He broke Himself, shedding His blood. Finally, this opened up a path for us to the access of the door of salvation for our spirit.

A MEDITATION UPON THE CROSS

            “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”  (Luke 23:34)

Only Because of Our Mercy?

Jesus was humiliated and was nailed on the cross.  This is a miserable picture that comes up on our minds constantly.  Nearly every one of us, without ceasingly, has this sense that Jesus has been nailed upon the cross.  Especially during the Holy Communion, many come to tears of sorrow because of their mercy in remembrance of Jesus.

It is truly a congenial nature of humankind, seeing someone else experience his hardship.  Not only Christians have this kind of character, but non-Christians do as well.  There is a Chinese saying: “Mercy heart, everyone does have it” or “everyone has a merciful heart.”

Taking up the most severe persecution, Jesus sacrificed His own body for the purpose of replacing our sins.  If anyone does not have mercy on Him, then he must have a heart of stone. 

As to the teaching of Jesus being nailed on the cross, if we merely have mercy without a deeper understanding, then we are going to let His sacrifice become useless.

Take Upon Our Own Cross

Since I became a father, I cried each time the Holy Communion was held.  In particular, when I thought of what Jesus said: “Forgive them, because they do not know what they do.”  I always came to tears.  Jesus came to the earth for taking up men’s sins, and he was nailed on the cross by sinful men.  Not only because men were proud and jealous, but also because they were naïve that they nailed Jesus.  During that time, people with physical need and material wants, were astonished by Jesus authority with which miracles and restoration of health were performed.  Hardly any one could accept the words when Jesus said: “repent, for the heavenly kingdom is at hand” and “Pursue God’s kingdom and righteousness at the first place.”  They finally nailed Jesus on the cross.  In fact, the same thing happens again and again to us today.

When we are in illness or in frustration, we usually pray to Jesus to keep us and take away our pains.  But rarely are we able to meditate the spiritual meanings, reflecting from our illness or frustrations.  Needless to say if our prayer is made at all.  Are not our thoughts and wants just like what Jesus said?  I love my children very much.  In order to save them, I am willing to sacrifice myself.  Yet, I would never put up with them who only have sympathies with my sacrifice.  How unworthy it is!  Likewise we shall not only sympathize or only have mercy on Jesus sacrifice. (Mark 8:34)

We all realize that Jesus was nailed on the cross, opening up a salvation road for us in His own blood.  We have also come to an understanding that only through this way, can we attain eternal life.  Meanwhile, some people still will not believe in Him, because they are afraid of that they won’t be able to worship their parents when their parents pass away.  Others are willing to believe in Him under the condition that when they or their family are healed by God.  Even more, some are holding negative reasons for not believing in God, for they have seen Christians who suffered and ran into bad times in their careers.  All these people are like those who underestimated Jesus’ sacrifice, challenging Him to walk down from the cross.

Jesus wants us to take up our own cross and follow him.  No matter what kind of cross we have, all are worthy.  Why?  Because what kind of cross would have such a tremendous burden like Jesus?  What kind of cross pays such a high price as Jesus did?  Our difficulties can be carried by Jesus.  Only think of glories in HeavenlyKingdom the day after we pass away.  What does having a specified value in our life mean?

Love Each Other (Jn 13:34)

As to this new commandment, we must first come to the understanding of how much the Lord loves us.  He loves our body and even more our soul.  Exactly for that reason He was nailed on the cross.  He not only has given us peace and joy, but also has opened up the road of salvation for us by breaking up himself in his own blood.  Therefore, we shall not just ask for His encouragement and condolence while we are encountering weariness, illness or unsafety to our physical bodies, but we shall do more while we are struggling in our souls, which means that we are blocked in our faiths.  The Lord loves our souls.  When He looks at the damages and the disabilities in our faiths, He will give us His hand, holding us in order to walk in the right way.

We learned from Jesus how much He loved his disciples, so that he was concerned for his disciples and realized the weaknesses in their faiths.  The ultimate purpose of live is so that we may see each other in heaven.  If you only love a person’s body only, it is in vain.  Men can only live up to seventy or eighty years.  Compared to eternal life, our physical life is very transient.

If husbands and wives, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, friends live together for an entire life and yet are unable to see each other in the heavenly kingdom, what value would this be?  Although we always remember those church members who have passed away with tears, but we do not need to worry since we will see then in the near future.  For those non-church members who have passed away, they will never see each other in Heaven.

Therefore, at the same time we are meditating on Jesus Christ on the cross, we should also show our best concern to our brothers and sisters while they struggle in their faith.  We should pray to God to forgive them and do our best to encourage them, so that they may overcome the trials and temptations.  We should also pray to the Lord to bestow his mercy on those who love us and those whom we love to open their hearts and to give us hope of meeting each other in Heaven.