by Justin Ross

The Way of the Cross

I’ve been reflecting on the passages in Mark 6 and 8 that talk about Jesus feeding the 5000+ and the 4000+. There’s rich symbolism in each of these accounts beyond this post topic. I’ve been struck, however, by the idea that the closest twelve to Jesus are caught up in a cosmic connection: The closer one is to Jesus… the closer one is to the needs of the world.

The twelve don’t know what to make of these encounters…

“Send them away,” have someone else deal with the needy and the hungry, they say.

“We don’t have anything,” “we’re overwhelmed by the magnitude of need,” “what on earth can we do?” they plead.

Yet Jesus takes what they have… and does the miraculous.

And they serve it up.
They hand it out.
They look into the eyes of people.
And they clean up the mess afterwards.

If I follow Jesus, I live with eyes that are open to the beautiful things of God.
And I also live with eyes open to the overwhelming needs of the world.
I can’t look at one without looking at the other.

Lent is about a journey through the cross. The cross isn’t the end. There’s resurrection. But you can’t get to resurrection without going through the cross.

The cross to the Christian is like a recurring nightmare.

It’s no wonder that the early Gospel writers didn’t spend a lot of ink on the subject. “And they crucified him” is about all we get. And it’s enough.

Yet, Jesus tells us that we must pick up our cross daily and follow. It’s like Jesus is saying, “Embrace the nightmare. Look at the reality of our world and don’t take your eyes off it. Touch if. Feel it. Hold it.”

“Send them away,” isn’t an option.
I can’t follow Jesus and outsource the problems in my immediate world.

“We don’t have anything,” isn’t an option.
The little we have is the stuff that God uses for miracles.

We are over half way through our Lenten journey.  Easter is coming; and that is great news.  We wait and we long for that celebration.  However, we must first journey through the waving palm branches; we must join together in an awkward last meal; and finally we must journey through the cross.  It’s not a fun journey, but a necessary one.  At least we have the assurance that Sunday is coming.

God, lead us.
Lead us through the cross, not around it.  Make us more open.

Our Holy Week services begin on Palm Sunday, April 9th.

                                        --Justin Ross

“The closer one is to Jesus… the closer one is to the needs of the world. ”