A Wooden Wonder

I’m from a small town in Texas. From the age of six, I lived on a farm. If you know anything about farmers, you know they have a holy hatred of coyotes.

I will never forget 1972. It was the summer the local farmers went to war with these vermin and shot about 100 coyotes in one grand hunt. According to the myth that it would scare off other coyotes, all those dead carcasses were nailed to fence posts.

I will never forget this display of trophies. I tried to count them every time we drove down the road. I know the number was over 80 rotting corpses of fur and teeth, attracting a sky full of buzzards in the punishing heat.  It was a terrible sight and left quite an impression on me. Now, I’m not six anymore, but I’m convinced God let that one event make a verdict in me that I can’t ignore. I call it my Vermin Verdict.

While disgusting, it was also fascinating. While a symbol of hatred, it was also a symbol of triumph, nailed to a piece of wood hung up for all to see.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”…) – Galatians 3:15

Jesus became a curse hanging on a tree for us. A gruesome trophy for the unbelieving Romans and the blinded Pharisees, but a sight of pure love and beauty to us whom He’s saved.

At the cross, Jesus was nailed down and then hung up so we could be blessed, not cursed. Yes, there is a mystery in how this works, but the picture of it is so striking to me. Something that was perfect became sinful, and what was blessed became cursed, so a knucklehead named Troy could be called perfect and blessed.

The cross is both horrible and fascinating. A wooden wonder you and I need to say “thank you” for.