In the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Joyous feast.

This last week has been filled with horror and grief from violence in America, and we need to make clear that our lives, the news, many of our hearts have been dominated by the killing of an influential man. But we should recognize that there has been much more death and violence and horror all through this week, as for many weeks and months and years before this one. Terrible wars and assassinations across the world just in these past several days.

And each of these horrors invites us to respond with anger and fear, to take up arms, to strike down those who would act in such evil and monstrous ways. But we need to be reminded that evil does not win the victory through force, but only when we accept lies as the truth, losing courage, and losing heart. Or when we allow our hearts to be darkened, that we become—in the name of fighting the dark powers of this world—we become allies of that same darkness.

Brothers and sisters, the apostle says in the reading today that Jews look for a sign and Greeks seek wisdom. The wisdom of this world says that if one side loses, the other side wins. That to show restraint, mercy, grace, forgiveness is foolishness. It simply gives advantage to the other side. But we preach Christ crucified, the power of God and the wisdom of God.

We are not bound by the ways of this world which—every part of it—is bound for death and dissolution. We today lift up the precious and life-giving cross of that crucified Lord, the true sign of victory.

And we should understand that this cross—we have it here set in the middle of the church for veneration, a beautiful cross with beautiful flowers surrounding it in love—but this cross that we have placed here in love and hope and joy was originally set forth as a weapon of terror, of subjugation, of humiliation, of torture and death. That is what the evil one intended it for. And he was sure that by crucifying the hope of the world, he was trampling down that hope. He was establishing forever his reign over this world and over the people of God.

But God took that evil tool of the cross, that weapon, and used it instead for his own purpose, for the salvation of the world. And now for us, for all eternity, it is a sign of hope and of life.

In the beginning, the evil one used the tree in paradise to deceive Adam and Eve, and from that held for centuries and millennia all of that royal people of God in bondage to corruption, to sin, and to death. But now the cross has become for us a new tree of life, and we who lay hold of it are saved. And by the wood of the cross, our condemnation is destroyed.

And we see in this, brothers and sisters, the power of God who takes the evil intentions at work in this world and doesn't merely work with them or work them into his plans, but even transforms them from evil into good—as we celebrate the cross itself, now for us something that is entirely good, the cross of the Lord.

He takes death and makes it into a sure pathway to life. He takes our despair and transforms it into a firm foundation of hope. We see also the wisdom of God who takes an act of injustice and tyranny and makes it into the means for us to be restored from sin and death, the means for enemies to be reconciled, for peace to be established, and for his righteousness to rule in all generations.

Last night at the vespers service we read from the book of Proverbs, and we heard: "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom. She is a tree of life to all who lay hold of her and to those who lean hard upon her as upon the Lord."

Brothers and sisters, this is what we must do. We who are children of God, we who hear the Gospel: seek wisdom. Seek wisdom.

The only news in this world—news, the word means something new, right?—there is nothing new under the sun. There is nothing new on television, on the internet, in your conversation, dear friends. It is all repeating the same cycle that leads to sin and death: enmity, fear, division, darkness, and destruction.

There is only one thing that is new, and it is the good news of Jesus Christ. He was crucified and risen from the dead. And that is what the world needs.

So, brothers and sisters, seek wisdom. Lean hard upon that tree of the cross. Take strength and wisdom from it in these days of violence. The word of the cross is foolishness for those who are perishing, but for those who believe it is hope and life everlasting. It is for us and for those who are able to hear—it is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

So those of you who have ears to hear, take heed. Take it into your own hearts. Let them be illumined in the midst of this darkness and bring it out from here into a world that is darkened with grief and madness and seek out those who are longing to hear this one new thing because they too need to lean upon the wisdom of God and the power of God for life everlasting.

Amen.

Glory to Jesus Christ. Glory forever.