Embracing the Cross: A Journey of Hope and Healing

Today’s reflection centers on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a day that invites us to gaze upon the cross not as a symbol of defeat, but as the very source of life and hope. The cross stands at the heart of our faith, reminding us that God did not come to condemn, but to save. The history of this feast traces back to the early Church, when the true cross was discovered and venerated, and ever since, Christians have kept the cross close as a sign of Christ’s sacrificial love.

The readings draw us into the story of the Israelites in the desert, who, despite being sustained by God’s gift of manna, grew weary and complained. Their ingratitude led to suffering, symbolized by the serpents that bit them. This echoes the first sin in Eden, where pride led Adam and Eve to grasp after what was not theirs, resulting in separation from God. The cross, by contrast, is the place where Christ, though equal with God, refused to grasp at power or privilege. Instead, he emptied himself, stretching out his arms in total surrender, unable to grasp at anything, modeling for us the path of humility and trust.

Sin, at its core, is a grasping after things that cannot fulfill—pride, greed, pleasure, recognition. The cross calls us to let go of these fleeting pursuits and to look upon Christ, lifted up, as the source of healing and forgiveness. Just as the Israelites were healed by gazing upon the bronze serpent, we are invited to look honestly at our own wounds, sins, and griefs, and to bring them to the cross. In doing so, we do not avoid our pain or failures, but face them with hope, trusting that God can bring resurrection out of crucifixion.

This journey is not easy. It means confronting our grief, our disappointments, and our failures, but always with the assurance that Christ has gone before us. The Beatitudes remind us that those who mourn will be comforted, and that suffering, when united to Christ, leads to blessing. Keeping the crucifix before our eyes—at church, at home, in our hearts—reminds us to see as Christ sees, to respond with humility, and to trust in the promise of eternal life. The Eucharist, prefigured by the manna, nourishes us for this journey, casting out the venom of sin and drawing us into deeper communion with God.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The Cross as the True Tree of Life The cross is not merely a symbol of suffering, but the very place where God’s life is poured out for the world. It transforms what appears to be defeat into the ultimate victory, offering healing and hope to all who look upon it with faith. Reverencing the cross means recognizing it as the source of new life, both for the Church and for each of us personally. [00:44]
• 2. Sin as Grasping and the Call to Let Go At the heart of sin is the desire to grasp after what is not ours—power, pleasure, recognition—mirroring the pride of Adam and Eve. Christ’s outstretched arms on the cross show us a different way: letting go, surrendering, and trusting in God’s will. True discipleship means learning to release our grip on fleeting things and to embrace the humility of Christ. [03:28]
• 3. Healing Comes Through Honest Gaze Just as the Israelites were healed by looking at the bronze serpent, we find healing by honestly facing our wounds, sins, and griefs in the light of the cross. Avoidance only deepens our pain, but bringing our brokenness to Christ opens the way for forgiveness and renewal. This act of looking is not passive, but a courageous step toward transformation. [05:34]
• 4. Suffering and Grief as Pathways to Blessing The Beatitudes teach that those who mourn are blessed, not because suffering is good in itself, but because God meets us in our pain. When we unite our grief and disappointments to Christ’s cross, we discover comfort, hope, and the promise of resurrection. This perspective allows us to see even our darkest moments as opportunities for grace. [07:16]
• 5. Living with an Eternal Perspective Keeping the crucifix before us—literally and spiritually—reminds us to see all things in the light of eternity. The Eucharist nourishes us for this journey, helping us to move beyond the sting of sin and the weight of this world. Trusting in the promise of eternal life gives us strength to persevere, to love, and to seek God’s guidance in all things.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:18] - Introduction to the Feast of the Holy Cross
• [00:44] - The History and Reverence of the Cross
• [01:35] - The Israelites’ Complaints and the Serpent
• [02:15] - The First Sin: Grasping and Pride
• [03:14] - Christ’s Humility and the Cross
• [03:54] - The Nature of Sin: Grasping After the World
• [04:22] - The Call to Look Upon Christ
• [05:02] - Healing by Facing Our Wounds
• [06:02] - Grief, Tragedy, and Finding Hope
• [07:02] - The Beatitudes and the Promise of Comfort
• [07:43] - Resurrection: Living with Hope
• [08:12] - The Crucifix as a Daily Reminder
• [09:06] - Conversion and the Power of the Eucharist
• [09:48] - Praying for Grace and Perspective

Bible Reading

Numbers 21:4–9 (ESV) — > From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

2. Philippians 2:5–8 (ESV)
> Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

3. John 3:14–17 (ESV)
> And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Observation Questions

1. In the story from Numbers, what was the Israelites’ attitude toward God’s provision of manna, and what was the consequence of their response? ([01:47])
2. According to Philippians 2, what did Jesus refuse to do, and what did he choose instead? ([03:14])
3. In John 3, what is the connection between Moses lifting up the serpent and Jesus being lifted up on the cross? ([04:22])
4. The sermon mentions that the cross is not just a symbol of suffering, but of life and hope. What examples from the sermon support this idea? ([01:23])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think the Israelites’ complaints about manna were so serious in God’s eyes? What does this reveal about the nature of sin and ingratitude? ([01:58])
2. The sermon describes sin as “grasping after things that cannot fulfill.” How does this idea help us understand the story of Adam and Eve and our own struggles? ([02:15])
3. What does it mean that Jesus “emptied himself” and “did not regard equality with God something to be grasped”? How does this challenge our own attitudes toward power, privilege, or recognition? ([03:28])
4. The Israelites were healed by looking at the bronze serpent. What does it look like for us to “look upon Christ” for healing in our own lives? ([05:02])

Application Questions

1. The sermon says that sin is often about grasping for things like power, pleasure, or recognition. What is one area in your life where you find yourself “grasping” for something that doesn’t truly satisfy? How might you begin to let go of it? ([03:54])
2. When you face disappointment, grief, or failure, do you tend to avoid it, complain, or bring it honestly before God? What would it look like for you to “look at your wounds” in the light of the cross this week? ([05:34])
3. The Beatitudes promise comfort to those who mourn. Is there a grief or loss in your life that you need to bring to Christ? How can your small group support you in this? ([07:16])
4. The sermon encourages us to keep the crucifix before our eyes as a reminder of Christ’s love and humility. Is there a practical way you can do this at home, work, or in your daily routine? ([08:12])
5. The Eucharist is described as nourishment for the journey, casting out the “venom” of sin. How can participating in the Eucharist (or remembering Christ’s sacrifice) help you deal with the effects of sin or discouragement in your life? ([09:35])
6. The cross transforms defeat into victory. Can you think of a time when God brought hope or new life out of a painful situation in your life? How did that experience shape your faith? ([01:23])
7. The sermon talks about living with an eternal perspective. What is one practical step you can take this week to focus more on eternal things rather than temporary worries? ([09:35])