Faithfulness and the Cross
If we learn anything from Jesus, it is the virtue of faithfulness. The Greeks, in their reckoning of virtue, called it courage. Courage or faithfulness, whatever name you attach to it, it is one of the cardinal virtues that flow from the life of Jesus and the cross. As Samuel Johnson famously said, "Courage is reckoned the greatest of all virtues; because, unless a man has that virtue, he has no security for preserving any other."Jesus is the only one who ever knew his purpose all along. I find that interesting for this reason. My grandfather was one of my heroes. From the time I was large enough to knock around, I loved being at my grandfather's farm in northeast Mississippi. It was a magical place to a young boy and as I grew older, got married, had children of my own, and was getting along in my vocation, I grew to admire my grandfather even more. Near the end of his life, when my grandfather was in his eighties, I made a trip to Moore's Mill to see him. I had watched him grieve for years as my grandmother got worse and worse with Alzheimer's Disease. It was not long after her death that I went to see him. It was as we were walking that he said something so profound and so sad to me, it was almost more than I could bear. As we were walking, he stopped and turned to me, as if to make a point that he wanted me to hear. He said, "Jim, it is a good thing that God doesn't show a man how his life is going to end, I don't know if he could bear the livin'.My grandfather was one of the finest and godliest men I have known. To hear him, with tears in his eyes, talk about knowing our future and how, if we did, it would poison all the living while we were young, made me later reflect upon Jesus' life. He always knew his life was leading to the cross. He knew his purpose was to endure cosmic aloneness, being forsaken by his Father, betrayal by his best friends, and a humiliating death on the cross and yet, for thirty three years he lived. Not only that, but he lived with great joy, and his greatest joy was always to serve his people. What faithfulness! What courage! Words are too cheap to gather this up.This Sunday at St. Patrick we are going to talk about what is, in today’s world, in short supply - faithfulness. Hope you can join us.