The Seven Last Words of Jesus from the Cross - Part 7: The Seventh Word

“Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

As I meditate on Christ’s final word from the cross, I’m reminded of the following story:

Ann Russell Miller lived a life of silk parasols and Mediterranean vacations until her husband’s death in 1984 prompted her to fulfill a sacred pledge. At age 61, the mother of ten threw one last grand party at the Hilton to say goodbye to her 800 guests. "I can do more for you by praying than any other way," she told them before entering a cloistered Carmelite monastery. Trading her wealth for a wooden plank bed and a simple brown habit, she spent her final decades in poverty, chastity, and obedience. She ceased being the socialite Ann and became Sister Mary Joseph of the Trinity, proving to the world that she was finally free to give her life utterly to God.

Ann didn't wait for death to strip her of her possessions; she chose to commend her life to God while she still had so much to give. This radical 'letting go' is the heart of the Seventh Word. As Jesus hangs on the Cross, He isn't having His life taken from Him; He is handing it over. He looks toward the Father and places His very soul into the hands of the Father: “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." Jesus found His life by giving it away.

The seventh and final sentence of Jesus from the cross was in reparation for the sin of avarice. This is probably one of the hardest sins to identify because it’s so deeply ingrained in our culture. We receive thousands of messages on a daily basis through the television, radio, internet, and sometimes, even from our friends and family, that are constantly telling us to pursue our own comfort, security, and pleasure. And we have grown so accustomed to the bombardment that we don’t even notice it. Putting “me” first has become the norm in our society. Avarice has become an extreme idol in our culture, and none of us are immune to it.

We always think of avarice as the desire to possess a lot of money. As a sin, though, avarice is about more than money. A greedy person values money and possessions more than God. Jesus was very concerned about the dangers that surround the wealthy. “The rich will disappear like a flower in the field. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away”(James 1:10-11). When we store up treasures for ourselves but are not rich towards God and others, we are in danger of withering away like the flowers in the field.

And yet, I know many people that are very wealthy but they are not greedy. They are the ones that take care of the poor and needy in our community. They are constantly finding ways to help those that are less fortunate. They are generous, not only with their treasures, but also with their time and talents. The doors of their homes are always open to hold fundraisers and to serve anyone that needs it. They are the opposite of greedy. They are generous and charitable.

I also know many people who are not wealthy, and yet, they would give me the clothing they are wearing or the last penny they own if I were to ask them. They remind me of the “poor widow (who went into the Temple) and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. (Jesus) called his disciples and said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on’”(Mark 12:42-44).

When my sons were in high school, they both spent ten days in the mountains of the Dominican Republic building bridges to help the poor “campesinos” (farmers) who did not have access to the city during the rainy seasons when the rivers overflowed. One of the things that touched them the most was to realize how poor these people were, and yet, how hospitable they were. They would share everything with the group of one hundred men, women, boys, and girls that would show up in their tiny towns. They would open up their houses to them. They would work with them side by side. They would share their meager provisions. And at night, they would dance and sing, bursting with joy and happiness. This taught them that being charitable has nothing to do with wealth. A poor person can be more charitable than a rich one who is greedy.

Even though the majority of us are not called to take such a radical conversion in our lives like the one that Ann Russell Miller took, we must all become detached from wealth, possessions, power, and position if we are to enter the kingdom of heaven. At the end of the day, none of those things matter. The final choice is to surrender ourselves to God because in the end, only God matters. Only when we eliminate the “me” from our lives can we find the perfect freedom that Christ had as He breathed His last. It was His self-giving sacrifice and His obedience unto death that opened the gates of heaven. We must choose the path of daily surrender in order to share in the glory of His Resurrection.

Copyright © 2026 Christy Romero. All rights reserved. If you thought of someone while reading this, bless them by sharing it with them.