Splinters of the Cross

By Michael Whitworth

Christians are called to bear a cross. These crosses sometimes involve the general burdens that affect everyone. At other times Christians bear specific burdens. The Lord promises us that our crosses and burdens can be transformed into small splinters if we focus on what really matters. How can this happen? You will find the answer in Splinters of the Cross … the same answer that was found by Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Peter, Paul, and many more: God’s grace is sufficient for you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Start2Finish Books
• Release date: Apr 22, 2004
• ISBN: 9781524213145

Michael Whitworth

Michael Whitworth is a minister and the author of several books and Bible commentaries. He considers M&Ms his brain food and is fond of large Mason jars. He's a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys and Alabama Crimson Tide. In his spare time, Michael loves reading, drinking coffee, and watching sports. He lives in Central Oregon.

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Introduction

My grandfather is an expert carpenter and craftsman. He can take pine and fashion it into almost anything he sets his mind to. In fact, his experienced hands have crafted nearly every piece of furniture in my bedroom. Personally, I’ve always admired the work of carpenters. The beauty that they can create out of rough, raw wood is amazing. But with that beauty comes splinters—those tiny pieces of wood that seem to wedge themselves painfully into the skin. Once removed, the relief seems to never come. But when all is said and done, the scars heal relatively quickly. Perhaps it is the small price that carpenters pay to achieve beauty in their creation. Their splinters are painful…but definitely worth it!

It cannot be denied that each of us, as Christians, bears a cross. However, that cross (or, for some, crosses) can come in many different forms, shapes, and sizes and can be placed upon our backs at any time God sees fit. As unfair as it may seem to some, these crosses that we bear as God’s children are simply an everyday part of the Christian life (Luke 9:23; Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12). I guess you could say that it sort of comes with the territory! But just like the splinters that carpenters remove and so easily brush aside, have you ever wished that your Christian walk was just as resilient to the piercing, beating, and scars of evil and the burdens of life? Have you ever wondered why the Lord called us to take up a cross instead of something smaller and less painful…?

Like a splinter of that cross?

I have. I have found (and still find) myself asking from time to time: "Why is it that we as His disciples are called to bear crosses and deny ourselves while also asked to ‘rejoice evermore,’ (1 Thessalonians 5:16). Such conflicting requests seem absurd. Paradoxical. Foolish. Weird. In light of the suffering for His name that will certainly come to all of us, what is it that can keep us focused on our walk with God? What is it that can steel our defenses and strengthen our resolve to live lives of service? What caused the men and women of the Bible to choose a life filled with suffering and affliction instead of enjoying the ‘pleasures of sin for a season’ (Hebrews 11:25)? In short, how can we successfully serve God and still live life?"

The answers to those questions lie in the Man who hung on the tree that stood on Golgotha centuries ago. The accounts of the life of Christ are difficult to read without becoming emotional about it all. To see for yourself, consider Paul’s version of the greatest story ever told and the sweetest message ever heard:

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

(Romans 5:6-9)

It was as if He—the Master Carpenter—sought to create a beautiful masterpiece out of the warped wood of the world that God had cast out. He sought to make us into works of art that would be accepted by His Father. It almost seems like Jesus came to relieve us of the heaviest cross of all—sin—so that we could bear something much easier—the splinter of discipleship.

But remember that even the Master Carpenter had His own cross to bear—our sins:

…we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.

(Hebrews 2:9-10; NIV, emphasis mine)

Through His pain and suffering, Christ descended into the streets and slums of sin, removed us from our lowly station of spiritual paupers (2 Corinthians 8:9), and elevated us to His own status: a child of the Father (1 John 3:1). This was a result of the love that God had for us (John 3:16). But unlike other heart-warming stories of love and suffering, this wonderful story of faithful love that the Lord lavishes upon us demands—yes, demands—a reaction.

If Jesus is to be believed…then nothing is more important than how you respond to him.¹

Even no reaction at all is a reaction itself: a slap in the face of a loving Father who paid for our freedom with the suffering and death of His dear Son. The reaction that Christ wishes for us to choose—the one that will bring us back into communion with our Father—is one of selfless service to His cause and dedication to His kingdom. In a nutshell, He wants discipleship.

But why? Why do we have to respond in the way that He wants? Why do we have to live our lives to His liking? Why do we have to give up all the sinful things that bring us so much pleasure, joy, and happiness? Do we have to really obey God?

That, my friend, is the beauty of it all. We don’t have to but we do anyway. Not because of our nagging consciences, our prodding youth ministers, our overbearing parents, or even our fear of hell. The decision to follow God is a choice that we all must make and—just like every other choice—the wrong decision will have consequences that are too horrible to imagine (2 Thessalonians 1:8). But in spite of these consequences, we should choose to serve God for one reason and one reason only:

Because we want to see heaven.

Because we want to see Jesus.

Because we love God.

So what will it be? Will we follow our own way and take up the cross of sin or will we seek the Savior’s steps and bear the splinter of discipleship?

The trial of Jesus was horrible. The floggings and ridicule were unimaginable. The pain of the crucifixion was so unreal that the ancients created a new word for it: excruciating. Therefore, bearing our own cross—refusing the paths of sin, choosing the ways of God, and getting out of our comfort zones so that we can serve Him daily—is the least that we can do for the one who died and rose again on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:15).

Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes.

(2 Corinthians 5:14; Msg)

When we become disheartened about the restrictive life of a Christian, disenchanted with being a Christ-like example on a regular basis, or disgusted with the crosses on our backs, remember this: His boundless and eternal love makes it all worthwhile. His love and law help us find happiness (Psalms 119:1)! His grace has a way of taking the most burdensome, menial, and inconvenient of tasks—the crosses that we are called to bear—and turning them into simple splinters: they are painful…but definitely worth it!

The crosses that we carry day after day are only an extension of His own that He bore 2,000 years ago and the benefits that come to us for bearing our crosses are because of His cross (Isaiah 53:5). The crosses that we bear will be painful at times but they are the price that we pay in order to receive that beautiful, eternal masterpiece that Jesus has been creating for us in the heavens (John 14:2-3). Because of the Savior’s sacrifice, we can lay our own crosses down at the foot of His cross and take up a simple splinter. It was He that made us heirs of God so that if we suffer with Him, we can also be glorified with Him (Romans 8:17).

As you read this collection of my ramblings on subjects ranging from baptism to burning ships, try to peer through the babble and see the Savior of the world beckoning you to a better life. Once you see that His love makes your life worthwhile, crosses are no longer crosses but simple splinters.

The apostle Paul, who fought battles with his own splinters of the cross, once wrote:

…to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh…Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

(2 Corinthians 12:7-10; emphasis mine)

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.

(2 Corinthians 4:16-17; emphasis mine)

My grandfather has experienced many splinters while creating family masterpieces with a hammer and a nail but he pressed on towards the finish. He viewed the splinters as the painful price to pay…but considering the result, it was more than worth it.

That thorn in the flesh and momentary, light affliction that Paul spoke of? I like to think of that as Paul’s own little splinter…

A splinter of Christ’s cross.²

Part One

What He Did…

1

The Jesus That I Know

The Craftsman of Crosses & Splinters

When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?’ They replied, ‘Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.’ He pressed them, ‘And how about you? Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter said, ‘You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus came back, ‘God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am.’

(Matthew 16:13-17; Msg)

Imagine…

You are attending the wedding of your next-door neighbor when the worst thing that could ever conceivably happen actually does: the father-of-the-bride has no more beverages to serve his guests. You know as well as everyone else that this is socially unacceptable and that, unless a solution is soon found, the host will be greatly embarrassed in front of his wedding guests. To save the face of the host, a plain-looking man in a plain-looking suit steps forward, waves His hand, and turns 150 gallons of foot-washing water into 150 gallons of grape juice as if He were making instant pudding for His three little kids.³ Who is this guy and how did He do that?

You go out to hear this new preacher that everyone has been buzzing about and—smack dab in the middle of the sermon—the roof caves in and a paralyzed man is lowered into the room on a makeshift army cot. The preacher, not missing a beat, takes one look at the man and informs him that he is forgiven of all his past sins. But a few community religious leaders are off in a corner complaining about the entire disturbance to the sermon and the preacher turns and gives them a tongue-lashing for being so negative about the forgiven sinner. After that, the Rabbi returns His attention to the paralyzed man and orders him to get up and walk out on his own two feet…which is exactly what happens.⁴ Who is this guy and why did He do that?

You are visiting the temple during the blessed Passover when a man explodes with anger and rushes past the vendor’s tables, overthrowing them and—with a whip in His hand—wrecks havoc in the House of God while claiming to do so in the name of God! Coins fly into the air and animals dart from their cages as the merchants watch in dazed confusion.⁵ Who is this guy and what is His problem?

You awake in the early morning hours as someone beckons you to come outside and join the mob that is gathering at Pilate’s palace. On trial is this man whom you saw in Cana turning water to wine; the same man who healed the paraplegic while preaching in Capernaum; the same man who, just days before, was cleansing the temple of the swindlers, dealers, and crooks. With the flesh on His back ripped open and a twisted crown of thorns adorning His forehead, He stumbles down the streets leading out of Jerusalem’s city walls and towards Skull Hill. Tears stream down your face as you see this once respected Rabbi struggle to stay upright under the weight of the cross upon His shoulders. With agony etched in His eyes, He turns to you and says, Don’t weep over me. You had better weep for yourselves and for your children. Your time is coming…⁶ Who is this guy…

And why must He suffer like this?

As my mind flashes through memories of my childhood as a preacher’s kid, I try to recall the first time that I remember learning about Jesus. I know that I had heard His name many times before, but I was too young to recognize the significance of who He was and why I should pay attention. My first perceptions of this man were bound to the images on paper that I colored as a supplement to that day’s Bible story: Jesus welcoming the little children…Jesus teaching the people on the hillside…Jesus wanting me to be nice to other little boys and girls…Jesus loving me more than anything. At that time, Jesus was a brown-haired guy with a funny-looking white dress and a blue blanket slung over his shoulder while usually in a teaching pose with multitudes gathered around Him or performing some great miracle as the masses watched in amazement.

John Doe

But who is this Jesus? Why should I know about Him? Why should I obey Him? Why should I care about what He has to say? What impact does He have in the 21st century? What’s the big deal anyway? These questions are difficult to answer simply because so many people answer them in so many ways. Think about it! It is fascinating how different people can develop various ideas, perceptions, and viewpoints of our Lord—from blind faith to blasphemous ridicule.

For example, as Matthew penned his account of all our Lord had done, he decided somewhere and at sometime to focus on the royalty of Christ. The genealogies that begin Matthew’s gospel attest to the fact that Christ descended from the cream of the crop that Israel had to offer. The ideas of Messiah (1:1) and the kingdom (3:2) are common and popular themes in Matthew’s gospel. In Matthew’s eyes, Jesus was the King of kings.

Mark takes the whirlwind approach by focusing on the miraculous nature of Christ. Like a roller coaster operator at a theme park, Mark has the attitude of, Put your seat belts on folks ‘cause we’re goin’ for a ride! In just sixteen short chapters, Mark records twenty-three different occasions of how someone reacted to Christ. Mark was obviously more interested in what Jesus did than what He said. Mark was trying to convince his readers—both then and now—that the life of Christ demands a verdict, a reaction, and a response. To Mark, this was not just another feel-good bedtime story like Cinderella or Jack and his beanstalk. This was a message of hope that must be either accepted or refused.

Today, some choose to ignore the Lord. Others discount His authority, His reality, or His deity. Still others just opt for the He’s not relevant to today excuse. But if we love the Lord, we will pursue discipleship in response to His offer of love and mercy and—according to Mark’s message—discipleship brings crosses:

‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.’

(Mark 8:34)

Luke addressed the humanity of Christ. The phrase Son of man—which is descriptive of Christ’s physical nature—is used some twenty-six times in Luke’s gospel. To Dr. Luke, Christ was more than the Son of God; He was a brother, a friend, a companion, and a good neighbor (Proverbs 18:24). If Jesus had only been deity and not human flesh, then His followers would have been neither impressed nor obedient for they were looking for someone who would empathize with them and know what it was like to fight temptation and hardship instead of just feeling sorry for them. They were looking for someone who wanted to literally get into their own skin and see life from their own eyes (cf. John 1:14; 2 Chronicles 6:18)—a concept that is poorly translated as sympathize in Hebrews 4:15. They were looking for compassion…not sympathy (Isaiah 42:3). And in their search for someone to understand them, the masses found a simple Nazareth carpenter who cared for them and wanted to help with their problems—physical (Luke 4:38-39), mental (Luke 4:33-35), emotional (Luke 5:12-13), and spiritual (Luke 4:43-44). Why is it that we read so often