The Journey to the Cross (Day 4 - THE LADDER)


In the city of Jerusalem stands a church called The Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  It has been proposed as the place of both the death and resurrection of Jesus, and it has been a place for pilgrimages since the 4th century.

Considered holy, the site is cared for by no less than six denominations including Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Roman Catholic, Coptic, Ethiopian and Syriac Orthodox.  As such, it has been carefully parsed out into sections.  And sadly, arguments and violent clashes are not uncommon.

Jim visited the church once on a trip with Northridge and told me about "The Immovable Ladder".  Apparently the ladder is a "bizzare outcome of religious stubbornness pushed to extremes." For "Sometime in the first half of the 18th century, someone placed a ladder up against the wall of the church. No one is sure who he was, or more importantly, to which sect he belonged.  The ladder remains there to this day.  No one dares touch it, lest they disturb the status quo, and provoke the wrath of others."1

How silly is that?  These religions which are supposed to be based on the teachings of Jesus - JESUS who said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" - Matthew 22:37-39, are worried about a ladder!  

In my mind - they've entirely missed the point!

The whole thing makes me think of Jesus during holy week before His crucifixion.  "Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there.  He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.  'It is written,' he said to them, 'My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.'" - Matthew 21:12-13

No doubt the religious of the day (those condoning the sale of sacrificial animals), thought they were abiding by "God's Law".  

Surely they believed they were climbing the "ladder of success." One that led to their sanctification and place among God and his angels.  So I am certain that it came as a shock to them when Jesus walked in and told them (just like those groups taking care of the church in Jerusalem), not only were they not climbing toward success - they weren't even on the right ladder!!

Friends - as we hit the mid-point of Holy Week - I urge you to think about your own life, the ladders you are climbing, and how you are measuring success.  Is success measured by the amount of money in your bank account, the house you live in, or the cars you drive?

Or are you putting your time, energy, and talents into loving your Lord God with all your heart, soul and mind, and your neighbor as yourself?

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1 Atlas Obscura, "Immovable Ladder on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre", November 25, 2009. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/immovable-ladder-church-holy-sepulchre



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