The Cruelty Of The Cross

Pierre VanPaasen once had an interview with Marshal Lyauty, but the former procounsul

of the French Republic in Morocco. VanPassen asked him what he would have done had he

been in Pilate's place. Lyauty, after describing what a trouble maker Jesus had been,

endorsed Pilate's action. "You mean your excellency is of the opinion that Pilate was

justified in putting Jesus to death?" he asked. "Positively," was his reply. In fact, he said he

would not have waited until Jesus had infected the crowds in the capital, but would have had

him put before a firing squad in his home province up North in Galilee.

This may sound like a cruel attitude, and it is, but it would have been far less cruel than

what Jesus actually did have to endure. Marshal Lyauty's plan would have been swift and

merciful, but the way Pilate bungled things Jesus had to go through intense torture that was

totally unnecessary. A close look at what Jesus went through is so horrible, revolting, and

pathetic, that many feel that this aspect of the cross should be skipped over. After all, if we

are opposed to violence on TV, why promote it from the pulpit?

Nothing could be more violent than the scenes of Christ's suffering. The cruelty of what

He endured if shown in its stark reality would horrify people, and give them nightmares.

People are not interested in being disturbed, and so the cruelty of the cross is played down.

People want things more pleasant when they come to worship. The beauty of the cross is

fine, but the cruelty of the cross is taboo. It forces people to face up to the undesirable fact

of their own sin and depravity. It gets rather distasteful for the sophisticated person when

he confronted by the truth that it was his sin that helped produce the cruelty of the cross.

Every person is partly responsible for the cruelest crime that ever took place on this planet.

We are all accomplices.

People like to cover up the pit of their evil nature and be entertained with trivial

pleasantries, and not be made to look at the awful cost God had to pay to save them. There is

truth in this little limerick:

There was a clergyman out in Dumont

Who kept tropical fish in his font.

Although it surprises

The babes he baptizes,

It seems to be just what they want.

If we get just what we want, we will certainly not be looking at the cruelty of the cross. If

we get what we want, we will take all the benefits of Calvary, and leave the burdens to Christ.

C. T. Studd put this attitude in poetry.

Mine be the pomp and glory

And Thine be Calvary!

Give me the ease of living-

The scourge, the thorns for Thee!

Ah, how we prate of threading

The path the Master trod-

Laurel and gold our portion;

Thorns were the crown of God!

Mine the respectful gester;

Thine be the bloody thong!

Mine be the titled leisure-

And Thine the jeering throng!

Here, and we call Him "Master"!

Our hands are pale and fine,

Too good for blood and wounding-

His blood ran down like wine!

Mine be the chant and candle;

Thine be the pain and loss;

I am too good for trial!-

Thine, judgment and a cross.

Subconsciously all of feel this way to some degree. We hate to face up to the fact that our

sin is partly responsible for what Jesus endured. We hate to look at the price we made Him

pay. We feel guilty because we not only have not resisted unto blood, but we have hardly

entered the battle at all. We enjoy being at ease in Zion, and this may be disturbed if we look

too closely at the suffering Jesus endured. Taking up the cross and following Him will no

longer be an invitation to a pleasant afternoon hike in the beauties of God's creation. It will

be a command to face the fury of the forces of hell, and if need be, die for righteousness. It is

easy to understand why people get squeamish when you approach the horrors of Christ's

sufferings, but God certainly expected us to face this scene squarely. The Gospels devote

more space to the suffering and crucifixion of Christ than to any other event of His life.

The picture is gruesome, and the language is brutal, but there is no way to be faithful to

the Scripture and bypass the cruelty of the cross. When we say the cross we are including all

that Jesus went through in his trial that led to the cross. Jesus was half dead before he ever

reached Calvary. In Luke 23:27-28 we read that he was followed by women who wailed and