Walking toward the Cross
A Holy Week Allegory
"For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son..." Romans 5:10
I duck behind the corner, devising my next attack.
It must be brutal; it must inflict horrible pain; it must include humiliation; it must bring my enemy down and make me victor. I pace along my barricade. I hate him—the King who threatens my happiness by restricting my pleasures (Ephesians 2:2). My prince has set his forces against the King and I must defend my prince. After all, he gives me whatever I want.
My eyes squint in the direction of the enemy. I must pre-empt his attack. I try to spy his tactics. There’s the King! Hatred burns in my soul.
Wait… where is His weapon? He looks like he is desperately searching for somebody. I ready my bow and steady my arrow. After I pull back to a full draw, about to release, our eyes meet. Something about his look compels me to suspend my shot. My breath catches in my throat. Unexpectedly, his eyes are full of love.
In the time I stand as if paralyzed, my enemy starts walking towards me without dropping my gaze and is now just a few paces away. As if in a trance, I lower my bow. My enemy’s hand grabs mine and motions me to follow. I want to resist! I want to fight back! But I can’t.
Something about him forces me to go along, as if irresistibly.
We walk down the Roman road to the outskirts of the city, and my enemy’s outstretched arm steers my attention to a crowd gathered in front of a cross. A gruesome semblance of a man wastes away before my eyes. It’s the King’s son—His only son! I turn to the King, but his head is bent, shielding His eyes, unwilling to look on the scene. His face is a mixture of horror, wrath, and grief.
I look more closely at the cross and see a list. There is a long list. It is so long that the end reaches my feet. I pick up the end of the paper. It’s about me. All the bad things that I have done. This is embarrassing; it is disgusting; it is unmentionable; it is…true. My eyes follow the paper trail to its origin where it is nailed to the top of the cross. My gaze crosses questioningly to the tearful King.
I hear words from the body on the cross, “You are dead in your trespasses, but your enemy, the King can make you alive together with me. He forgives you all your trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against you with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing your sins to the cross, making you His friend.”
I gasp to the dying Man, “You mean, You did this for me?”
But his head hangs still. I begin to shake even more than the ground underneath me. I am a murderer! I can’t stay. I’ve got to run from here. But I can’t…I’m helpless. Reading my thoughts, the King’s voice interjects, “I know that you are helpless, but that’s why Christ died for the ungodly.”
I object, “But I am your enemy!”
He corrects me with, “Not anymore. You’ve been reconciled. We are now friends.”
How does one turn an enemy into a friend? The answer is LOVE. Supernatural love. This love is unsolicited, undeserved, and unlimited. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. God has made me His friend! He should treat me as the murderous enemy that I am; instead, He welcomes me as His friend! I am a friend of God Almighty!
This coming week, as we walk the path to the Cross – I invite you to take some time to thank God for His great love that has reconciled you to Himself.
The walk may be tremulous. But the destination is so good.
~ Danielle Hurley
