I. Introduction

The past two weeks we have begun to explore various ways of thinking about the cross.

Today, I continue along that path – exploring what the images of the death of a martyr/a prophet, the crucifixion as the consequence of a life lived in confrontation with the powers that be, and the Cross as the birthing of new life.

Once again, I quote and paraphrase from two recent books:

· Dominican Professor at Catholic Theological Union, Barbara Reid’s book entitled Taking up the Cross: New Testament Interpretations through Latina aned Feminist Eyes and

· Jesuit Professor at Santa Clara University, Paul G. Crowley’s book called Unwanted Wisdom.

I also borrow from my own notes on various Christological treatises on the crucifixion (based on previous readings from Schillebeeckx, Sobrino, Cullman, Rahner, and others).

Of course, Jesus’ death was inevitable as death is for any human being. The stumbling block is how Jesus died:

· At the hands of authority,

· In a very violent, horrible way,

· Alone on a cross,

We know there are many ways to think about this reality. We know it is only in the context of the whole paschal mystery that it even begins to make any sense. It is only in the light of the resurrection and the teaching about Jesus’ continuing to live in the Mystical Body and through us that this reality takes on a different perspective.

II. Images of martyrs, heroic deaths, prophets

These images are throughout the Scriptures both old and new. According to one of the great 20th century theologians, Edward Schillebeeckx, the earliest view of Jesus’ death was that it was a “consequence of his prophetic praxis throughout life….”

The theme of “prophet” is seen in all four gospels but especially in the gospel according to Luke.

When Jesus is seen as a prophet, his death is understandable as a consequence of the prophetic stance he took throughout his life. (Reid, page 93 and Schillebeeckx)

True prophets and false prophets are some times hard to distinguish during their life times. What is somewhat clear is that false prophets seem to avoid pain and the cost of their speaking out. They also seem to have a compulsion to speak at every opportunity. The true prophet often is reluctant, lives what he/she teaches, is willing to give his/her life. True prophets seem to have an inner freedom that allows them to move out of a comfort zone and into some risk. Jesus’ decision to leave his teaching and healing ministry to confront the powers in Jerusalem may be an example of this. True prophets seem to have a kind of anger that galvanizes energies toward transformative change. (Reid, page 95)

Jesus’ execution is no accident….it is a foreseeable outcome of the mission he has freely accepted. Jesus life is one of denunciation of evil and annunciation of the good news through his healing, teaching and raising people from the dead. (Reid, p. 93)

The fact is that Jesus is not just another martyr! To think that is to minimize the impact of his death on humankind.

III. Consequences of a life lived in confrontation of authority

Jesus’ death as a consequence of his life was the way the early Christians saw it. They knew the stories of his anger in the temple and his interplays with the religious leaders about healing on the Sabbath. They saw his execution as a consequence of conflicts that arose during his life. Only later came the overlay of other images develop through Paul’s writings. Much of our theological thinking has been based on those later writings.

It seems somewhat clear that, before his death, he sensed his failure (JN 6 – “will you also go away?”). Jesus seems to sense the possible definitive rejection of his message.

We might ask ourselves, if he knew (and the gospels are pretty clear that he did), why did Jesus, then go to Jerusalem?

1. He was not ignorant of the possibilities.

2. He did not go unknowingly.

3. He, the Scriptures tell us, “was faithful unto death”. His going to Jerusalem was part of his being true to himself and who he knew he was and to what he was called.

Barbara Reid says (page 88) that the reason they put Jesus to death is that he had compassion on people and he defended the poor. Perhaps….. Certainly, he had confronted people who were in authority and made some enemies.

IV. The Cross as the birthing of new life…..

Scripture has potent images of God’s power to birth new life out of death (Reid, page 179). These images can counteract the images of God’s wrath and of human sinfulness.
These images of a God to whose womb we are returned in order to be born again are also clear in the psalms:

1. Psalm 22 presents God as a midwife

2. Psalm 131 presents God as a mother with her weanded child on her lap.

3. Isaias (66:9) - (“ Shall I open the womb and not deliver”) and other parts of the old Testament gives reference to such images as do many of the mystics (e.g. Julian of Norwich who speaks of “…our savior being our true mother.”)

This image of the Cross is particularly explored in the Gospel according to John.

4. JN 1: 3-4, 12-13 where the prologue, an ancient hymn in the Gnostic tradition, presents the Logos as “All things came into being through him”.

5. In the story of Nicodemus in JN 3, Jesus’ dialogue explicitly speaks of the being born again from above.

6. In today’s wonderful gospel story, of the Samaritan Woman and the living water in JN 4, Jesus offers the living water, and image of the womb from which life comes…..

7. At the last Supper, Jesus says “you will have pain but your pain will turn into joy.” - The image of labor pangs is clear (in JN 16:20).

8. The crucifixion itself in JN 19: 25 and 34 uses images of blood and water (birth). John’s gospel presents Jesus as birthing new life through his death and of Mary as the midwife for the new life.

These birthing images, as the other images can be misleading for they can possibly “romanticize the reality and ignore the pain involved, thus deterring us from the harsh reality of the crucifixion and of the great suffering in human life.

On the positive side, Jesus’ death in these images, is not an atoning or a ransom for sin. It gives value to travail as part of the natural process of giving birth.

As we mature, our images of God and of Jesus change, reflecting our own inner transformation. These images of the Cross as the birthing of new life are not easily understood by children. Hopefully they are for us! These images can help us to realize the feminine side of God.

V. Concluding remarks

1. All of these images and metaphors and constructs are ways to help us think about this event in our religious history and in our own relationship with God..

2. That event sometimes seems incomprehensible……

3. We can see that a mis-use of the images can lead people, especially women to think they need to suffer to forgive, when they are victimized or when they feel they need to pay ransom or make up for something wrong they, or someone they love, has done.

4. Or….they can lead us to focus on sin and guilt and expiation and justification or the regaining of something that we have lost.

5. Or they can lead to a sense of the fullness of life and of new life in the totality of the paschal mystery.

6. The important question to ask ourselves is: Does whatever images we use to think about the central mystery of our faith lead us to focusing on sin and wrongdoing etc.?

7. or…. does it lead us to the centrality of love that is the central mystery of Jesus the Christ in death and in life.

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