The old Spiritual asks, "Were you there when they crucified my Lord? ... Oh, sometimes, it causes me to tremble, tremble ..." Yes, but not through pre-incarnation, but because the cross of Christ is an eternal reality.
The accident of birth does not excuse me from involvement. As one writer said, the arms of the cross reach from paradise lost to paradise regained. And when I read the old, old story, "it causes me to tremble," for I wonder what I would have done when Mary washed Jesus' feet with her tears. A wise businessman present said it was a crazy waste of money, and he fomented "indignation" among the others of the Twelve, and "they" too loyally said "amen!" to his hard-hearted condemnation of this apparently fanatical woman. She had broken her alabaster flask of "very precious" ointment and "wasted" it!
He was a keen-minded church administrator, knew how to get things done, the only savvy Jew among eleven backwater Galileans. It was a classic case of group-think, of committee or church board solidarity. "I tremble," because I fear I would have joined them in this man's logical, reasonable criticism (Matt. 26:8). I was born with a naturally "hard," worldly heart. "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?" asks Jeremiah (Lam. 1:12), and I could easily have been among those to whom it was "nothing," stony hearted in the presence of the greatest love of eternity.
I too naturally want to be savvy, not to appear soft; I'm embarrassed if tears come to my eyes and I choke up. I am by nature a sitting duck for siding with Judas Iscariot in his "indignation" against a flagrant "waste" of "very precious" resources. Poor Judas! He was unprepared (and so were they all!) for an unexpected confrontation with pure unadulterated AGAPE-love. The volcano in his heart erupted with anti-love emotion, and the former disciple betrayed himself for what he actually was all along--a closet sympathizer with Lucifer who was the original anti-love, hard-hearted rejecter of the cross of Christ, for self is always crucified thereon. "No cross for me, no crucifixion of self!" crowed Lucifer, and therewith became Satan, the "adversary." And now here was one of the Twelve echoing his same heart-sentiment, with the Eleven so blinded that they could do nothing but say "Amen!" Yes, "I tremble."
Let all who are saved at last "tremble," for we have all come within a millimeter of eternal disaster.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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