The Sixth Word of the Cross

"It is finished!"

We are coming to the end of the journey near to the death of Jesus for our salvation. On a theological level this word of the cross is a announcement that Jesus has completed the work that the Father had given him in the world. On another level, it is the surrendering of his life and mission to the Father and he is dying the way he lived, trusting in God. On and even more basic level, he is recognizing this is the end of his life. Whatever the meaning of this word to any of us, it does recognize that we, as followers of Jesus, have a mission to complete in our lives. It is not the mission of salvation which he accomplished on the cross for us by his grace, but a mission to reflect that redeeming love to the world. We are called to lives of trust in God like Jesus. We are called to let God set the agenda of our lives in that sovereign love. Often in my years of ministry people have struggled to know what God wants of their lives. They wish that God would tell them as clearly as he seems to in the scriptures, what the Divine One wants of them. My answer is invariable. "Love God with all your heart, mind soul and strength" and "Love your neighbor as yourself". That is the mission to live the love of God and neighbor in the world and to proclaim God's love. Many times we get the feeling that somehow winning souls for Christ is our mission. Did Jesus not tell us this in Matthew 28? Yes, and that is not done just by telling somebody "the plan of salvation". It is also accomplished by showing the world by what we say and do that God is love. In the end we will be able to say "It is finished". Yes, we will fail at times, yes we will do wrong. But God is with us and will teach us how to love God and neighbor. Then, when we come to the completion of our passing, we will hear the crucified and risen Christ say, "Well done good and faithful servant". What does God want of us? To be loving and fulfill that mission on earth. If we complete that, however long it takes us to learn it, and however much we fail at times, we can say with confidence at the end of the day and at the end of life, "It is finished!",

In Christ's Service,

Jim