‘Instead of seeing the cross as a symbol of passivity and submissiveness in the face of evil and suffering, the cross must be seen in the light of the liberating mission of Jesus Christ’
The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is celebrated every September 14. It commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, in Jerusalem in 320 and the dedication of the basilica and shrine built on Calvary by Constantine in 335. More importantly, the feast highlights the sheer significance of the cross in Christian faith — that’s why it’s exalted.
Does the feast exalt the cross alone? Can the cross be separated from the life of the Crucified Messiah? With crucifixion described by German New Testament scholar Gerhard Lohfink as “one of the most gruesome methods of execution ever devised by human beings to torture others,” isn’t it ironic that we venerate the cross?
“For Romans, death on the cross was regarded as so dreadful and dishonorable that it could be imposed only on slaves and non-Romans…. But even in the case of slaves and provincials crucifixion was generally reserved for serious crimes such as murder, temple robbery, treason, and rebellion,” Lohfink explains. Imagine the horrible background of the cross Christians venerate!
Inspite of the tragic historical origin of the cross, the apostle Paul has a strong reminder to Christians: “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18 NABRE) The cross that is formerly a symbol of humiliating death became a symbol of life for Christians for through it the fullness of God’s love was revealed.
Jesus Christ remained faithful to his prophetic mission of proclaiming and embodying the Reign of God. Since the Reign of God turned upside down the values of the Roman Empire and religious groups during his time, Jesus offended the higher powers, both religious and political, and was tagged as a seditious rebel and a blasphemer. At the end, he paid the price for his passion for the Reign.
Without the proper historical context of how Jesus was executed, the cross is commonly seen as a glorification of suffering. One of the main reasons is that the death of Jesus is explained as a bloody sacrificial offering to the Father, as if Jesus needed to die to placate a vindictive and bloodthirsty God.
The Swiss theologian Hans Küng questions this misinterpretation of Jesus’ death: “Is God so cruel, even sadistic, that his anger can be appeased only by the blood of his Son? Does an innocent person have to serve as scapegoat, whipping boy, and substitute for the real sinners?” This kind of thinking can justify violence and killing. It also completely distorts the image of the benevolent and all-merciful nature of God revealed in the Scriptures — a God who is love (1 John 4:8).
God is not a sadist. The sacrifice of Jesus must be understood in terms of a life fully committed to God’s mission that people “might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10 NABRE) Jesus sacrificed his life for a noble cause. God never wanted the cross. Jesus never sought martyrdom, although he was aware of that possibility after knowing what happened to John the Baptist.
In a sense, suffering leads us to God for it makes us aware of the Divine Presence always ready to alleviate our wounds and pains. Suffering reminds us as well of our finitude and the imperfection of the world. Denying suffering is denying reality.
The experience of suffering can elicit compassion within us. Compassion for Marcus Borg “means feeling the feelings of somebody else in a visceral way, at a level somewhere below the level of the head; most commonly compassion is associated with feeling the suffering of somebody else and being moved by that suffering to do something.” As one suffers, one develops a compassionate heart towards the other. In his humanity, Jesus displayed authentic compassion.
However, absolutizing suffering as a way to God can result into passivity in the face of suffering. Understanding the cross as glorification of suffering produces a morbid spirituality of the cross. The proposition “suffering is a way to God” must be interpreted carefully. It is true that suffering teaches us truths about life, but it is also true that suffering is not purely positive.
Following this passive spirituality, the invitation of Jesus to “take up one’s cross” becomes accepting suffering as God’s will. The cross then becomes a tool of subjugating the faithful. Suffering will forever be part of life so one must acquiesce to it in imitation of the meek Jesus who “though harshly treated, he submitted and did not open his mouth; Like a lamb led to slaughter or a sheep silent before shearers, he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7 NABRE)
Therefore, we must not speak out against burning social issues such as rampant killings and social injustices. This is a fatalistic attitude. On the contrary, the Brazilian liberation theologian Leonardo Boff says that “the cross is never a masochistic symbol. Rather it calls us to a struggle against pain, and against causes that produce a cross.”
We have forgotten that suffering is not God’s will. Jesus suffered for us because of love. “It is not pain as such that counts but the breadth of the love that spans existence so completely that it unites the distant and the near, bringing God-forsaken man into relation with God,” beautifully explains Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI).
There is an urgent need for us to rethink the cross. Instead of seeing the cross as a symbol of passivity and submissiveness in the face of evil and suffering, the cross must be seen in the light of the liberating mission of Jesus Christ.
“Jesus is crucified because his activity and his message have shaken the roots of the system, which is organized to serve the interests of the most powerful people in the Roman empire and in the temple religion,” explains the Spanish biblical scholar Jose Pagola. The cross is never a glorification of suffering. The Dominican theologian Edward Schillebeeckx captures this point well: “We are not redeemed thanks to the death of Jesus, but despite it.”
“Contemplating the suffering and death of Christ intensifies our union with him. It should also draw us to know and love the crucified people of today,” writes Dean Brackley, SJ.
The Crucified Christ is inseparable from the crucified people of our times. The cross is a strong protest against the crucifiers! – Rappler.com
Kevin Stephon Centeno is a Jesuit scholastic. Born in Oriental Mindoro, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and spent five years of seminary formation at Saint Augustine Seminary in Calapan City. His views do not represent the position of the entire Society of Jesus.
