Carry my Cross

I seem to be stuck lately on songs by the group Third Day. The CD I’m listening to is called “Wherever You Are.” I know nothing about this group except, from the CD insert, it seems to be composed of five men, who have written the music and lyrics to all of the songs on the CD. They have an almost “raspy” sound – I really don’t know how to describe it, but I am really enjoying their lyrics.

Yesterday’s post, and Jeff’s comment to it brought the song “Carry my Cross” to my mind. To really “get” this song, you must realize that the narrative voice is Jesus. I love all the lyrics, but I’ll just post one verse and the chorus:

I’m praying in the garden
And I’m looking for a miracle
I find the journey hard but
It’s the reason I was born.
Can this cup be passed on?
Lord, I pray your will be done
In this world.

So I’ll carry my cross,
And I’ll carry the shame
To the end of the road
Through the struggle and pain
And I’ll do it for love
No it won’t be in vain
Yes I’ll carry my cross
And I’ll carry the shame.

Then, at the end of the song, comes this haunting little line, repeated twice:

Three more days and I’ll be coming back again.
Three more days and I’ll be coming back again.
Now, compare that to this scripture from Job (Job 9: 27-33) that I read this morning:

If I smile and try to forget my pain, all my suffering comes back to haunt me: I know that God does hold me guilty. Since I am held guilty why should I bother? No soap can wash away my sins. God throws me into a pit with filth, and even my clothes are ashamed of me. If God were human, I could answer him: we could go to court to decide our quarrel. But there is no one to step between us — no one to judge both God and me.

Job feels wrongly punished by God – blameless – hence his desire for someone to judge both God and him. Putting that aside, I am struck by the desire by Job to have God become human, so that he could speak to him; his desire to have someone to step between him and God as advocate.

Do I take that for granted? Do I forget how different life is for me on this side of the cross? We talk freely to God, we have an advocate, God has become human for us and has made washed away our sin. Job’s heartfelt desire has been granted in our lives.

Once again, I’m certainly glad to be living on this side of the cross.