Faith, Works, and the Cross
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?”James 2:14
What does it mean to be a Christian? What does it mean to be a follower of Christ? Go to Church, yes. Pray, yes. Sometimes we may be tempted to think that pious acts of devotion may be all we need to secure a seat in heaven, but that is not so. In fact, none of us are “guaranteed” a place in heaven. It is our hope that by living a life that is blameless in the eyes of God that we might be in heaven, but we can never earn that spot or pray our way into heaven.
When I say we cannot pray our way into heaven, I am not saying that prayer is useless. I am saying that prayer is useless if there is nothing behind those words we say or recite. Do our hearts match our lips? In his letter St. James tells us that faith without works is dead. There are some of us out there who believe that as long as we are baptized, “we are saved.” Sorry to break it to you, but that’s not the case. Only Jesus can save us. Yes, God became man, dwelt among us, taught and preached, performed miracles, suffered, died, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sent the Holy Spirit, but that does not mean that as long as we confess we our lip, “I believe all that,” we are automatically saved. Jesus told His disciples that those who truly wanted to follow Him must “deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow me.” This cannot be done without faith. Faith and works are inseparable. Jesus did not just say “I love you;” He showed it on the Cross. Jesus did not simply believed and agreed to His Father’s will; He carried it out. Faith without works is dead.
In order for us to carry our crosses, we must have faith. Otherwise why would I even carry a cross??? If there is no God and Jesus was just a fable or myth, people over the ages would not have given up their lives in bearing witness and testimony to this faith. If all of this was just a story, then you and I must leave. But because it is the truth, our hearts are moved. Because our hearts are moved by faith and the works of those who have gone before us, we have the courage and strength to pick up and carry our crosses.
My brothers and sisters, we cannot be content with simply going to Church on Sunday and going back to our uncharitable lives on Monday. When we go to Church, we bring our crosses that have weighed us down. And having been renewed and nourished by the Eucharist, by the blood that dripped down from the Cross, we leave Church carrying our crosses proudly knowing that we do not carry our crosses alone. Brothers and sisters, may our crosses be avenues of healing and encounter for those who come our way, and may our carrying of the cross by a sign of faith and hope to all. May the faith we profess on our lips be moved by the gratitude and love we experience in the depths of our hearts, and propel us into loving service for one another.
