The cross of Christ is the center of our faith and the source of our hope. It reveals to us the true nature of God, who is love and who suffers with us in our pain and sin. It also challenges us to live in a way that reflects God’s love and justice in the world.
Martin Luther understood this well, as he experienced the power of the cross in his own life. He realized that human wisdom and efforts could not save him, but only the grace of God through the cross. He confronted the abuses and corruption of the church, which had distorted the gospel and exploited the people. He proclaimed the theology of the cross, which exposed the false glory of human power and announced the true glory of God’s mercy.
Like Luther, we should embrace the cross in our own context. We are to acknowledge our own sinfulness and need for God’s forgiveness, and to trust in God’s promise of salvation. We are to resist the forces of evil and oppression that deny God’s presence and purpose in the world, and to stand with the poor and the marginalized who suffer the most. We are to live as witnesses of God’s love and suffering with humanity, and to share the good news of the cross with others.
The cross is not only a symbol of our faith, but also a way of life. It is the way of God, who came to the world in the human suffering form of Jesus. It is the way of Christ, who gave His life for us on the cross. It is the way of the Spirit, who empowers us to live in the cross and to carry our own crosses. It is the way of the church, which is called to be the body of Christ in the world. It is the way of the cross, which leads us to the resurrection and the new creation.
Prayer
O God, who by the cross of Your Son has shown us the depth of Your love and the height of Your glory, we praise You and thank You for Your amazing grace. You have called us to follow You in the way of the cross, to bear witness to Your hope. Help us, O Lord, to be faithful to Your call, to trust in Your promise, and to live in Your love.
Lord Jesus, who by Your death on the cross has redeemed us from our sins and reconciled us to God, we adore You and thank You for Your sacrifice. You have invited us to take up our cross and to follow You in the way of the cross, to die to ourselves and to live for You. Strengthen us, O Lord, to be obedient to Your will, to surrender to Your grace, and to serve You with joy.
Holy Spirit, who by Your power has raised Jesus from the dead and has given us new life in Him, we worship You and thank You for Your gift. You have filled us with Your presence and Your gifts, and have enabled us to follow You in the way of the cross, to overcome evil with good and to proclaim the gospel with courage. Guide us, O Lord, to be attentive to Your voice, to cooperate with Your work, and to glorify You with our lives. Amen.
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