Rev. Cary M. Richert
Midweek Lenten Service
March 15, 2006
The Saltire Cross
(St. Andrew's Cross - The Cross of Humility)
Philippians 2:5-8
The Glenlivet. The Macallan. The Dahlwinnie. The Glenfiddich. All these, and many more like them, hail from the land of the Saltire. As do St. Andrew's ... Carnoustie ... Royal Troon ... Turnberry ... and Muirfield. The beautiful land of Scotland. Country of the Saltire.
To the Scots The Saltire refers to their national flag. Somewhat like America's Old Glory. The Saltire consists of an X-shaped white cross on a blue background. It's also known as St. Andrew's Cross. The Saltire is much loved because, according to tradition, Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, was crucified upside down on an X-shaped cross.
One popular legend of how the Saltire became the national symbol of Scotland tells of a battle fought in East Lothian, near Edinburgh, around 832 AD. At that time much of the Lothian area of Scotland was possessed by people from Northumbria in England. An army of Picts (non-Celtic mercenaries who often warred against the Romans) and Scots led by King Angus Mac Fergus sought to drive out the Northumbrians. At one point, the Saxons (Germanic people) surrounded Angus and his army.
The fearful King led his men in prayer for deliverance and, as legend goes, saw a great white Saltire Cross against the blue sky. Remembering the tradition that St. Andrew was crucified on a white cross, wearing a blue robe, Angus vowed in prayer that, if he was victorious ... St. Andrew would become the patron saint of Scotland. His army won! Unofficially, from that time on St. Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland. Five centuries later, in 1320, it became official. And, in another 65 years, the Satire officially became the national flag of Scotland (1385).
The Saltire is rooted in the life and the legends surrounding St. Andrew. So, what do we know of him? Scripture reveals the following: Andrew was ...
... son of Jonah [Matthew 16:17; John 1:42]; born in Bethsaida of Galilee [John 1:44]
... brother of Peter [John 1:40], and partner in the family fishing business [Mark 1:16]
... a disciple of John the Baptist [John 1:35-40]
... the first disciple to recognize Jesus as Messiah [John 1:41]
... with his brother Peter, left everything to follow Jesus as a disciple [Luke 5:11]
Following our Lord's ascension, Andrew's faith caused him to travel far and wide, proclaiming the Gospel of God's love for sinful mankind in Jesus Christ. Tradition has him taking the Gospel to Southern Russia, (per: Eusebius, Origen) ... Albania, (per Gregory of Nazianzus) ... Greece (per Jerome and Theodoret).
It's generally believed that Andrew was crucified as a martyr for the Gospel at Patras in Greece during the reign of emperor Nero, on November 30, 60 AD. To this day in the Church, November 30th is the commemoration of St. Andrew. In humility, Andrew asked not to be crucified on the same kind of cross his Lord Jesus was (a Latin cross); a reason why the Saltire is also called the Cross of Humility. His request was granted. A Saltire cross was prepared. In order to prolong his suffering, He was tied to the cross, not nailed as Jesus was. Another legend tells of Andrew preaching the Gospel as he hung on the cross for two days!
Tradition says Andrew humbly greeted his cross with these words:
Hail, precious cross, that has been consecrated by the body of my Lord, and adorned with His limbs as with rich jewels. I come to you exulting and glad; receive me with joy into your arms. O, good cross, that has received beauty from our Lord's limbs: I have ardently loved you. Long have I desired and sought you; now you have found me, and are made ready for my longing soul: receive me into your arms, take me from among men, and present me to my Master; that He who redeemed me on you, may receive me by you. (1)
How could anyone greet an instrument of torture and death with such courage, humility, and even joy!? Andrew heard Jesus speak the words of today's Gospel reading: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it, [Matthew 16:24-25]. It appears Andrew did just that!
In a brief 3 years spent with the Messiah, Andrew learned many things from our Lord. One important lesson he learned was the lesson of humility. Especially on one occasion, Andrew experienced first-hand the Lord's humility, when, like a lowly servant, Jesus washed Andrew's feet.
However, Jesus' perfect humility, not Andrew's, is our true model. While Andrew's humility is admirable, consider what our Lord's humility moved Him to do for our forgiveness and eternal salvation ...
... to willingly leave heaven, take on our humanity, and be tempted as we are
... to passively allow Himself to be beaten and nailed to a cross
... to absorb the sin, disease and despair of all creation into Himself
... to bear the pain of being forsaken on the cross by His heavenly Father.
On the cross, Jesus humbly gave Himself for all people ... even to the point of suffering and death. In doing so, He showed Himself to be the only One in whom every person can find true meaning and purpose in life. The only One in whom we can find true and lasting peace for our souls. The only One who can show us perfectly the self-sacrificing humility with which we're called to live.
Paul writes: Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus ... (who) humbled Himself. Our service to Jesus and to others begins with the same attitude of humility and self-less love. Like Jesus ...
... we entrust ourselves completely to the goodness and mercy of God.
... we submit ourselves in faithful and humble obedience to the Word and the will of God.
... we reach out to others in loving service.
And, like Jesus, we willingly and humbly take up our earthly crosses. We bear them in faith and trust, being reminded of an old Scottish proverb: God shapes the back that bears the burden! Our earthly crosses call us to die to ourselves ... and to live in the Lord, who alone is our true Life. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: When Christ calls a person, He bids him come and die. (2)
One of the really important things we learn from Jesus through His Cross of Humility is that, in reality we have no life to deny ... to lose. The life that we're called Ato deny@ ... Ato lose@ ... is itself a gracious gift from God, the Giver of life. Our lives belong to God from beginning to end. He alone has the authority, and the right, to ask us to lose our lives for Him. He alone can promise us that, in losing our lives for Him we will find true life ... life as He created it to be. Like Andrew, and all the faithful saints who've preceded us in death found in heaven with Jesus.
Like all the different crosses that capture our interest this Lenten season ... the Saltire points us to the one cross of greatest significance ... THE CROSS UPON WHICH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST PAID THE RANSOM PRICE FOR OUR SIN. The Cross upon which you and I were rescued from the depths of eternal punishment. The Cross upon which we were reconciled to the God of our creation. The Cross that gives meaning and purpose to the crosses we all bear in this life.
May God grant us the faith ... the will ... and the courage to serve Him and others B and to bear our earthly crosses B with a spirit of true humility and complete trust in the gracious promises of our loving God! In the name of Jesus. Amen.
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NOTES:
(1) D. Meyer and H. Beck, The Crosses of Lent, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1987, 18.
(2) D. Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1959, 89.
Material contained in this sermon has, in part, been adapted from information from the following sources:
D. Meyer and H. Beck, The Crosses of Lent, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1987
http://www.scotsindependent.org
http://www.newadvent.org
http://www.stluke-church.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://tartan.tv
http://www.strandrewsaa.org