Loyalty Has Its Limits

When my father was young it was expected that if a person dedicated his life to a company, the company would take care of him in retirement. Workers and companies were loyal to each other. Those days are gone. Workers used to be able to count on ‘moving up’ in the same company after years of loyalty. Those days are gone. Just one generation later neither company nor worker have any loyalty to anyone but themselves.

This is how loyalty works in the world. People remain loyal only as long as it benefits them. That much as always remained the same. Today is the Feast of Saint Longinos the Centurion. He stood watch over the Cross of Christ during the crucifixion. He was loyal to the Roman Army. Then something changed.

At that time, when the soldiers came to a place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull), they offered him wine to drink, mingled with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots; then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.'” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.  Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and the rocks were split; the tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe, and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Matthew 27:33-54

Saint Longinos remained loyal to the end of his duty. He stood and watched as Christ was mocked, tortured, and killed. He witnessed the natural world itself react to the death of God hanging on the Cross. His life was changed by the experience. He believed in Christ. He preached Christ. He was eventually killed because of Christ.

How quickly his loyalty was forgotten by Pontius Pilate. This is how the world responds when our actions no longer benefit those to whom we have been loyal. God’s loyalty never fades. Even when our actions turn against Him, He remains loyal to us.

At that time, it happened that as he was praying alone the disciples were with him; and he asked them, “Who do the people say that I am?” And they answered, “John the Baptist; but others say, Elijah; and others, that one of the old prophets has risen.” And he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” But he charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Luke 9.18-22

We shouldn’t be surprised by Christ’s loyalty. Long before He was incarnate, He planned to rescue us from the enemy. (See Genesis 3) Even after knowing the elites were out to kill Him, He made the disciples keep His identity a secret until the proper time. As Saint Paul says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5.8)

This is real loyalty. This is real love. Christ didn’t stop His plan ‘just because’ our actions were no longer a benefit to Him. He didn’t stop loving us ‘just because’ we stopped loving Him. This is the sort of love He invites us to have for each other.

Do you want to be a real Christian? Love as Jesus loves. Forget about ‘mutual loyalty’ and remain faithful to others even after they betray you. Don’t stop helping others ‘just because’ they stop helping you. Teach the world what real loyalty looks like.