Many of us have probably heard of the Stations of the Cross. If we haven’t, here is a quick synopsis. The Stations of the Cross are typically a series of 14 images which are arranged in order along a path in which people recite prayers at each station.
Below is a list of the 14 traditional forms of the stations:
- Jesus is condemned to death (Matthew 26:36-41)
- Jesus takes up his Cross (John 19:17)
- Jesus falls the first time
- Jesus meets his Mother
- Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the Cross (Luke 2:25-40)
- Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
- Jesus falls for the second time
- Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem (Luke 23:27-32)
- Jesus falls for the third time
- Jesus is stripped of his garments (Luke 23:34)
- Jesus is nailed to the Cross (Luke 23:33)
- Jesus dies on the Cross (Luke 34:44-46)
- Jesus is taken down from the Cross (Luke 23:50-54)
- Jesus is laid in the tomb (John 19:38-42)
As stations 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9 are not found in the Bible, a “Scriptural Way of the Cross” has been developed listed below:
- Jesus on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:39-46)
- Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested (Luke 22:47-48)
- Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin (Luke 22:66-71)
- Peter denies Jesus (Luke 22:54-62)
- Jesus is judged by Pontius Pilate (Luke 23:13-25)
- Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns (Luke 22:63-65)
- Jesus takes up His cross (John 19:17)
- Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry His cross (Luke 23:36)
- Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem (Luke 23:37-31)
- Jesus is crucified (Luke 23:33-47)
- Jesus promises His kingdom to the thief (Luke 23:43)
- Jesus on the cross speaks with His mother and disciple (John 19:26-27)
- Jesus dies on the cross (Luke 23:44-46)
- Jesus is laid in the tomb (Luke 23:50-54)
This brings the question, where do we find in the Bible that we should pray at these various stations? Unfortunately, it is not found in the Bible. There are no instructions in God’s Word to recite a prayer while standing by an image.
However, the Bible does have scripture which goes against the stations of the cross as follows:
Matthew 6:6-7
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Jesus, in discussing pray says we should not use “vain repetitions” or just repeating of words with no meaning. In doing the stations of the cross, you are to repeat (repetitive) various prayers. What God desires is someone to speak to Him through the heart, in a sincere way.
When God gave Moses the commandments, it was stated we should not make a “graven image” and bow down to the image. The very nature of the stations is to stop at each station and cite a repetitive prayer. These stations are carved images which the Word of God explicitly says we are not to bow down to.
Exodus 20:3-5
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Lastly, if we look at the history of the stations, little is known. What is known, according to the encyclopedia Brittanica, is that “tradition holds that Mary, the mother of Jesus, set up stone markers at her home outside Jerusalem to prayerfully retrace the steps of her son’s Passion, the origin of the devotion in its present form is not clear.” Meaning, there is no historical or Biblical proof of where the stations developed, rather, it was through “tradition” that we are to believe Mary developed this. The Bible does speak about holding tradition.
Mark 7:1-13
Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
What Jesus is stating, they keep their tradition and broke God’s command. As we saw with the stations, it is a tradition. In holding this tradition, we are breaking God’s Word in using repetitious prayers and bowing to graven images.
In conclusion, we should evaluate where our heart is? Do we desire to please God, according to His Word and will? Or do we desire to please God, our way with our will?
