TAKING UP THE CROSS

SERMON PREACHED BY FR. TONY NOBLE ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2006

Mark 8:27 "If anyone would come after me let them deny themselves, and take up their cross, and follow me."

Today’s readings proclaim the centrality of the cross in the life of the Christian.

The gospel begins with Jesus’ famous question to the apostles: "Who do men say that I am?“ And Peter replies: "You are the Christ." Jesus then says that he is going to suffer and die. Peter is outraged and says many things, and Jesus says: "Get behind me Satan!"

Then Jesus exhorts all who follow him to take up their cross. And the gospel reading concludes with an exhortation about demonstrating our Christian faith in our daily lives. The cross is running through this gospel as it runs through all the other readings.

The old testament reading comes from Isaiah 50, and is known as the passage of the suffering servant, the Messiah.

Isaiah wrote this passage about himself, but the church takes up Isaiah 50 as a prophesy of the suffering of Jesus. In fact this passage is also read on Palm Sunday, when we think particularly of our Lord's passion.

The suffering Messiah is also the theme of Psalm 116.

Then we come to James 2, in which St. James says that works reveal our faith. The things we do reveal what we believe.

St. James was writing to committed orthodox Christians, just like you and I. And he says, show your faith by what you do, and the works you do will reveal your faith.

Martin Luther said that the Epistle of St. James is an "Epistle of straw". He could not comprehend works and faith together. He was reacting to the scandal of indulgences that plagued the mediaeval Church. Luther was horrified that people thought they could earn salvation by doing things, or by purchasing indulgences - that salvation could be purchased like a bottle of milk. What Luther emphasized became the great call of the reformation - justification by faith not by works. He said Christ's death on the cross is what won for us salvation. That is traditional Catholic doctrine and best explained by the words in our Book of Common Prayer, where it describes Christ's death as a full perfect and sufficient sacrifice.

But if justification is by faith, why did Jesus teach the twelve apostles that he was to suffer and to die - and then command them to take up their cross?

He commanded them - and he commands all of us who follow in that way. That is: not just believe and have faith in the life-giving death of Christ on the cross, but to do something (which Luther would describe as works). Luther, like so many of the reformers, was so keen to correct abuses, that he went too far the other way in dismissing works, and at the same time dismissing St. James' wonderful Epistle.

Yet those whose faith centers on the cross must surely show that faith by doing what Jesus said: Take up your cross.

In today's epistle St. James makes it quite clear that that Christians must do things to show what they believe. And this may range for us from the way we worship - for example: making the sign of the cross and genuflecting - to doing good works in our lives, to working to eliminate injustice and discrimination, which is the theme at the beginning of our Epistle today.

St. James' Epistle is an Epistle for the 21^st century!

Have you ever noticed that those who think that works and faith are diametrically opposed usually do nothing for the community, but are completely self absorbed in their own special group, which they mistakenly call 'the church.'

Not hat we Episcopalians can be let off the hook so easily.

When we think of Our Lord's words about taking up our cross what do we think of? We think he means our trial and tribulations. Sure, many of us at some stage have a heavy burden to bear, and when someone is enduring a long sickness and lingering death and the emotional burden - that really is the cross of Christ that we carry.

Yet we so easily dismiss this saying. I have even heard Rectors refer to their parishes as their 'cross to bear'! What we are doing when we so flippantly talk about our cross to bear is reducing the cross from what it is - victory - to something less. We talk about our cross to bear as it if were something to be endured, but hopefully will soon pass. What we do is reduce the great glorious, victorious crucifixion of Jesus to something weak, often temporary, which we have to endure meekly. That doesn't sound like the cross of Jesus to me!

It's certainly not how St. Paul saw the cross. He saw it as something great and permanent, by which we are saved and made free. Our little crosses are always the opposite. Listen to these words St. Paul says in Gal 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me."

Wonderful words. St. Paul took Jesus at his word - and so must we. For St. Paul the cross was not pre-eminently about death and suffering, but about life and victory and grace. For him this meant living a positive, life-affirming, celebration of the cross; of celebrating victory and grace in our lives because of the cross.

It doesn't mean we don't have our crosses of pain, suffering and disappointment - but that these things are part of human life, and taken up by the outstretched arms of Jesus on the cross and turned into victory, and even joy. That is why the Crucifix is central in our church, and why it should be in our homes. And why we wear crosses. And in our country now such signs of our faith are being attacked and ostracized.

And that is why Christians make the sign of the cross.

And if we are good Episcopalians we don't make it secretly, or in haste - but prayerfully and deliberately. For it is the sign of our faith and the banner of our salvation. And here at All Saints', unlike other churches, there are many opportunities for you to do it.

When you think about it - making the sign of the cross is exactly what St. James is talking about. What easier way is there, what better work is there to show our faith, than by making the sign of the cross? And when we make this simple yet deep expression of faith it fits in perfectly what Jesus is saying today. Taking up our cross in a physical and literal way.

And not only that - the sign of the cross is a logical follow-on from St. Peter's declaration "You are the Christ." For it is only because Jesus is the Christ, that the cross has any meaning.