THE CROSS: BOTH HATED AND LOVED

Those who are against the cross for the right reasons, please ALLAH. Those who love the cross for the wrong reasons, displease ALLAH. But those who hate the cross for the wrong reasons, also displease Him.

When the Messiah was on this earth walking, talking and healing among Israelis, there were certain actions and attitudes which he hated with a fervent, holy anger. On the traditional Jewish day of rest, he once healed a handicapped man. To his compassionate heart, it was inconceivable that religious leaders would have a vicious reaction to his healing one of their own brothers who was handicapped. The fact that those who claimed to be devoted to ALLAH would love their rigid rules more than they would love a suffering human being, grieved him deeply.

The Messiah’s anger at the evil, calloused hearts of Israel’s religious leaders must have been quite similar to the rage against certain religious Mutawa of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. There, the rage was due to these religious police at least partially preventing young school girls from escaping a fire because the frightened and excited girls had accidentally left their black abaiyas in the burning building. So these innocent girls paid with their lives in order for calloused, hard hearted men to enjoy the prestige of having religious power over frightened, vulnerable young girls. Undoubtedly the Risen Messiah had the same rage toward these religious police in Mecca for their hardness of heart as he had centuries ago toward the religious police of Jerusalem.

Does such despicable behavior deserve our rage? Yes it does! Similarly, when certain cruel and religious Israelis manipulated the Romans to cause ALLAH’S Messiah to die a slow, agonizing, cruel death on two pieces of Israeli wood, nailed or roped together, that cross should be hated for the symbol of the cruel murder that it is. Yet, when that same cross motivates a person to deeply appreciate the great love that was displayed on it by the messiah, it may be said that the cross is loved. But, to love that symbol without a deep appreciation for the person who agonized and died there, is to make an idol out of an instrument of torture and murder.

To love and adore an instrument of execution for the sake of it being an instrument of death is like an American who would love and adore an electric chair. But, to love the cross because of viewing it as a symbol of deep love and sacrifice, is not actually a love for the cross. Rather, it is a love for the Messiah who allowed himself to be murdered there.

As we discuss those who are against the cross or even hate the cross for the wrong reasons, we are faced with partial mixtures. It must be instantly acknowledge that there are many living now and multitudes from the past who have used the symbol of the cross for disgusting purposes. Yet, these individuals and groups have publicly identified themselves with a deep appreciation for the fact of Jesus being crucified. But, they purposely distort the meaning of what the Messiah accomplished by his crucifixion. They murder and even rape women and children under the banner of making the world a better place for believers in Christ. But, the Messiah will say of these people at their judgment:

“Depart from me for I never knew you!”

Yes, when evil persons distort the meaning of the cross, the distorted cross which they represent, is a cross which is to be hated. When people who call themselves Christian phalangists, ruthlessly slaughtered hundred of defenseless Palestinian women and children in Sabra and Shatilla with the approval of Ariel Sharon, the cross that those phalanges represented was an evil cross which is to be hated. Also, the crusaders did horrible things to many, many Muslims, many Christians and many Jews behind the symbol of the cross. The list could go on and on of the distortions of the cross which ALLAH’S Messiah died upon. These distortions are most certainly hated by ALLAH and should also be hated by us.

Though these distortions of the Messiah’s Mighty Sacrifice have occurred and will continue to occur, one reality remains. Each of us displeases ALLAH when we allow awful distortions to cause us to be against the Messiah’s gracious triumph of love. Yes, he who was born to the virgin Maryam accomplished a wonderful victory on a hill outside the walls of Jerusalem.

However, for a Muslim to be able to appreciate this wondrous act of love, he or she must be released from the false interpretation of the one verse in the Qur’an which has as its purpose the ridiculing of Israeli leaders. This verse actually mocks them for their audacity to claim that they had ended the life of ALLAH’S Messiah forever. (Please see “The Great Islamic Cover-up of Israeli Guilt” on this web page.)

When Muslims do come to understand that they are to love and trust the one who certain Israelis manipulated Romans to murder, these Muslim’s will have a new appreciation for all the wonderful comments contained in the Holy Qur’an about this loving man. The Qur’an gloriously describes him as being eminent in this world and in the next. Over time most Muslims will also come to understand the true reasons for verses which at first appear to limit the authority ALLAH has given His Messiah.

Hopefully, each Muslim who is either unwilling or unable to appreciate what was accomplished by the Messiah on the cross will be helped by the following considerations.

The slaughter by certain Israelis of innocent Palestinian women and children at the village of Deir Yassin must never be forgotten, so Deir Yassin must never be forgotten or distorted. The Israeli orchestrated slaughter of innocent Palestinian women and children at the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatilla must never be forgotten, so Sabra and Shatilla must never be forgotten or distorted. The horrible war crimes committed against Palestinians at Jenin must never be forgotten, so Jenin must never be forgotten or distorted. The countless other atrocities and injustices committed against Palestinians by Israelis must never be forgotten or distorted. Each of those horrible crimes must be remembered and the suffering of the victims must always be recalled with great compassion. But also, the horrible crime committed by the Israelis against ALLAH’ Messiah must never be forgotten or distorted.

It would be a tragedy to forget any of these symbols of the crimes and sufferings which are the names of the places that they occurred. As Deir Yassin, Sabra, Shatilla, Jenin and Bethlehem must always be remembered for what they cost the innocent victims, the cross is also viewed in a similar way by ALLAH. Therefore, Sabra, Shatilla, Deir Yassin, Jenin and Bethlehem are potent memorials of the horrible crimes of certain Israelis against many innocent Palestinian women, children and non-combatant men, so the cross is a symbol of a horrible crime committed against a man from Bethleham who was and is our compassionate Messiah.

Horrible crimes were committed against innocent women and children at Deir Yassin which caused death, suffering, and agony. A horrible crime was committed against an innocent Messiah on the cross which caused death, suffering and agony. Horrible crimes were committed against innocent women and children at Sabra and Shatilla which caused death, suffering and agony. A horrible crime was committed against a compassionate healer at the cross which produced death, suffering and agony. Horrible crimes were committed at Jenin and Bethleham against many non-combatants including women and children, which produced death, suffering and agony. A horrible crime was committed at the cross against ALLAH’S Messenger which produced death, suffering and agony. We must never forget the recent crimes against many nor must we ever forget the long ago crime against one. Why must we never forget? Because ALLAH will never forget any of these crimes and neither should we. To claim that any one of them did not occur is a tragedy.

There may be those who will say that I am an opportunist taking unfair advantage of horrible tragedies. They may say that I am trying to use these tragic events in order to manipulate one billion, two hundred million Muslims to change their theological position from believing that the Messiah fled from death to believing that he triumphantly defeated death.

But these are not tragedies. They are premeditated crimes. I categorically reject the brainwashing euphemisms of T.V. net works such as MSNBC. They dare to label violent premeditated crimes by Israelis as tragedies and not as crimes. They were crimes. They are crimes and they will always be crimes. And they will always be viewed by ALLAH as crimes. And those Israelis who committed these heinous crimes will be judged by ALLAH for them.

As for me using these crimes to help enable Muslims to realize that they have misunderstood the true purpose of one verse in the Holy Qur’an, I plead one hundred percent guilty. Our Amazing ALLAH whom we worship and serve, is able to use even ugly crimes for His purposes.

Each of these crimes was built upon a despicable lie that could have long ago been exposed by the Western nations of the world as a horrible lie. Instead, these guilty nations chose to go along with twisted Zionist propaganda. By their not vigorously exposing the lie at its inception, they demonstrated their deep contempt for the existence and value of an entire people; the Palestinians.

What was the despicable lie of early Zionism? What was this lie which laid the foundation for the potential mass deportation of an entire race of people which a powerful U.S. congressman recently proposed while being interviewed on MSNBC.

Simply stated, the ugly lie of Zionism which the Western “Christian” nations did not challenge was:

“A Land Without A People

For A People Without A Land.”

Some Israelis will point out that this propaganda was not really so bad because it was only half a lie. Yes, the Jews were a people without a land. But the other half of the statement was a total lie. The Palestinians were very much a living, breathing people and they occupied the land. The land was not uninhabited.

Arthur Koestler, a famous writer who wrote against communism and Zionism once described the British document which justified Zionism as “a document in which one nation solemnly promises a second nation the country of a third nation.

There was no land without a people. That statement was a deliberate obvious live which was accepted by nations who claimed to be humanitarian.

There also may be those who say that my writing places too much responsibility on the Israelis and not enough on the Palestinians. They may claim that it is mainly the PLO inspired suicide bombers who are the main obstacles to fruitful, meaningful, constructive negotiations which could lead to peace. They may insist that all of the blame should be placed on these Palestinians and none on the Israelis.

I unequivocally reject the killing of innocents by suicide bombers or by anyone else. I personally plead with all persons to stop these killings. Besides being totally wrong, tragically, they provide the Israeli killing machine with more excuses to commit more atrocities against Palestinians. Yet, I do appreciate the desperation, humiliation and rage which lead to suicide bombings. (On this web site I have presented a serious proposal, that with ALLAH’S help, can stop the suicide bombings. Please see “A Plan of Action.”)

Before the Israelis and Christian Zionists get too smug about denying that humiliation and desperation could ever drive someone to take innocent lives through suicide without a Yasser Arafat or a radical school system manipulating them to do so, I submit that their own Scriptures reveal that they are definitely wrong. The Israeli Judge, Samson, due to his own stubborn choices, put himself in the position of being blinded and humiliated by the enemies of Israel. Therefore, Samson made a conscious decision to commit suicide in order to bring maximum suffering and death to his enemies.

The Scriptures even record that he killed more of his enemies by his death than he had killed during his life. But Samson was well aware that by the circumstances of his killing himself, that he would also kill hundreds of women who were grandmothers, mothers, wives, daughters and sisters. These women were neither a direct part of the government, nor were they a part of the military establishment. The scriptures also reveal that nearly three thousand human beings were crushed and killed by Samson’s act of pushing down the main supports of the crowded temple. I say this about Samson, not to justify Palestinian suicide bombing, but to help Israelis acknowledge what a powerful force for killing that humiliation can be.

As shocking as it may be to Americans, because of seeking vengeance for the loss of his own eyes, Samson justified in his own mind, killing approximately the same number of persons who were killed in the 9/11 twin towers by not one man, but by a group of men. Also, the Scriptures strongly imply that Samson accomplished his mass killing through the power of prayer. Consequently, the large number of casualties achieved by Samson through his suicide is praised by many Christians and Jews throughout the world. But these same persons who praise the accomplishment of Samson, claim that they cannot understand how any person or institution can justify the taking of the lives of non-combatants to make a political statement. Perhaps a fresh look at their own book of judges in chapter 16, will help them see how vengeance and humiliation can be powerful incentives.

In no way do I intend to defend suicide bombings. Rather, I plead with the U.S. and Israel to seek to end the humiliation and desperation that drives the Palestinians. Additionally, Americans should incorporate into our own frame of reference that the U.S. itself approved of the killing of tens of thousands of innocent persons at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in order to achieve a political goal.

It also should be kept in mind that Samson chose to get himself into the situation where he virtually invited his enemies to steal his eyes because he was well aware that blinding was the type of cruel punishment they would inflict upon a person who had killed and humiliated them the way that Samson had.

In contrast, the Palestinians who take Israeli lives through their suicides have no choice about whether the Israelis steal their lands and their futures. Consequently, if we are discussing revenge and humiliation as motivating factors to commit acts of desperation, the Palestinians have a much stronger motivation than did Samson because in most cases Palestinians are the innocent victims while Samson, himself, chose to be a victim. Of course, it is Yasser Arafats incompetence and treachery which constantly receives blame for the suicide bombings for which Hamas takes credit. What you never hear mentioned by the Western medias is that Israel’s own secret service apparatus created Hamas in order to counter balance the power of the PLO. So, once again, if the Israelis are honest, they must lay the blame at their own door-step for creating Hamas in a similar way that U.S. covert and overt operations originally empowered Saddam Hussein in order to use him for their own purposes but could not control him. So now the U.S. is willing to risk thousands of mostly Muslim lives to destroy what we ourselves have created.

We may legitimately ask, what connection do these observations about rampant Israeli crime and even U.S. crime, have with my original subject of the cross? From my perspective, the connection is overwhelming. If, in the purposes of GOD/ALLAH, the death and resurrection of His Messiah are central to His dealings with man, then it must be His Will that the group responsible for His Messiah’s unjust execution would finally acknowledge their major crime. For ALLAH takes it very seriously that these descendents of Abraham murdered one of their own people who He had anointed to be their Messiah but whom they chose to reject.

Because of their rejection of their Messiah, there is considerable evidence in the Scripture that a scenario similar to the following will happen. The descendents of Ishmael, the first son of the Prophet Abraham, are mostly Muslims and were heavily involved in the beginnings of Islam. Also, it is quite significant that the vast major of the displaced and oppressed Palestinians are also of the Islamic faith and therefore have at least an indirect relationship to Abraham’s first son, Ishmael. Quite significantly, it was the first son of Abraham, Ishmael, who was the first person to come under GOD’S important covenant of circumcision which He made with Abraham.

Therefore, when Muslims ultimately realize that there own book, the Qur’an, does actually confirm the execution on the cross and triumph over death, rebellion and wickedness by ALLAH’S Anointed, an amazing phenomenon will occur. It will be these descendents of the first-born son of Abraham who will be used by ALLAH to accomplish one of the greatest miracles to happen since the resurrection from death of ALLAH’S Messiah.

That is, it will be the graciousness of the Islamic community, which has been so unjustly stereotyped and branded by millions as the mother of terrorism, who will be used by ALLAH to accomplish the impossible. This much-maligned Islamic community whose symbolic forefather is the Prophet Ishmael, will be used by ALLAH to motivate the descendents of Ishmael’s half brother, Isaac, to finally embrace their Messiah. (Please see the last few chapters of the New Testament Book of Romans regarding this future reality.)

It is totally unappreciated by both Israel and the West that ALLAH has already used Ishmael’s offspring to save the whole nation of Israeli. This occurred when ALLAH led Ishmael’s descendents to be the ones to rescue the young Joseph from his murderous, jealous brothers when they were planning to murder him. Members of Ishmael’s extended family safely delivered Joseph to Egypt where Joseph later was used by ALLAH to save from famine the forefather of the future nation of Israel. The Ishmaelites who saved Joseph and Israel are usually portrayed by preachers and commentaries as greedy, opportunistic traders. However, the Scriptures make it clear that they were ALLAH’S chosen instruments to deliver Joseph safely to Egypt. So a precedent was set that it would be the descendents of Ishmael who would rescue the descendents of Abraham’s second son, Isaac, in a future time. And to reintroduce them to the Messiah whom they rejected is to truly rescue them.

Another unappreciated rescue is also being presently carried out by the sons of Ishmael. That is, ALLAH saw fit to place billion of gallons of oil underneath the sands of the son’s of Ishmael’s descendents. Presently, this oil is not only sustaining the economies of the world but the willingness of the Saudis to exercise restraint on oil prices rescues the entire world from pervasive economic upheaval. Nevertheless, when one descendent of Ishmael manipulates a major terrorist attack and another cannot restrain his humiliated, dispossessed people from sporadic suicide bombing against the descendents of Isaac, Ishmael’s descendents are blamed and held responsible for all of the ills of the world.

Most definitely, a day is coming when millions of Muslims will recognize the Mighty Sacrifice that occurred on the cross and realize their own Qur’an confirms this event. Then, they will embrace their triumphant Messiah in a whole new way. And another day is coming when the sons of Isaac will be roused to jealously by the faith in the Messiah of the sons of Ishmael. Then, Isaac’s descendents will have deep repentance over the one they had crucified on a Roman cross. But this wondrous miracle will occur only because of the wonderful faithfulness to ALLAH by the sons of Ishmael.

We must deal with one more issue before we leave the subject of Isa’s triumph over the Roman instrument of execution; the cross. A case can definitely be made from the Scriptures that in these last days, exiled Jews will return to the land of Palestine which they have done. However, not one verse out of the entire Scriptures ever imply that ALLAH will approve of Jews, treating the Palestinian inhabitants of the land unjustly, which they have definitely done. Therefore, many Israelis are under the severe judgment of ALLAH unless they rigorously repent of their horrible sins against ALLAH’S people, the Palestinians. Also, many leaders in the U.S. are undoubtedly under ALLAH’S judgment for their assistance in the oppression of the Palestinians by the Israelis. How much of ALLAH’S severe judgment Israel will experience before they will acknowledge their terrible recent crimes against Palestinians and their horrible historic crime against the one they ruthlessly pierced and crucified, remains to be seen.

But, according to the Prophet Zechariah, deep, deep remorse will finally come from the Jews for their ruthlessly murdering their Messiah who ALLAH sent to them.

“They will look on me, the one they have pierced and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a first-born son. On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great…”

The following verses from a spiritual song in 1709 by Isaac Watts a former slave trader whose heart was changed by the Messiah, captures the suffering and love which occurred on the cruel Roman Cross.

When I survey the wondrous Cross

On which the Prince of Glory died,

My richest gain I count but Loss

And pour contempt on all my Pride.

Were the whole Realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine

Demands my Soul, my Life, my ALL.

See from his Head, his Hands, his Feet,

Sorrow and Love flow mingled down;

Did ever such Love and Sorrow meet?

Or Thorns compose so rich a Crown?

Yes, those who specialized in evil crucified him. But ALLAH, though His Great Wisdom and Might turned their evil into His good. He raised him up alive!