Sunday, March 28, 2010

Palm Sunday, cycle C

Luke 22:14 - 23:56
TODAY WE HEAR THE STORY OF JESUS' LAST HOURS, FROM THE LAST SUPPER TO HIS BURIAL. HE HAS BEEN BETRAYED, CAPTURED, JUDGED, MADE TO CARRY HIS CROSS, AND EXECUTED. PETER HAS DENIED THAT HE EVEN KNEW HIM. ALL HIS FRIENDS ARE WATCHING FROM A DISTANCE, TOO AFRAID TO COME NEAR. ONLY THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM APPROACH HIM. JESUS HANGS ON THE CROSS, ABANDONED, AND THEN DIES.
WE CHRISTIANS, OF COURSE, SEE THE TRAGEDY OF AN INNOCENT MAN, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE GOD, BEING DELIBERATELY AND CRUELLY PUT TO DEATH. WE KNOW OUR SINS PUT HIM THERE, AND THAT STILL DOESN'T STOP US FROM SINNING. BUT WE ALSO SEE THAT THIS MOMENT IS THE GREATEST MOMENT OF ALL TIME, BECAUSE THANKS TO JESUS' DEATH, WE OVERCOME DEATH, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENTER INTO ETERNAL LIFE, JESUS' OWN LIFE. IN FACT, FOR MOST OF US, THAT HAS ALREADY STARTED; OUR BAPTISM IS A SOLEMN PLEDGE FROM GOD THAT HE SEES US AS HIS ADOPTED SONS AND DAUGHTERS, AND LIKE THE FATHER OF THE PRODIGAL SON, HE WATCHES US FROM AFAR AND WAITS FOR US TO TURN BACK TO HIM SO THAT HE CAN FORGIVE US.
THE RULERS OF THE PEOPLE SEE JESUS HANGING ON THE CROSS, AND CRY OUT “HE SAVED OTHERS, NOW LET HIM SAVE HIMSELF, IF HE IS THE CHOSEN ONE, THE CHRIST OF GOD.” THE RULERS OF THE PEOPLE, THE PRIESTS, THE SCRIBES, THE PHARISEES, THE OFFICIALS OF HEROD'S COURT – THEY SEE THEMSELVES AS ABOVE THE FRAY; THEY LEAD AFFLUENT LIVES, THEY DON'T GET THEIR HANDS DIRTY; THEY COUNT ON THEIR POSITION AND THEIR WEALTH, AND THEIR OBSERVANCE OF THE LAW TO SAVE THEMSELVES. CERTAINLY THEY DON'T LOOK TO THE MAN DYING ON THE CROSS TO SAVE THEM. IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
THE SOLDIERS, PERHAPS MORE SYMPATHETIC TRY TO OFFER HIM WINE. THEY ARE FROM DISTANT LANDS, AND THEY KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE PEOPLE THEY CONTROL. THEY'VE HEARD RUMORS, AND THEY SEE THE SIGN ABOVE HIS HEAD, “KING OF THE JEWS”. “IF YOU ARE THE KING OF THE JEWS,” THEY SAY, “SAVE YOURSELF.” BECAUSE THE SOLDIERS DO NOT NEED TO LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR SALVATION; THEY ARE STRONG, THEY HAVE WEAPONS, AND THEY HAVE THE FORCE OF THE GREATEST EMPIRE THE EARTH HAS SEEN BEHIND THEM. AND WHATEVER THEY BELIEVE ABOUT THE NEXT LIFE, IF THEY HAVE ANY BELIEF AT ALL, THEY ASSUME THAT SINCE THEY SERVE THE EMPEROR, AND THE EMPEROR IS A DIVINE PERSON, THEIR FUTURE IS ASSURED, AS FAR AS IT CAN BE IN HUMAN TERMS.
ONE THIEF, CONDEMNED TO DEATH, DYING, JOINS THE MOCKERY. “IF YOU ARE THE CHRIST, SAVE YOURSELF AND US!” HE LONG AGO GAVE UP ANY HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE; HE DECIDED THAT WHAT SALVATION HE COULD EXPECT CAME HERE ON EARTH, BY HIS OWN HANDS. AND HE KNEW THAT DEATH WAS THE END, AND HE WOULD JUST CEASE TO BE. THE VERY THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A “SALVATION” ANGERED HIM. RIGHT THERE ON THE NEXT CROSS OVER WAS PROOF THAT THERE WAS NO FUTURE AFTER DEATH; THE VERY ONE WHO PROMISED THAT IS HANGING THERE DYING.
THE OTHER THIEF CRIES OUT, “JESUS, REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.” HE TOO HAS LONG AGO GIVEN UP HIS RELIGION, HIS HOPES FOR ANYTHING AFTER THIS LIFE. BUT HE SEES SOMEONE WHO HE KNOWS IS INNOCENT – PILATE SAID SO, HEROD SAID SO. AND YET HE IS DYING ON A CROSS. THE GOOD THIEF SEES THE CROSS, NOT AS AN INSTRUMENT OF TORTURE, BUT AS A THRONE ON WHICH A KING REIGNS. AND HE IS PROMISED, WITH THE NEXT BUT LAST WORDS THAT JESUS UTTERS, “TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”
THE GOOD THIEF RECOGNIZED WHAT WE ALL HAVE TO LEARN AND RELEARN; OUR SALVATION COMES THROUGH THE CROSS. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO RESURRECTION. ALL OF US HAVE HAD CROSSES, OR WILL HAVE THEM, OR ARE HAVING CROSSES TO CARRY RIGHT NOW. MAYBE AN ILLNESS, MAYBE A FRACTURED RELATIONSHIP, MAYBE A CHILD WHO SEEMS HOPELESSLY LOST. MAYBE IT'S THE BODY THAT IS WEARING OUT, AND WILL NEVER GET BACK TO THAT WONDERFUL HEALTH THAT WE TOOK FOR GRANTED WHEN WE WERE YOUNG. MAYBE IT'S WORRY ABOUT MONEY, ABOUT A JOB THAT I MIGHT LOSE.
TURN YOUR HEAD AND LOOK AT THE ONE NEXT TO YOU, ON THE CROSS, INNOCENT, AND ASK HIM TO REMEMBER YOU. AND GOD WILLING, HE WILL SAY, “BEHOLD, TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”