The Reverend Canon Michael D. H. Farr, B.A. Lth., Grand Prior

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-15 Psalm 118 I Peter 3:17-22
Theme: Restoration and Reconciliation

We are fortunate to be gathering on this feast day on the church calendar ...the 14th day of September. Since the time of the emperor Constantine the Christian Church has celebrated September the 14th as “Holy Cross Day”. The story goes that Constantine ordered a grand church building to be built in Jerusalem. The site he chose was a hill called Gol’gotha which was the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus of Nazareth.

In the course of digging the foundation, the workers discovered a large wooden beam, which was assumed to be a remnant of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Parts of this beam were enshrined near the altar of the new church when it was dedicated on September 14, in the year 335, and ever since Christians have kept this date as “Holy Cross Day”. (source: “For All the Saints, compiled by Stephen Reynolds 1994.ISBN 0-921846-50-9) Now of course the challenge for me is to take this information and the scripture readings, which are set for today and have been read, and produce a sermon for TODAY.

In the reading from the book of Genesis we have read of the fall from grace of Adam and Eve. In the story the serpent temps the woman and she eats the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden and gives some to the man and he eats as well.

An apple grower in one of my former parishes would want me to remind you that the fruit is not named – and he would also add, order an apple fritter when you go to the donut shop.

What has happened in this story? The first two people have gone against the will of God by eating the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden. They are thrown out of the garden (vv.23&24) and thus separated from God.

The message for us is that humans have a tendency to go against the Will of God. Going against the Will of God is referred to as SIN. And, the result of SIN is being separated from God. Because we are all humans like Adam and Eve, we too have this tendency to go against the Will of God. We are all sinners and also feel separated from God. Most of us feel a need to re-establish our relationship with God. Now, I am sure that I have over simplified this SIN business. But, you get the picture. Go against the Will of God and you are in trouble.

Now, I wish to introduce to you the symbol of the “Rose of Sharon” In the book of the Prophet Isaiah, chapter 35 verses one to four, we read that when God saves his people and returns them to Zion the desert will bloom with roses like the ones that grow on the plains in front of Mount Sharon. And so a red rose has come to symbolize God’s work of restoration and reconciliation among his people.

Worshippers in the ancient world were well aware of their need to over come sin and to restore their relationship with God. This was done by having the Priest sacrifice an animal to pay for your sin. Different animals were prescribed for different sins. This was a never-ending process. But in Jesus of Nazareth, we find the revolutionary idea that He would pay the price of sin once for all by his own self-giving death. This would be the last sacrifice necessary. We have read of this today in I-Peter 3:18a. “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous in order to bring you to God.” (‘The Holy Bible’, New Revised Standard Version, Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1989.) The cross was a symbol of torture and death but Jesus of Nazareth changed that for us by his sacrificial death on the cross. He has made the cross Holy for us and many of us wear crosses as symbols of love and not of hate and death.

I have mentioned two symbols today, the Rose of Sharon and the Cross. The Rose of Sharon represents for us God’s work of reconciliation and restoration among his people. The Cross represents for us the unselfish death of Jesus for all. Very often, we see these two symbols joined. A Red Rose mounted on a White Cross reminding us of God’s love and of God’s work of restoration and reconciliation as God seeks to bring all his people back into proper relationships with other people and with God.

On this Holy Cross Day look to the Cross of Jesus of Nazareth for your example of self-giving love for all and be reconciled to God by following his example.

Amen