Pure Hands at the Cross

The holy things of God are not to be handled carelessly. In Leviticus, those who draw near must not profane the Lord’s name; what is offered to Him must be without blemish. In the psalm, the fitting offering is a thirsty soul, a tongue of praise, and hands lifted in the night. In the Passion, we see the Holy One Himself brought forth among the defiled, judged by wavering rulers, mocked by soldiers, and crucified between criminals. The sinless victim is examined by men full of stain, yet He remains the acceptable offering.

So we should learn two fears at once: fear of treating holy things lightly, and fear of standing with the crowd that honors God with noise while rejecting His Christ in deed. Cyprian warns, "No man that has a stain or a blemish shall come near to offer gifts to the Lord." The Church has never taken this to mean that sinners should despair, but that those who approach must repent. We do not bring lambs now; we bring obedience, mercy, chastity, truthful speech, and steadfast confession.

The psalm teaches us how such repentance lives: rising early to seek God, blessing Him with the mouth, and remembering Him in the night watches. Clement speaks of "lifting up pure and undefiled hands unto Him, loving our gracious and merciful Father, who has made us partakers in the blessings of His elect." Hands are not pure because they are empty, but because they have ceased from violence, greed, and uncleanness, and have been opened in prayer and almsgiving.

At the cross, one criminal blasphemes and one confesses. Therefore do not delay. While the King is before your eyes, choose the better word, and then walk in a manner worthy of it.