Day 19: November 3, 2024
John 19:23-25 NLT
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did. 25 Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene.
We are all a part of many communities, your church community, your friends, possibly your job, to name a few, they all create some type of environment that brings us together. Community is defined like this- a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. Something that is supposed to bring us together, for many people in community, it has pushed us apart. What if we are looking at community the wrong way? What if true, authentic, unifying community does not start in our churches, our jobs, but it started at the foot of the cross? When you read about the crucifixion of Christ it is easy to overlook what is happening around the cross. Around the cross we see people, many of which would not ever think about being in the same place like they were. We had women, poor people, soldiers, wealthy and powerful people, religious people, Roman citizens, Jews all in the vicinity of the cross.
In a time when most of these people would not be in the same place together, they came together at the foot of the cross, the community that the cross creates is not about anything more than people. The community that was started at the foot of cross over 2,000 years ago was incredibly radical then, and it is radical now.
The community that the cross creates requires radical commitment. Not to a political party, or a person, or even a theology. The community the cross creates requires us to be radically committed to Jesus. We cannot build the radical community of the cross at the foot or altar of controversy, a cause or issue, a political ideology, even a political party. The radical community the cross built is built at the foot of the cross, on the altar of self. Now more than ever we need a church that is gathering at the foot of the cross, putting our distinctives aside and committing to radically following Jesus. When Jesus said to Peter and Andrew, “Come follow me!” he was not asking them to follow an ideology, party, organization, he said, “Come follow ME!” Our culture needs a voice that is found at the foot of the cross, our culture needs a church community that is about Jesus, his love and Holiness. The world needs a community that uses its voice that is found at the cross to reveal a Father who loves them and desires relationship with them.
Prayer Focus:
Lord, show me the things that are preventing me from becoming a part of the community the cross creates. When people see me, I pray they see you, not my politics, not my church, not my theology, but you. I invite you to search me and reveal anything that is preventing me from truly and radically following you. Show us (me) how to build a community that when people see it, they see your love, your grace and your power.