WE ARE DISCIPLES OF JESUS, THE CRUCIFIED CHRIST

 V SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

In the Church and in all the communities that claim to be Christian, the cross is present everywhere. Indeed, Jesus’ discipleship is unthinkable without the cross. Over the centuries, we have lost the sense of horror and the tremor of fear before the cross. We have forgotten that the cross was an instrument of punishment and death, transforming it into an object of ornament or into an expensive piece of jewellery. We are blessed and saved by the cross of Jesus Christ, that is, by his passion and death on the cross. On the cross, Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, thus reconciling us with God. The cross is the proof of Jesus’ love for the Father and for us. He remained faithful to the end, choosing to obey the Father with all his heart and soul, even if that would endanger his life. Lifted on the cross with stretched arms opened to the world and ready to embrace humanity, Jesus became the model for all those who search for life and salvation. We must be ready to lose our lives for the sake of truth and justice, being assured that dying with Christ is the way to eternal life.

In Athens, Paul made use of his knowledge of Greek culture and philosophy to announce the gospel of Jesus. He suffered a big disappointment since the result was very poor. In Corinth, he used a different approach: instead of using human philosophy, he spoke of Christ in simple, clear and straightforward language: “During my stay with you, the only knowledge I claimed to have was about Jesus, and only about him as the crucified Christ.”

And we should never forget that to become a true disciple of Jesus, we must carry our cross (Mt 10:38). Indeed, throughout the centuries, the Church has suffered persecution, and many Christians have paid with their lives for being disciples of Jesus. The same is happening nowadays. In many regions of the world, Christians are being persecuted. Being taught by Jesus, we relate to others with respect and dialogue, while they use violence against us. We pray for our enemies and ask God’s blessings over them, while they insult and kill us. For some religions, the cross is anathema and idolatry, and they are ready to destroy it and destroy with it those who accept it as proof of faithfulness to Christ and of fellowship with all those who are overwhelmed by suffering. By doing that, we truly become the salt and the light of the world (Mt 5:13-16).