Friday, September 7, 2012

A Scandalous Speculation

Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent." And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts. And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things. (Luke 23:47-49)

Everyone had a different response to this scandalous spectacle. The cross has always been provocative and scandalous.  Something that cannot be ignored.  Something that won't go away.  It demands a response in every age.  Even if men reject it, they will respond...and speculate.  Like today's spectacular tragedies, we are drawn to them and we speculate as to their cause and try to interpret their meaning.  The one closest to the cross, a pagan Roman soldier, spoke one of the tenets of our faith as he speculated about its apparent meaning. The innocence of Christ on the cross, the only one ever truly innocent of all sin, is central to the gospel message. The crowds, who may have cried out for His crucifixion, beat their breasts in sorrow. Surely they did not know what they were doing. Some of them didn't care.  And of the disciples who followed, most of them stood some distance away. Here’s a common response to those of us closest to the Lord’s heart…to remain some distance away from the cross. Nothing else provokes humanity more than the cross. It's like pointing a stick at some wild beast...some are hostile and some are humbled.  Our response at the cross is crucial. We cannot remain unmoved by the spectacle. So what is your response? How close can you get to the cross today? Why did this happen?  What does it mean?  What is your speculation? 

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