Sermon 8/15/04
Cross-roads - Luke 12:49-56
(view lectionary notes for this text)
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame; and I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain. So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown. O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous attraction for me; for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above to bear it to dark Calvary. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, a wondrous beauty I see, for 'twas on the old cross Jesus suffered and died, to pardon and sanctify me. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true, its shame and reproach gladly bear; then he'll call me some day to my home far away, where his glory forever I'll share. So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown.
Today many people, myself included, like to wear the symbol of the cross, in pins, in jewelry, on clothing, and more. These symbols, these crosses, are ones we treasure as reminders of our Christian faith in everyday life. But sometimes I fear that we lose sight of the meaning of the cross in our faith by making it so commonplace. This fear, fear of losing sight of the meaning of the cross, was actually what motivated George Bennard to write 'The Old Rugged Cross' in 1913.
According to the Christian History Institute, George Bennard was struggling with personal problems that were causing him a great deal of trouble and anguish. In his suffering, his mind returned again and again to Christ's anguish on the cross. This, he thought, was the heart of the gospel! The cross he pictured was not ornate, or pretty, or gold or silver. It was "a rough, splintery thing, stained with gore."
"I saw the Christ of the Cross as if I were seeing John 3:16 leave the printed page, take form and act out the meaning of redemption," he said later, John 3:16 which says that God loved the world so much that God gave the only son Jesus to us.
He wanted to put this theme, these thoughts, to music. The History Institute writes that, "In a room in Albion, Michigan, Bennard sat down and wrote a tune. But the only words that would come to him were "I'll cherish the old rugged cross." He struggled for weeks to set words to the melody he had written.
As a Methodist evangelist, Bennard was scheduled to preach a series of messages in New York. He found himself focusing on the cross. The theme of the cross grew increasingly more urgent to him. Back in Albion, Michigan, he sat down and tried again to put together the words. This time the lines came. He later told Dr. Al Smith, "I sat down and immediately was able to rewrite the stanzas of the song without so much as one word failing to fall into place. I called in my wife, took out my guitar, and sang the completed song to her. She was thrilled!"
On this day, June 7, 1913, according to his own account, George Bennard introduced the new hymn in a revival meeting he was conducting in Pokagon, Michigan. "The Old Rugged Cross," soon became one of the top ten most popular hymns of the twentieth century." (1) In our congregation, this hymn took third place in our fall worship survey.
My first thoughts, I have to admit, in preparing for this sermon, were in wonder at how I could relate this "golden oldie" hymn to this powerful and difficult gospel lesson from Luke. This hymn, to me, brought back images of the little country church in which I was raised in Westernville, New York, where we still used the old hymnals - the ones before those we have the pews today, and where this hymn was certainly a favorite. In this sweet and simple hymn, where's the power? The bite? The challenge? Where is the call to action, the call for justice? These are the things that I usually seek in a hymn, and I didn't see them here. But after reading about Bennard's thoughts on why he penned this hymn, my attitude changed, and I began to see how perfectly this hymn fit with today's text.
Today we read about Jesus sharing words that almost no one wants to hear. We like to talk about Jesus as the prince of peace, as our gentle savior, as our loving master. And indeed, Jesus can be all these things to us. But our gospel today reminds us that Jesus is much more: "I came to bring fire to the earth," Jesus says, "and how I wish it were already kindled . . . Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!" Jesus continues to describe division that is not just between nations or communities, but division within our homes, among our families. We read of fathers and sons divided, mothers and daughters, in-laws against one another." It's not a pretty picture of a family united by Christian love, but of a family torn apart by Christ's presence. What are we to make of it? Jesus seems to think the answer is obvious. He concludes by asking why we can predict the weather by interpreting the clouds but we can't seem to figure out what is happening in our world spiritually by interpreting the present time. "You hypocrites!"
Perhaps you might object that the signs of the times aren't so easy to read. So let's look again at what Jesus has to say. "Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!" These words might be puzzling at first, because typically we think that Jesus came to earth to bring us salvation - to bring what is good for us. Wouldn't that be a means of bringing peace into our lives? But actually, I think Jesus wants to remind us that his entry into our lives turns everything upside down. Two weeks ago, you'll remember, we talked about the chapter from Hebrews on faith that we heard the conclusion to today, and we talked about how faith for early Christians practically guaranteed that they would not have an easy life. Jesus, here in Luke's gospel, warns us of the same: When we declare ourselves to be followers of Christ, we can expect that our attitudes, actions, and beliefs will put us in sharp contrast to the world around us that values self more than other, self more than God.
Choosing to follow Jesus Christ should not have as little or even less impact on our lives as choosing what outfit to wear or what restaurant to pick for dinner. Calling yourself a Christian ought to have some tangible, real result, real impact on you and those around you. What is the point of becoming a Christian if no one can tell, if nothing about you or the way you live changes as a result - if there is no difference between who you are and how you live your life and the person who does not have faith in any God or any thing? Marianne Williamson writes, "When you ask God into your life, you think God is going to come into your psychic house, look around, and see that you just need a new floor or better furniture, and that everything needs just a little cleaning - and so you go along for the first six months thinking how nice life is now that God is there. Then you look out the window one day and you see that there's a wrecking ball outside. It turns out that God actually thinks your whole foundation is shot and you're going to have to start over from scratch." (2) Bearing the label of Christian - Christ-follower, we declare that we are ready to open our lives up to God, to be examined thoroughly by God's probing eyes, to rid our lives of sin, and wrong-doing, injustice, and failure to love God and neighbor.
It is in this way that our hymn for today, The Old Rugged Cross, ties perfectly to our gospel lesson, and brings the message home to us in a beloved song. George Bennard didn't want a pretty cross, a soft and delicate cross, because he didn't want to lose sight of what the cross signified. Jesus told us that to follow him, we must take up the cross, the cross which symbolizes the difficult, life-sacrificing journey that Jesus ultimately had to make to be faithful to God's call. "The Old Rugged Cross" is a reminder to us that the Christian faith is more than a tradition into which we are born, more than a gathering of friends once a week. The life we choose as Christians is one that sets us apart if we are faithful to Jesus' teachings.
But in the choosing, as Bennard penned in his tune, our life as Christians is rewarding beyond our imagination, as we experience the love and grace of God that knows no boundaries, and learn how to share this love with others. So we cherish this old rugged cross - the symbol of peace, the symbol of division, the symbol of glory, the symbol of humility, the symbol of our life in Jesus Christ. Amen.
(1) Christian History Institute, http://www.gospelcom.net/chi/DAILYF/2002/06/daily-06-07-2002.shtml
(2) Williamson, Marianne, as quoted in Pulpit Resources, William Willimon, for August 15th, 2004, pg 30.