The Lutheran Hour
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"A Place for the Cross"
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Text: Matthew 10:32-33
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! The risen Savior calls His people to confess Him before humanity. By God’s grace, and with the Holy Spirit’s given faith, may we acknowledge Christ’s life, suffering, death, and resurrection. May we say to all the world, Jesus Christ is, and always will be, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
It was in the middle of April that one of my friends in Frankenmuth, Michigan, sent me an article taken from a fine local paper. (Article by Rhiannon Thomas for The Saginaw News published on Wednesday April 09, 2008.) The article told how a resident of that community had objected to two crosses which had, years ago, been put on some bridges by the community’s Beautification Committee. He said, “Crosses don’t really belong on city bridges.” To make a long story short, the city investigated and removed those offending Christian symbols. With that settled, the man next decided Frankenmuth’s shield shouldn’t have a cross on it either. That, too, the man felt was an infringement of the division between government and church. Commenting on his belief, the conscientious objector said, crosses “belong in churches and cemeteries.”
Now I could spend a fair amount of time talking about this separation of church and state thing. I could speak of Patrick Henry, the firebrand of the American Revolution. Sadly, he is only remembered for the sound byte: “Give me liberty or give me death.” Those are good words, but they are incomplete words. The rest of what Patrick Henry said has been forgotten and expunged from history books. The rest of what Henry thundered in that speech was this: He said, “An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle sir, is not of the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death.” And to those who would say Patrick Henry was speaking of some generic god or nebulous deity, let Henry himself set that record straight. In his will Henry wrote, “I have now disposed of all my property to my family; there is one thing more I wish I could give them, and that is the Christian religion. If they have that, and I had not given them one shilling they would be rich; and if they had not this, and I had given them all this world, they would be poor.” But as I say, this message is not being written to correct history or put crosses on Michigan bridges. No, the intent of this message is to speak to those who say, “The proper place for Christ’s cross is in a church and in a cemetery.”
Now you should know, many of the Christian people of Frankenmuth agree, at least in part with that sentence. A largely Christian community which is proud of its heritage, Frankenmuth has many churches and those churches have crosses which are gladly and gloriously centered on their altars, placed high upon their steeples, and honored in their beautiful stained-glass windows. Those churches, like churches throughout the world, know the Savior’s naked cross and His empty tomb are the only places in all of history which can bring hope to troubled hearts, salvation to once-damned and sinful souls. There is no question, the cross belongs in the church; it belongs in the pulpit; it belongs in the pews.
When a child is born, what parents are wise enough, intuitive enough, to predict what the future will hold for the baby which God has entrusted to their care? Which is why they bring their child to church, to the cross. Wise mothers and fathers know: no matter what may come – sadness or success, pain or pleasure, heartbreak or happiness – Jesus will be by their child’s side, giving him the strength, the courage, the hope he needs to get through the surprises and sadness life will bring.
Yes, the cross belongs in our churches. That is why so many young men and women go to the Lord’s altar to ask the Lord to bless the vows they make. What is the future? They can’t say. But if Jesus is in their home; if He is the unseen guest at every meal; if He is the One whose love permeates every conversation; whose grace fills their home; they know nothing, nothing this world dishes out can crush them, can cause them to despair and grow despondent. That is why they make their promises of faithfulness, love, and loyalty before the cross. The man in Frankenmuth is right, the cross belongs in our churches, and it belongs in our hearts.
He is also right in saying the cross belongs in our cemeteries. Walk through the graveyards of Frankenmuth, or any Christian community, and you will see a great many tombstones which carry a cross. Many of those stones are old and have their words carved in a different language. When people left the old country, they said farewell to family, friends, churches, and communities. They left behind precious belongings and old traditions; but they didn’t leave behind the Christ, and they didn’t forget His cross when they settled into a new life in a new land, which is why their stones carry the symbol of the cross.
Here is an old stone of a young child with a cross carved into it. Time and elements have almost erased the lettering, but the cross remains as the most obvious symbol of earthly loss. What other than the cross can dispel death or bring hope to the heartbroken? Only the cross of Christ and the resurrection victory the Redeemer has won can do this. Which is why, here, by the head of the child, the pastor would have stood and said, “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58).
The cross of Christ. That is the one thing, the only thing, which could have provided solace and support to those who were experiencing such suffering in their souls. This cross told them, because of Jesus Christ, this farewell would not be final; this grave would not be their child’s final resting place. Because Jesus had been the friend and Savior of this child, there would be a resurrection, a reunion, and never again would they have to say “good-bye.” Because of Jesus, the sinless Son of God, the only person who loved their baby more than they did, their child was now living in heaven and would live for all eternity. Because of Jesus’ cross, their family would some day, and forever, be revived and restored. As the preacher had said, because of the cross and Jesus’ empty tomb, “death had lost its sting and grave’s victory had been cancelled.” Little wonder, when they went to pick out a stone which would stand over their child, they put up a cross.
Of course, crosses are not confined to the cemetery plots of children. Look around. Here is another grave with a cross carved into the stone. It was put there by a widow whose loving spouse of 53 years had been taken away. Over here is yet another cross. This one was placed by a family whose son died in the war, fighting on some foreign shore. Yes, a cross belongs over his grave. Look around at the crosses. Here is one put up by a husband whose wife died in childbirth; here is another which stands over an entire family which was wiped out in 1918 by the flu epidemic. The graves over which those crosses stand guard tell stories of sickness, sadness, and sorrow; but the cross speaks only of hope, happiness, joy, and Jesus.
Yes, the man who wanted the crosses taken down from the bridges of Frankenmuth, Michigan, was right: the cross does belong in churches and cemeteries. But that man is wrong if he believes the cross should be confined only to churches and cemeteries. The cross of Christ also belongs in human hearts. To confine the cross of Christ to places of worship and burial removes it from the very places where it was designed to do the most good – the human heart. Many of the Christian people of Frankenmuth know this. That is why, when they got wind of what was happening in their community, they did something.
When they were told about crosses being removed from their bridges; when they heard about the desire of an individual to eliminate it from the community’s shield, they went into their basements, their sheds, and garages. Grabbing a saw, a hammer, a few nails, and a piece of wood, they made crosses. Some of the crosses were fancy and finished while others were quite simple and straightforward. Then, with cross in hand, these Christian homeowners from Frankenmuth took their hammers and pounded those crosses into their lawns.
It was their way of saying, “Christ’s cross most certainly belongs in my house and it definitely lives within my heart. The risen Christ who was born into this world to seek and save the lost; the risen Christ who spent His entire life resisting the sins which I commit, fulfilling the laws which I break; the risen Christ who was rejected and reviled, bruised and beaten, who was crucified so I might be forgiven and saved, lives here. It resides in my home and my heart.” Many of the Christian men and women, the fathers and mothers, the grandparents, of Frankenmuth, Michigan, made their witness, their confession of the crucified Christ, the risen Redeemer. This they did because they took the Savior seriously when He said, “Everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven, and whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in heaven.” The Christians of Frankenmuth have confessed the Christ before the world. No matter the cost, those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb, those who are freed from Satan and cleansed from the stains of sin,are glad to confess Christ’s cross and His empty tomb.
It is our heritage; it is who we are. The original disciples confessed the cross. At great risk, at tremendous sacrifice, they made their confession. When it would have been easy to keep silent, they made their confession. When they might have kicked back into their lazy-boy recliners and said, “I’ve done enough, somebody else can carry on,” they confessed the cross. When they could have felt: what I say won’t make any difference, they made their confession. They refused to keep silent, no matter the price. They believed they had been redeemed by that cross and they knew Jesus’ empty tomb gave them a message to share with a world which was still in unbelief, disbelief, and wrong belief. They confessed the Christ because He had told them they should. They confessed the Christ because they belonged to Him.
When Napoleon’s soldiers invaded Russia, in a deserted village they captured a peasant, a woodsman. Thinking him a spy, the French captain ordered the man be shot. His soldiers leveled their guns, but the man seemed unafraid. Before the triggers were pulled, the captain changed his mind. Impressed by the peasant, he said, “We shall spare this man, but we will brand him.” An iron was brought out and put in the fire. Red hot it was jammed upon the Russian’s hand. The man saw and smelled his flesh burn, but he refused to cry out. When the iron was removed, he saw the mark. Not being able to read, the uneducated peasant held up his hand and said, “What is this?”
The officer replied, “It is the letter ‘N’ and it stands for Napoleon. That branded mark says you belong to Napoleon now.” While the French soldiers were still laughing and jeering at the inhumane thing they had done, the peasant placed his hand upon a post, snatched up his ax, swung it high, and brought it down with such force his hand was severed. Defiantly he spat, “Let Napoleon keep the hand; I belong to Russia.”
A world that values complacency over commitment, self-interest over involvement, laziness over loyalty, and denial over dedication, will think that man insane – bereft of sense or sensibility. Although I pray I never be put in a situation where a choice like his is necessary, I must respect this man who knew what was important to him. I honor this man for confessing his commitment to his country.
You should know such confession is not confined to earthly kingdoms and temporal powers. More than a century-and-a-half ago, there was a Christian celebration on the west coast of Africa. Natives who had been converted to the cross of Christ brought gifts from their meager possessions and made a thank offering to the Lord. A young girl, only recently saved from paganism, brought a small, gold coin, worth far less than $100. That may not be much to you, but it was a great, an unbelievably large gift to the natives. In fact, when she handed her offering to the missionary, thinking it was stolen, he was reluctant to accept it. As delicately as possible, he asked her to explain this lavish donation. The lady told him that to obtain her present she had gone to a local plantation and sold herself as a slave – sold herself as a slave for the rest of her life.
That girl made her confession by giving up her freedom for Jesus; she made her confession by sacrificing her life to the Savior who had died to set her free from the bondage of sin and Satan. I do not blame someone if they cannot understand her actions, nor the fact she considered it an honor to do as she did. No doubt, if you had been there, many would have tried to dissuade her by saying: “Young lady, you are foolish. You have so much to live for. You’re throwing your life away.” But Christ has honored her for having taken her stand, for having confessed Him. Jesus acknowledged her action, as He will respect anyone who says: “Redeemed by Jesus, owing my peace, my eternity, my happiness to Him, I will make my witness, my confession of the cross and the empty tomb.”
It saddens me: many of you do not understand what this message has said, who do not – as of this moment – understand the joy of being committed to the Christ who was always and only committed to saving you. But I rejoice there are those who are listening who, seeing the brand the world would put upon them, will courageously say, “No. I belong to Jesus.” I give thanks there are many who realize they may be only one; but they are one. They are one person, redeemed by Christ, empowered by the Spirit. They cannot do everything, but they can do something. I give thanks there are those, like the cross-makers in Frankenmuth who will say: What God has entrusted me to do, I ought to do. And what I ought to do, by the grace of God I shall do! I shall stay committed to the cross; I shall make confession of the Christ. I give thanks for your good confession even as I invite those who don’t know the Christ or how to make a similar confession of courage to call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for June 22, 2008
Conflict Diamonds and ConscienceANNOUNCER: Now Pastor Ken Klaus answers questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer. Today, Pastor, I think we have a rather unusual question.
KLAUS: Mark, you should know when you begin things that way I start thinking about making a mad race to the door. It does not bode well for what may follow.
ANNOUNCER: Well, think of this as a challenge. A young lady emailed to say that she and her fiancé have been shopping for a diamond ring.
KLAUS: I’m not much of an expert on diamonds.
ANNOUNCER: Well, neither am I, but that’s not the issue. The fiancé recently saw a movie about how the illegal diamond trade helps to finance wars in Africa.
KLAUS: Diamonds known as “conflict diamonds.”
ANNOUNCER: Right. And now the fiancé wonders: if he buys a diamond ring will he be giving financial support to rebel armies? And he doesn’t want to do that.
KLAUS: You know, we could make this young man’s life miserable if we were to share his name on the radio. He’d never live that one down. We could say, “I wonder, was it the movie that changed his mind about the diamond, or was it the experience of shopping for one?” Diamonds can be costly.
ANNOUNCER: Costly, yes, but my wife reminds me they’re also necessary. Well, we would never divulge the young man’s name on the air.
KLAUS: I agree. So why don’t we try to answer a serious question in a serious way? First, we should recognize there are several issues involved here. They are quite distinct one from another. The first question has to do with conscience. Conscience is a tricky thing. What might be considered perfectly acceptable for one person might be totally out of bounds to another.
In this particular instance, we have a young man who, rightly or wrongly, has become convinced he would be doing the wrong thing if he bought a diamond.
ANNOUNCER: And let’s assume it’s not because he doesn’t like diamonds, or because he’s trying to get out of buying one – he’s just concerned that his purchase might help to support evil.
KLAUS: Yes, I would say this lady has been blessed to have a man of conscience – a man of moral principle. In this world of flexible morality, that is not a small thing. I would encourage them to research the issue of conflict diamonds. I’m certainly no expert on the subject, but I understand that the gem industry recognizes the problem and is taking steps to ensure that such diamonds are not being sold. According to the World Diamond Council, 99 percent of the diamonds being sold as gemstones are conflict-free.
ANNOUNCER: But you said there were other things to be considered here?
KLAUS: Yes, and there are. The second has to do with concern for the welfare of one’s neighbor. In the Bible St. Paul talks about a similar issue. In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul wrote about whether Christians could eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols. Some Christians felt conscience-bound to avoid such meat. They thought it would profit the false God’s treasury. Or they felt it might set a bad example for others.
ANNOUNCER: And what did St. Paul say?
KLAUS: Paul said there was nothing intrinsically wrong with eating such meat, even if it came from an idol’s butcher shop. That’s because he knew who the real God is, and the idol did not represent something that was real. But not everyone might know this. So it was also OK to abstain in order not to send a confusing signal to others who might not understand and might be tempted to sin because of it. If they thought it was a sin to eat this meat, but they see you doing it, they might be tempted to conclude that sin is no big deal. You have now contributed to their destruction by dulling their conscience. In this case, St. Paul was concerned for the spiritual welfare of others Our listener’s diamond issue concerns the physical welfare of others.
ANNOUNCER: And Martin Luther framed this in the form of a paradox when he wrote: “A Christian man is the most free lord of all and subject to none. A Christian man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to everyone.”
KLAUS: And in deciding what to do, you might ask yourself these questions: Will it bring glory to God? Will it help to build up the Church? Will it encourage the unsaved to hear God’s Word and be brought to faith in Christ?
ANNOUNCER: And this diamond issue really brings up another point.
KLAUS: And what would that be?
ANNOUNCER: Well, I’m thinking here about how difficult it is nowadays to know where stuff comes from and under what circumstances it was produced. You know, my shoes could have been produced with child labor; the woman who sewed my shirt together might be making 10 cents an hour in a sweatshop somewhere…
KLAUS: In other words, this is not a pure world. In fact, it’s fallen and steeped in sin, as are we. These moral dilemmas remind us once again of our own sinfulness and our need for the Savior who lived, died, and rose again for us.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“I Will Speak” by Phil Magness. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“God So Loved the World” arr. Don Petering. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Lift High the Cross” arr. Charles Ore. From From My Perspective, vol. 3 by Charles Ore (© 1995 Organ Works Corporation) Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“In the Cross of Christ I Glory” arr. Timothy Albrecht. From Grace Notes by Timothy Albrecht (© 1997 ACA Digital Recordings, Inc.) Augsburg-Fortress