed as though the Savior whispered: “Will you take up your cross each day? Will you?”

Kneeling in that church pew I had to ask: “Can I respond to Jesus’ challenge? Can I really ever deny the perpetual demands of the self? Can I really ever deny the pressures of the flesh? Can I really ever deny the taunts of those who hate the work of the Savior? Can I boldly stand up and sacrifice even a little bit of the self, fleshly yearnings, and taunts that others may discover the way to Jesus Christ?” I raised my head to look to the Cross for strength, resolve and wisdom. Then Father Basil Keenan, the pastor, turned off the sanctuary lights that signaled the end of this Lenten journey. That act also signaled for me to stand up, reach out, speak up, take up my cross—and go among the sheep and wolves and accept my fate boldly and without fear! For Jesus has spoken to me and to YOU!

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