"As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died." Galatians 6:14
For some spiritual celebrities, the Cross is merely a prop on a theatrical stage that adds ambiance to their performance; however, for individuals who refuse the limelight to avoid overshadowing what Christ has already done, the Cross becomes an absolute obsession, alienating them from the world and the world from them.
For this reason, Jesus spoke, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword (Matthew 10:34).” And the sword our Savior wielded was the instrument of his own death, the Cross. Thus, by picking up the sword of Christ's Cross, we must also be willing to perish with that same sword, renounced and unloved by this world (Matthew 26:52).
Outside of Grace, people who have not accepted Christ as their savior, see the Cross as a reflection of their own fallen nature... sin, shame, guilt, condemnation, weakness, vulnerability, etc. Consequently, they despise the very appearance of the tool divinely chosen to save their souls. However, for those called to redemption through Christ's blood, the Cross symbolizes the intervention of God on their behalf... mirroring the attributes of love, mercy, unmerited favor, forgiveness, and a full assurance of eternal salvation through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit as promised by the Word.
Briefly consider the words of a seventeenth century hymnist, Isaac Watts, “When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast save in the death of Christ my God! All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.”
While effectively bridging the gap between God and mankind, the Cross becomes an insurmountable barrier between Believers and the World so that we can never go back to the way we were before, as long as our attention is fixed on the Cross alone.
Predating the sentiments of Isaac Watts by more than a thousand years, an Irish monk named Dallan Forgaill wrote his epic Gaelic poem “Rop tu mo Baile” in the 500s A.D. The inspiration of Forgaill's work was St. Patrick whose vision was to win the entire nation of Ireland to Christ by simply boasting in the Cross alone. Even today, there is no more poignant hymn of the Church than the song of St. Dallan Forgaill; written one thousand, five hundred years ago...
“Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light
“Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
“Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise
Thou mine inheritance, now and always
Thou and Thou only first in my heart
High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art
“High King of heaven, my victory won
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's sun
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.”
Except for the Cross... absolutely nothing matters. Except for the Cross... there is no object of affection worthy of our attention. Except for the Cross... there is no validation or association that merits our interest or involvement, save God's Son alone.
Nothing but the Cross!
