Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:13-17

As a teenager almost everything my mother said felt like a condemnation. Of course, a lot of hormones were at play back then! However, as an adult, I can now appreciate how much she saved me from myself. I am reminded of this today as Jesus sets the record straight. Much of what he said could have felt like condemnation, especially for the scribes and Pharisees. However, Jesus waned only to save.
Throughout salvation history, the theme has always been love: the redemptive love God has for us, and the love we need to have for God and others. Sometimes this love is expressed in a corrective way, but it does not mean that God loves us any less. The thought of God wanting nothing else but to have me live in eternity with Him helps me push through the most difficult challenges in life.
Lord, as I ponder today’s feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, thank you for sending your Son to save me. Help me to experience Your love in every person I meet and interact with today. Amen.