Christ On The Cross

Devotional for Wednesday, August 6, 2008 by John Stuart

I usually passed by St. Ambrose's Chapel about twenty times a week. Whether I was walking up to the shops to buy some candy, or catching a bus into town, or even heading up to school, St. Ambrose's was always on my route. On the side of its wall, there was a beautiful wooden carving of Christ on the cross. Whenever I remembered, I would say a prayer for my mom as I passed it, for I knew that because she was a Roman Catholic, she would want me to do that.

Sometimes, my prayers were short, especially when I was running to catch my bus, or when I could hear the school bell ringing in the distance. At other moments, when I had some time on my hands, I would dawdle past the crucified Christ and ask for healing for my mom.

One winter's night, with snow on the ground, I staggered off the last bus home, as drunk as a fish. I was slipping and sliding all over the place, trying to keep my dignity and my balance. As I passed St. Ambrose's wall, I reached out to the railings to steady myself. I saw Christ on the cross again, and it broke my heart. Before I knew it, I had climbed the wall and was kneeling on the snow before the cross. I can't remember what I prayed, but I know it was a cry for help, for guidance, for an answer to what my life was all about.

The cold, wet snow on the ground shocked my system, and I half sobered up. I realized where I was, and I quickly looked around. I was embarrassed by my moment of weakness and incapacity. And yet, when I scrambled back over the wall, I had a strange feeling of hope in my heart. Somehow, I knew that my prayer had been heard and that one day, it would be answered.

Today's Scripture tells us that Christ bore our sins on the tree and that by His wounds we are healed. We all need Jesus to do that in our lives. We need Him to cleanse our past mistakes. We need Him to fix the brokenness in our lives. We need Him to guide us day by day.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as we consider Your crucifixion, we remember that You endured it all for us. You proved Your love to us by giving up Your life at Calvary. We will always be eternally grateful for Your sacrifice; we will always be in Your debt forever. In Your holy name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart <traqair@aol.com>
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

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