"For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God." Foolish indeed is the preaching of the Cross to those who believe in Disneyworld and the power of malls: those who believe that happiness is our highest goal in life, who put their trust in things that money can buy, who believe that suffering is a great evil that must be eliminated at any cost.
But for those of us who believe, the Cross which we bear on our shoulders is the means to salvation, the only path by which we shall be delivered from the power of sin, death and the Devil. Let us rejoice, therefore, and be exceeding glad, for by the power of the Cross our enemies are vanquished and we are granted abundant life in God's heavenly Kingdom.
And so, as our Lord assures us, "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross, and follow Me." And again (as the Lord relates in the Parable of the Talents) "For everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance : but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath."
This is contrary, of course, to the modern political idea of "income redistribution," according to which those who have are compelled to give to those who have not, lest "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer." Of course, Jesus wasn't preaching politics... nor am I. But the truth is (in the spiritual sense) those who through fear or laziness or foolish complacency do nothing to increase the talent God has given them--that is, whatever gifts and abilities God has bestowed upon us, however small and insignificant they may seem--shall surely be judged unworthy to share in the joy of God's eternal Kingdom.
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