Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Religious Events
The Victory of Love On The Cross

The Victory of Love On The Cross

Last updated on: March 29, 2024 at 2:23 am by Henry Karlson

0 Comments

The Victory of Love On The Cross 2024-03-29T02:23:49-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Andreas Pavias: The Crucifixion / Wikimedia Commons

The cross. It had come to this. It was always coming to this, ever since he was born. The God-man, Jesus Christ, experienced murderous hatred toward himself all his life (as can be seen by the way Herod wanted the infant Jesus killed). And yet, with all that hate, he came to the world to reveal God’s love, a love which transcended such hate, because it was a love which would not allow itself to be anything but love. Jesus loved the world, and all those in it, even if those in it, especially those bound by the systemic and systematic structures of sin, sought to snuff him out. He went to those who, like himself, the world hated and wanted to be destroyed, those the world were willing to sacrifice so that those in positions of power and luxury, or those who desired such positions, could retain or attain such power, the power granted by them by sin and death. He first showed the world, even his enemies, his love, when he pleaded for sinners to change their ways, to embrace love, and be healed in mind, body, and soul. His final act on the world stage, the final act of his temporal ministry, was to show that love by his death on the cross.

Those who were discouraged in life, those who were abused and neglected by society, were those who were those most likely to be ready for Jesus’ message of love. Obviously, not all of the dispossessed heeded Jesus’ words, as some, like today, wanted to join in with those who had power and affluence and be just like them: that is, they did not have any problem with the system in place, they just didn’t like their place in it. Similarly, there were some who had positions of authority who were not so caught up by the structures of sin, who fought against them, and so opened themselves to Christ and his message of love. Nonetheless, it is clear, Jesus’ message challenged society, and so became a source of strife as it exposed the powers that be for what they were, showing the world that their power was merely the power given to them by sin and death. This is why, from the time of his birth, Christ knew there would one day be a final confrontation between the powers that be with himself, that is, a confrontation between love with hate, life with death.

Jesus followed the way of life, the way of love. He would only do what love would have him to do, which is help those who were willing to be helped, and offer himself as a sacrifice to the powers that be so that their hatred could be and would be satisfied. He did not let hate overcome his love – even in death, he confronted hate with love, until at last, hate could do no more with him, showing that love reigned supreme. While God’s love for all creation was revealed by all that he had done in his temporal ministry, it was especially revealed on the cross, in the way Jesus let himself be taken in and executed by the powers that be. He showed everyone that his love would not be overcome, so that as St. Photius the Great said, even in the tomb, Jesus’s mission of love continued. He did not become bitter and resentful of what had been done to him and use it to change his plan and destroy that which he came to save:

The Lord is covered with a tomb, but the Lord’s providence for all things is not shut in with it, nor does He make the sin of His insulters an occasion for universal destruction. Nay, the Creator dwells in a tomb, yet steers the universe in a goodly order. For it was not to wreck disaster that He willingly endured the cross, death, blows, spitting, and every torment, but in order to deliver humankind from it. [1]

Jesus willingly took on all the suffering, all the grief, all the evil which sin could and would do to him. He suffered, as all those who suffer such harsh treatment suffer, but he was not changed by it. In his death, he came to the tomb as he was in life, full of love. The fallen world showed him what it wanted of him and his ways: it wanted to break him, to make him act in accord to the way it worked, to prove himself by power and might instead of by self-sacrificial love:

So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him; for he said, `I am the Son of God.'” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. (Matt. 27: 41-44 RSV).

He could have had legions of angels come and reveal their might, freeing him from the cross and taking on those who wanted to destroy him. He could have done that without their aid. But neither of those things were what he wanted to do. He came into the world to show God’s love, to reveal the way of love, to show that such love is greater than the power of sin. Sin and death can only do so much to a given person before its power is exhausted. It can lead to the death of the body, but it does not have to lead to the death of the soul – it will do so only if we give in to its ways.

Jesus showed the power of love is greater that sin because if it is embraced to the end, it will be victorious against hate, as hate is self-destructive and leads to its own demise while love flourishes and has no natural end. Thus, on the cross, we see the Lord of Life, the Lover of Humanity, indeed, the Lover of Creation come face to face with the structures of sin and hate; he let hate do all it wanted, and in doing so, he was killed, but the love inside was not. That love remained victorious, even if on the day he died, it appeared to have been entirely snuffed out.

[1] St. Photius, The Homilies of Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople. Trans. Cyril Mango (Harvard: Harvard University Press, 1958; repr. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2017), 195 [Homily XI].

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!

N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.

General Christian

Religious Events

Previous Post

March 28, 2024

Real, Not Physical, Presence

Next Post

March 31, 2024 The New Modality OF Being Revealed In The Resurrection

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Gosh, did that hit the spot. I have been having great anxiety lately. And I ..."

Mark Wilson

Rejecting Doom: Christian Hope And Human ..."

"Justice and peace are two sides of the same coin. Where there is justice, there ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

"Thank you for your very, very powerful and very, very insightful analysis of the relationship ..."

alwayspuzzled

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

"Given the amount of lethal malevolence that has prevailed in human history for the past ..."

alwayspuzzled

We Must Value Our Health

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz