The Odious, Revolting Death of the Cross

“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil. 2:8)

“It is very hard for us today to hear the shocking overtones of the words Paul uses, because the cross has become for us such a domesticated symbol. Today many women and some men dangle crosses from their ears. Our bishops hang crosses about their necks. Our buildings have crosses on the spires, or stained wooden crosses are backlit with fluorescent lights. Some of our older church buildings are actually built in cruciform, and no one is shocked.

“Suppose you were to place in a prominent position in your church building a fresco of the massed graves of Auschwitz. Wouldn’t everyone be horrified? But in the first century, the cross had something of that symbolic value. Scholars have gone through every instance of the word ‘cross’ and related expressions that have come down to us from about the time of Jesus and shown how ‘crucifixion’ and ‘cross’ invariably evoke horror. Of the various forms of Roman execution, crucifixion could be used only for slaves, rebels, and anarchists; it could never be used for a Roman citizen, apart from the express sanction of the Emperor. Crucifixion was considered too cruel – so shameful that the word itself was avoided in polite conversation.

“But here is Paul, boldly insisting that the Lord Christ Whom we serve – precisely because He is that kind of God – made Himself a nobody, became in fact a slave (becoming a human being in the process), and then humbled himself yet further by obeying His Heavenly Father and dying – dying the odious, revolting death of the cross, reserved for public enemies and the dregs of the criminal justice system. The language is meant to shock. Jesus died on a cross! I believe it was W.H. Auden who penned the lines,

Only the unscarred, overfed,
Enjoy the verbal event of Calvary.

– D.A. Carson, An Exposition of Philippians (Ch. 2, p. 46)

On the Bookshelf II

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
The first book in the Discworld series. I’ve only read one of Pratchett’s other works (Pyramids), but that was enough to get me hooked: his writing is delightful, his imagination boundless, and his sense of humor deliciously clever. I’m only a few pages in and I’m already laughing.

Doc: A Novel by Mary Doria Russell
Historical fiction revolving around the life of John Henry “Doc” Holliday. I haven’t actually begun reading this one yet, as I’m waiting to pick up a copy at the library. It’s been recommended to me multiple times, and has garnered quite a bit of critical praise, so I figured it might be good to look into. If it proves worthwhile, I’ll do a full-length review of it in the future.

Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford
A classic I was bound to get around to sooner or later. It is now being worked through as a family read-aloud, and we’re all enjoying it very much.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Another classic. It’s… interesting. I can’t say I love it, and there are times when the story lags, but it offers quite a bit to think about – some good and sometimes not-so-good. My favorite “monster” story is still Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, so I’ll be interested in comparing the two when I’m finished.

100 Short Stories by Ray Bradbury
Bradbury is far and away one of my favorite storytellers, so I was delighted to find a giant collection of his short fiction at Barnes & Noble. I’ve covered about ten of the stories so far. Some are thought-provoking, some are funny, some are poignant – all of them are a joy to read.

An Exposition of Philippians by D.A. Carson
What can I say? I love D.A. Carson. My only regret is that I haven’t read more of him. I’ll definitely have to remedy that…

What’s on your bookshelf right now?