Seeing Through the Cross- SERMON

I have been watching a Netflix series Sinner. In season three, there is a man and a friend who are uncertain about everything. These two men sink into a nihilistic and dark existential abyss, believing life is meaningless and that there is no God.

They put themselves into reckless situations, and decide their fate by a paper fortune teller, that little origami toy that opens and closes in any direction. In this way, they convince themselves the only truth that they could hold onto, “there is nothing”.  Eventually they lose all moral compass, even to the point of killing others. I felt a similar kind of vibe from the killer in the movie No Country for Old Men. Before he kills someone, he flips a coin and lets their fate be decided by it.

At first, we may think this is absurd. But on second thought, don’t we sometimes do the same thing for the opposite? As children, many of us plucked daisy petals to find out if “she loves me, she loves me not.” Others gamble or buy lottery tickets, hoping that luck will fall on their side.

In a Christian version, sometimes people bring this same mindset into faith. Some Christians have believed that salvation is predetermined: that only God can choose to save us because we are corrupted by sin. In this view, the “elect” will inevitably be drawn to grace, while the “non‑elect” will inevitably perish, no matter what. In such a belief, it feels like nothing depends on us—we are simply born into fate as either chosen or not.

Maybe we don’t push it to such extremes, but many of us might have felt like life is a void with no purpose, caught between random chance, meaningless, endless striving, or a salvation handed down without our involvement. But is that truly how God relates to us? Here, I have a coin. I might ask you: heads or tails? If you choose the side I see, you are “with” me. It can look like a random selection.

But notice this: if I am holding the coin facing the head, you don’t have to wait for me to flip it. You can simply come over to my side, and suddenly you see the same side as me. That’s what perspective is about. Unlike any other creature, human beings are uniquely gifted with perspective. It is more than how we look at things.

As I showed as an example, our perspective can also mean which side we are standing. And furthermore, as we assign a certain meaning to our perception, the meaning inevitably shapes how we live. Some see wealth as most important.  Others strive for titles or honors. Still others pursue dreams of self‑actualization. And yet, there are those who would say, “I am not on that side; I would never trade family time for money. I don’t need a title to feel good about myself. I care more about helping others grow than simply chasing my own goals.”

Depending on how we see the world, we live according to that vision. And eventually—we create the world we believe, we see. So then, how do we see the cross?

In Jesus’ time, the cross was no more than a tool of shame and suffering, a criminal’s death.

Yet by Jesus’ sacrificial love, that same cross became the greatest sign of God’s love, the hope for all humankind, the very way to salvation. We are here today because we believe that Jesus’ death brought us new life. But the question remains: am I truly on the same side as Jesus? Do I see the cross the way he saw it? Am I living as one who bears the cross daily?

To bear the cross is more than a religious belief. It means seeing the world—and making choices—as Jesus did. And that is not easy. The world idolizes wealth. Our communities are divided by opinion instead of united by common good. Suspicion often replaces kindness, and agitation takes the place of hospitality. It is like a contagious virus that swallows people and our society whole.

Is there any antidote for such a toxic world? If we try to solve all its problems in our effort, we will feel overwhelmed or end up hopeless even before we try anything. But what if the answer is simpler, yet deeper? What if the call is not first to change the whole world, but to stand on Jesus’ side? What if true transformation begins when we learn to see the world with Jesus’’ eyes? The world Jesus lived was not so much different from ours.

Ones with power and privilege clung to what they thought they owned. The vulnerable ones were neglected and abused. People who made mistakes and got lost in their wrong choices did not have a second chance. But as son of God became a human person, as one of us, he deeply understood our struggles, desires, temptations, and suffering.

And he spoke to us and showed to us what we were missing, that is love of God. As the world was broken and astray, Jesus saw God grieving in them out of compassion. He saw God waiting for them out of mercy. And he embodied this love through his words and deeds until he gave his very life.

In this way, he brought a new life, life in God, an eternal unity with God.

That was the most important gift, or the only gift Jesus ever wanted to give. Throughout Christian history, this gift has taken roots in those who chose to see the world as Jesus did, and who lived in accordance with that vision.

Looking at today’s world, we might be tempted to say, “it is not my problem” or “there is no hope, and everything is failing.” But for those who see in Jesus’ eyes, we will know God has been always caring for each one of us. We will know God’s love never failed. In the backdrop of everyone, every moment, we will see God’s love and mercy that have been holding us.

Then we will know the real challenge and invitation for us Is more than how we solve the problems, or how we change the world. It all begins from learning from Jesus how we forgive, how we love, how to change ourselves. So today, let us choose to stand on Jesus’ side.

Let us not forget the everlasting love of God shining behind and breaking through every problem, every crisis, every shadow. And let us take part in shaping our world—not with fear or despair but with compassion, with forgiveness—until we begin to mirror the world as God always sees it.

May the Lord open our eyes to see his love at work all around us, and may he give us the courage to join our lives to that love, today and always. Amen.