And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. http://goo.gl/c7XE19  #livingasIshould #grace

I read an article this morning about the introduction of an ‘inter-gender’ pronoun in Sweden. I suppose the Swedes no longer are satisfied with gender neutral words and needed to add a new category to their language. It will be interesting to watch what happens to words that made sense a few years ago and now are quickly becoming culturally irrelevant.

As I consider the short phrase from Paul’s letter to Galatia, it strikes me that the term ‘crucified’ is meaningless in our culture. It is a good religious term, but has no connection to the lives of the religious or the irreligious. ‘Crucified’ is much like the term ‘brooked’*: familiar enough to be recognized, unfamiliar enough to be commonly used in conversation.

For the Christian, the lack of connection to the word ‘crucified,’ causes all sort of trouble in every aspect of life. If the Christian is not keenly aware of the horrific demand of crucifixion, the Christian is unable to live out the faith in a form recognizable to its Founder.

The early Church understood the term very well; so well that the early Church did not use the ‘cross’ as a symbol of faith, but rather internalized the call to ‘take up the cross’ in such a manner as to change how life was conducted everyday. The early Church knew what it was like to pass by a person pinned alive to a post as ‘punishment’ for some sort of crime. It was a slow, gruesome, painful, humiliating, ugly death.

This is what is to happen to my ‘natural passions and desires.’ Yuck! I wonder if this is what Paul had in mind when he spoke in 2 Corinthians 2 about Christians being the aroma of death to those who are perishing. If I truly kill that which everyone else gleeful pursues without restraint, I will stink badly.

‘Taking up the cross’ is not a metaphor for a philosophy, it is the command of the Master to the disciple. We live in a time and occupy a place that instructs us constantly in the pursuits of our passions. Go for it! is the common theme.

Jesus followers must reject this notion completely and exchange Jesus’ passion for their own. His passion is great enough that he died for the poor, the wicked, the rebellious, the helpless. Jesus took my sin upon himself and bids me come and die that I may live.

Oh that I may be found faithful!

*Brooked: to bear; suffer; tolerate: (used with object)