Every year Christians are told to take a week off from preaching the cross to reenact events that happened before anyone understood it. They call this week Holy Week.
You are told to be part of the kingdom palm waving crowd on Palm Sunday, but weren’t those the same people who consented to his death later in the week?
On Holy Monday and Tuesday you are to place yourself in the sandals of the disciples listening to Jesus’ ministry to the circumcision (Rom 15:8), but doesn’t it say they did not understand and were afraid (Mark 9:32)?
On Spy Wednesday many participate in processions reenacting the events of Judas betrayal by wearing capirotes and carrying around religious statues and icons, but wouldn’t that be one dark night we would not want to reenact?
Even though you are a child of light and ought not hide the gospel (2 Cor 4:3-4), Maundy Thursday is the beginning of the three days of darkness called Tenebrae where the Eucharist is hidden under a blanket, crosses and Bibles are hidden in churches, and God’s love expressed in the cross is hidden behind the ritual of foot washing and symbolic candles.
You are told that Good Friday is the day for sorrowful reflection, fasting, and mourning over the death of Jesus, but isn’t that contrary to glorying in the cross as Paul does (Gal 6:14)? Perhaps reflection ought to be spent on how three days fit between Friday and Sunday.
Each year you are told by religious persons to follow Jesus through Holy Week which ends with his death and resurrection, even though two thousand years ago no one understood the good news of the cross at any time during that week! (John 20:89; Luke 18:33-34)
The annual religious recreation of a week of ignorance of the cross, darkness, and sorrowful morning has worked to undermine the grace ministry of understanding, light, and rejoicing in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The gospel of grace does not end with the death and resurrection, it begins there. Our gospel of Christ should never be hid in darkness, behind symbols, or expressed in religious rituals.
Never take a week off from preaching the glory of the cross, not even for religious holydays.
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” – 1 Corinthians 1:18
No comments:
Post a Comment