Looking at the scene of the cross, found that there were a multitude of people standing, also there were different reactions and meanings .. Although the crucifixion process took only a few hours, we can spend months meditating in its meanings..
What have I seen under the cross?
1. The gambling group "Solders":
This group crucified our lord Jesus. When we look at them, with sorrow, as they were doing their brutal job and they are not aware of the crime that they are committing. They are busy gambling under the cross, not caring for the crucified, and the cruelty of their negligence is much worse than the cruelty of the cross itself. How many of us do the same thing every day by neglecting another’s pain. We joke about another’s suffering, not knowing that what we are doing is worse than crucifying or killing...
Jesus on the cross was a scene that attracted many people to watch, due to many reasons:
 | The personality of the crucified Jesus is the brilliant teacher, skilled doctor and a person full of love and kindness, they have seen him in the fullness of his glory and the power of his acts; but how can they see him now crucified. |
| Many of the people expected a miracle to happen. |
| Jesus’ attitude on the cross; it is known that any person being crucified is usually cursing, angry and his face is full of frustrations. To the contrary Jesus was very calm; He prayed for those who crucified him, and asked God for their forgiveness. |
There were different kinds of audiences:
| Looked at the cross as a gruesome crime. |
| Looked at the cross and lost faith in Jesus. How could the son of God be crucified and He isn’t acting? |
| Looked at the cross and saw " God’s lamb" that carried the sins of the world. |
TODAY, I call you to look at the cross, and to find in it the way to the truth, remembering the copper snake that Moses had lifted in the desert in the past. Jesus is saying; LOOK AT ME.
Who are Jesus’ enemies?
1. Jealous people: this are the priests & the Archipriest, as they thought that Jesus is their competitors.
2. The paid enemies: these groups of people were paid by the Jews to vote against Jesus. Some of them never even knew Jesus, but they knew money. He who pays more is the master that rules.
3. Ignorant people: people who are misled by others without thinking. As Saint Peter said, "I know that you did that with ignorance" (acts 3:17)
4. Professionals: these are the roman solders. Let us look at the attitude of the crucified toward his enemies, which I can summarize in three words; submit to them, prayed for them, defeat them.
4. Loved one:
I thought I would find a huge list of Jesus lovers at the cross sight, looked hard and didn’t find them!
| - where is lazerus, that loved one that Jesus has raised from the death? |
| - where the son of the widow of naeen? |
| - where the son of yayerus? |
| - where is the blind? |
| - where is the crippled? |
| - where the man with the paralyzed arm? |
Where were they all? Where were the many others that Jesus loved, helped and called them my brothers..
Were the loved ones under the cross?
I. the scared ones: where are the disciples, they lived with Jesus every moment of his evangelizing life, but one verse came to mind "then his disciples let him and escaped" !
II. Love ones under the cross: the four mariams (Saint Mary mother of Jesus, Mary the sister of Jesus’ mother -salomy-, Mary the wife of klouba, Mary the magdaline)
III. Loved ones that are ready to serve: he’s a light appeared in the dark picture, that disciple that refused to mention his name, but only wrote "the one that Jesus loved" that means also that the disciple also loved Jesus. He stood under the cross till the end, to show us that love lasts longer than braveness!
Jesus looks at us every day, we who carry his name, the true Christians, we go to his church, pray his prayers, eat his body and blood. Jesus today is asking what would you do if you faced the cross, will you escape?,Will you stand or will you serve?
5. The Thieves:
There were three crosses and three thieves, we will only talk about these three. In spite of seeing so many thieves under the cross, like the priests, the Archpriests and the Pharisees..
I. the free thief: couldn’t find him, he was the most dangerous of all, he is Barabes, where is he? He was set free as the people shouted " free barabas..., crucify Jesus" strange .. this is human foolishness, it dismisses evil and crucifies purity and every thing godly. There I heard Saint Peter telling the Jews later "you didn’t recognize the Holy One, and asked to be given a killer man, and killed the master of the life." This is human ignorance, but God makes from peoples’ mistakes what glorifies his wisdom. As the pure had died on the cross for the sinners so we can come closer to God. He who never knew sin became sin for us, so we can find God’s purity in him... That free thief is me and you and he died for our sins.
II. The blasphemous thief: he is a picture of the human thought by all its meaning, he heard that Jesus is a man of God.. all his consern was to ease the pain he is in. "Asked Jesus, " If you are the christ save yourself and us with you" he wanted from Jesus a materialistic miracle, save him from the pain of the cross. He never thought of his sins that brought him to that fate, he never thought of the eternal punishment!
III. The repented thief: this man shared the same attitude as the other thief at the beginning, but some thing strange happened to him; we then hear him saying "remember me lord when you come to your kingdom", what changed him? Could it be the pain of the cross, could it be the signs that he experienced from changes in the weather? or may be when he heard Jesus praying for those who are crucifying him; he saw in Jesus the way, the truth and the life. He represents the real meaning of salvation; he is a symbol of the spirit.
Then, a voice shouted inside me .. oh you man, you are looking, meditating, teaching ..
but where are you under the cross? which group of people are you from?
Yes, where am I under the cross? where are you under the cross..
