The Grain of Wheat
One
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, people welcomed him with shouts of Joy and laid down palms. Expecting Jesus to give a rousing speech on his plan to kick out the Romans, the people must have been perplexed when all he gave them was this strange message: “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if anyone serves me, the Father will honor him” (Jn 12:23-26). Jesus reminds us that in this fallen world, comfort must give way to greatness. This is true for small everyday things, and for the greatest of things. Jesus affirms just this when he states a few verses later, “Now is the judgment of the world; now will the prince of the world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted from the earth, will draw all men to myself” (Jn 12: 31-32). Through his death, Christ bears the fruit of resurrection, and frees us from our captivity to sin, death and demons. Christ wishes for us to participate in his victory, but that means we must also participate in the crucifixion. Any promise of victory without the cross is a lie.
Two
To free us from sin, destroy death, and cast out the Demons, Christ accepted the cross. He brings hope to our miserable lives of vice, offering us his divine life. Every second he spent clinging to the cross was spent out of love for us. He invites us to join his work, but we are free to reject him. We are free pursue happiness on our own. Often, I refuse to see my sufferings as a cross; I see them as a meaningless pain to be avoided at all costs. I would rather respond with the Pharisees, “come down from that cross and we will believe you!” (cf. Mt 27: 42). I will always be tempted to take the victory and leave the cross. But it is in the union of the two that we find love. My cross, like Christ’s, is the instrument of glory, redemption, and true love.
Three
Our crosses, when united with Jesus, lifts us up from this world and into His Kingdom. Pope Benedict XVI says, “Anyone who really wanted to get rid of suffering would have to get rid of love before anything else, because there can be no love without suffering, because it always demands an element of self-sacrifice, because, given temperamental differences and the drama of situations, it will always bring with it renunciation and pain.” (God and the World, Pope Benedict XVI). Therefore, Jesus says he who loves his life loses it; but he who hates his life in this world keeps it unto life everlasting. (Jn 12:25). Eternal happiness can only be found love. Suffering is the very food of love.
Four
Yet, how often does suffering produce the opposite effect in us? Rather than feed our love for Divine Life, suffering produces resentment, anger, rejection, and antagonism to Jesus. One of the greatest arguments offered by atheists against the existence of a loving God is precisely the existence of suffering. As CS Lewis argued, “I'm not sure God wants us to be happy. I think he wants us to love and be loved. But we are like children, thinking our toys will make us happy and the whole world is our nursery. Something must drive us out of that nursery and into the lives of others, and that something is suffering.” (Quotable CS Lewis). To avoid resentment and anger, we must remember that he went through it first, and ask him for the grace to bear it. “Ask and you shall receive” Matthew 7:7
Five
Our Lord calls us to divest ourselves of all things to possess everything. He doesn’t want us to let go of the things of this life so that we find ourselves alone and afraid. Rather, community and courage are the results of being filled with Divine Love. But we can’t learn the right way to do things if we are in the habit of doing things the wrong way. We can’t be filled with Him and His love if our hearts are filled with self or desires that gorge on pleasures. We must remember that the Cross is not the end. The Gospels record that Christs death did not only bring about his resurrection, but that of many others (CF Matthew 27:52-53)
Jesus, the longing of my heart that drives me to sin is only found in you. Despite my weakness and fear, give me the courage to take up my cross with you, so that even if we die alone, we rise with countless others. Today, I will accept all contradictions to my will with a smile!