The Cross: From Shame to Redemption | Holy Cross Day Sermon

Second Reading

A READING FROM THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS

The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-24

Sermon: The Rev. Dr. Maryann Amor

Growing up in the Catholic Church, the crucifix—the body of Jesus on the cross—was a familiar sight. It hung high and central in the sanctuary: Jesus’ broken body, arms stretched wide, head bowed, suspended above me. In Anglican churches, this kind of imagery is rare. We may have smaller crucifixes, often on processional crosses, but large, prominently displayed crucifixes are uncommon. Instead, the Anglican tradition usually emphasizes the empty cross, symbolizing resurrection and Christ’s victory over death.

But whether the cross holds Jesus’ body or not, it remains a central image of our faith. It is found everywhere in the secular world—tattooed on people’s arms, hanging around necks, embroidered in pictures, graffitied on walls. It’s so common that we often forget what it really was, its history.

And yet, for the cross to mean anything…especially today, on Holy Cross Day…we have to remember. We have to look closely at what the cross is, and what it means for us as Christians to proclaim Christ crucified.

Words alone cannot convey how terrible and brutal crucifixion was. In the ancient Roman world, it was the most shameful, violent, and degrading death possible. Victims were stripped naked, nails driven through their ankles and wrists, and suspended on a wooden cross—left to suffocate slowly, in excruciating pain. Death could take hours, even days.

Crucifixion was always public. The bodies of the crucified would hang at the edge of cities or along busy roads so that everyone passing by would see them. It was the empire’s way of saying: This is what happens when you dare to defy Rome.

Roman citizens were almost never crucified. The punishment was reserved for the lowest in society: slaves, foreigners, and rebels. Cicero, the great Roman orator, once said that crucifixion was “the most cruel and disgusting penalty,” and that “the very word ‘cross’ should be far removed from the thoughts, eyes, and ears of Roman citizens.”

So, when Romans saw a cross, what came to mind was shame, brutality, and terror. They would never, ever, think of wearing a cross around their neck as jewelry. That would be like us wearing a tiny electric chair. The cross was not a decoration—it was far too horrific for that.

And this is why Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, says that the message of the cross is foolishness, a stumbling block. Looking at it from the point of view of his ancient context, to proclaim a crucified Messiah was absolutely ridiculous. How could God’s anointed one be killed on a cross of all things? Death on a cross was not, in any way, a sign of strength or wisdom. For Christians to follow a crucified man, to proclaim him Lord and Saviour—in the ancient world, it made no sense at all.

However, knowing the history of the cross shows us why, as Paul states, it reveals the power and wisdom of God. Rome used the cross as a weapon of terror, a way to silence anyone who stood against them—but in the death and resurrection of Jesus, God took that same weapon and turned it upside down. God took the very thing designed to destroy life and used it to bring life. God took the worst of human cruelty and used it as a way of showing love. The death and resurrection of Jesus show us that nothing is beyond God’s saving power—nothing is too awful, too violent, too shameful, too broken for God to redeem.

We each carry so much in our hearts—our own crosses, those burdens that weigh us down. Maybe it is grief that lingers and will not go away, shame from mistakes we cannot forget, fear that gnaws at us, addiction, anger, doubt…the wounds of broken relationships, failing health, or dreams we never followed. We may think all these things are too heavy, too ugly, too much for God to do anything with. But the cross tells us this is not true—because if God can transform the cross, the most shameful, hopeless symbol of the ancient world, then God can transform everything we carry too.

I know this to be true, but I struggle to live and believe it. There are parts of my own heart that feel too hard to change. I don’t easily forgive those who have hurt me. I know that I have grown cynical about some things, remain angry or fearful about others. I know that I regularly doubt my own worth, doubt so much of life. So many times I think to myself, I am just an awful Christian. God must know I’m terrible at this whole faith thing. And maybe you feel some of these things too—that you are carrying things that seem unchangeable.

But looking at the cross, especially in light of its gruesome history, reminds me—reminds all of us—that there is absolutely nothing beyond God’s redeeming love. If God could take the horror of crucifixion and make it the source of salvation, then God can take everything we carry, all of those things that weigh us down, and redeem them too—bringing new life into our lives.

So when you see a cross, whether Jesus’ body is on it or not—when you look at the cross you wear or hang in your home—try not to see it as a pretty decoration, but see its truth. In the cross, God took a tool of death and made it a sign of life. God took a symbol of shame and made it a symbol of grace. God took what so many called foolishness, and God called it wisdom. Thus, the cross stands at the centre of our faith and declares: no matter what is going on in your heart and mind, nothing is beyond God’s power to redeem. God did it with the cross. God can do it with us. God will do it for you. Amen.