Swords and Crosses (Philippians 3:17-4:1)

Rome valued strength because strength was power. If you have enough power, in the form of money, or physical strength, or military might—then you can make people do what you want them to do. God has infinitely more power than we do. God has unimaginable strength, unlimited resources, unbridled authority. God could order and rule the world by force.  But even all God’s power can't make hearts respond in love. Love, to be love, has to be free. So, God chose a different way. Jesus set aside divine privilege and took the humble position of a slave, dying on a cross. Earthly kingdoms have, and always will, rely on the sword. Christ chooses the cross. The power of self-sacrificial love. The scandalous story of grace. In fact, the cross of Jesus is the thing that save us from the inevitable destruction that happens when we take the sword. The cross doesn’t just absorb violence, it liberates us from a way that always leads to death.