THE CROSS

THE MIND OF CHRIST.  

It's more than interesting to notice how unblemished humanity respond to aloneness and mistreatment. As our Lord hung on the cross, He didn't require others to treat Him fairly. Even though He was alone and wrongly treated beyond imagination and even though He mightly wished His pain could  be avoided, His commitment to the Father's purpose and to rescuing us from judgment never became secondary to His desire for immediate relief. It would never have occurred to Him to use suffering to excuse self-interest.

When we hurt, however, we do use suffering  to excuse our self-interest. Self-centeredness seems understandable. A comand to think of another's happiness seems cruel and absurd. When our Lord hurt, other-centeredness came naturally: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). In us, loneliness and abuse justify whatever effort we make to recover our sense of dignity and worth, to preserve our meager quality of life. In Christ, however, loneliness and abuse provided a backdrop for highlighting the difference between a character that justifies self-interest and one that delights to love:"Today you will be with me in paradise'(Luke23:43). (Larry Crabb).

SUNSET PRAYER. 

All our problems we send to the Cross of Christ.

All our defficulties we send to the Cross of Christ.

All the devil's works we send to the Cross of Christ.

All our hopes we set on the Risen Son. ( Kenya, 1987)

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