Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.
This is Jesus' invitation to discipleship in Matthew 11:28-30.
Father Patrick M. Crino, Pastor
Did you ever stop and think about how bizarre Christianity is? It is the only religion that worships a crucified man, a man who held all power in his hands and yet allowed himself to be discarded and abandoned, worthy of capital punishment
Decades before the Gospels were captured in writing, the letters of St. Paul were circulated in the Christian world. In his earliest writings, Paul laid the foundation for anyone who wants to call themselves Christian: We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block …(1 Corinthians 1:23). Why is Christ crucified so vital? The fact is the cross of Jesus is an unrepeatable and eternal changing event that calls all religions into question. The crucifixion is a critical dimension of faith, life, and has an irreplaceable impact on the destiny of every human being who has ever lived or will.
It is true that the gift of any human life for some great cause is always heroic and should touch one’s heart. But Jesus’ gift of his life is something much, much greater and paramount than a courageous soldier dying on a battlefield. How can I say Christ crucified is central to anyone and everyone? God himself intervenes to reclaim you. Yes, you! The crucifixion and death of Jesus is meant to be that personal to each of us. It should absolutely bother you and me that Jesus suffered such humiliation and pain. The cost paid for us was incredible.
Here is something for us to put into perspective. With clear reason those who saw what was unfolding deserted him. The crucifixion and death of Jesus brought incredible fear to those to whom Jesus was closest. They turned and ran. They hid themselves out of sight. Initially, the idea of Christ crucified was a stumbling block to those who claimed to know him best.
The cost for you and me is the crucifixion. You were ransomed … not with perishable things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. The blood he spilled out ransomed you. For you he died (1Peter 1:18-19). There are many things to pursue in this world that might feel like they bring independence, but we are never really free until we are one in Christ crucified. Not by accident did the creator of love choose the highest form of love to ransom us. This love endures forever and nothing on this earth will ever equal it. As we journey toward Easter, I encourage us to reflect deeply on Christ crucified. When we look upon Jesus on the cross it should shake the foundation of our world.