Sunday, March 29, 2015

Palm Sunday cycle B

MARK 11:1-10
THERE ARE FOUR STORIES OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.  WE'VE JUST HEARD MARK'S VERSION, AND WE WILL HEAR JOHN'S VERSION ON GOOD FRIDAY.  THEY ARE ALL ARE DIFFERENT AND EMPHASIZE DIFFERENT THINGS.  BUT WHICHEVER VERSION WE HEAR, WE HAVE THE QUESTION, “WHY DID JESUS HAVE TO DIE, AND WHY SUCH A HORRIBLE DEATH?”  SOME OF US HAVE WATCHED THAT MOVIE, “THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST”.  SOME CRITICS FELT THAT THE BLOOD AND GORE WERE OVER THE TOP, AND MEL GIBSON WAS JUST TRYING TO SHOCK THE VIEWERS.  BUT WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT CRUCIFIXION IN THOSE DAYS IS PROBABLY MORE CONSISTENT WITH GIBSON'S VISION THAN SO MANY IMAGES WE HAVE OF THE CROSS, WHERE THE SUFFERING OF JESUS ISN'T SO APPARENT.  BUT THE PURPOSE OF CRUCIFIXION WAS NOT PRIMARILY TO PUT SOMEONE TO DEATH; IT WAS TO FRIGHTEN PEOPLE SO THAT THEY WOULD THINK TWICE BEFORE DOING WHAT THE CONDEMNED PERSON HAD DONE.  THE MORE SCREAMING, THE MORE BLOOD, THE MORE WEEPING OF THE RELATIVES – THE MORE THE BETTER.  AND EVEN AFTER THE PERSON DIED, SOMETIMES AFTER SEVERAL DAYS, THE BODY WAS LEFT ON THE CROSS AS A REMINDER THAT NO ONE TRIFLED WITH THE ROMAN EMPIRE.  CRUCIFIXION THEN AS NOW WAS AN ACT OF TERRORISM.
JESUS HIMSELF TOLD HIS FOLLOWERS THAT THE HAD TO DIE; THAT WAS HIS DESTINY.  BUT THEOLOGIANS HAVE WONDERED WHY?  THERE ARE SEVERAL THEORIES.  ONE IS THAT WHEN GOD THE FATHER SEES JESUS DYING, HE HAS PITY ON JESUS' BROTHERS AND SISTERS.  THAT'S THE THEORY OF ATONEMENT – JESUS' DEATH COVERS OVER OUR SINS. ANOTHER THEORY IS THAT AFTER THE FALL OF ADAM, WE BECAME ENSLAVED TO SATAN.  JESUS TRADED HIS OWN LIFE FOR OUR LIVES, AND GAVE HIMSELF OVER TO SATAN; BUT BEING GOD, HE ROSE AGAIN, ESCAPING FROM SATAN'S CLUTCHES.  THAT'S THE THEORY OF RANSOM.  AND THEN THERE IS THE THEORY OF SUBSTITUTION.  MAN SINNED, AND GOD WAS OFFENDED, SO HE DEMANDED THAT MAN BE PUNISHED.  JESUS ACCEPTED PUNISHMENT ON OUR BEHALF, SATISFYING THE FATHER'S NEED TO HAVE A VICTIM.
I DON'T LIKE ANY OF THESE IDEAS.  JESUS HIMSELF TAUGHT THAT GOD WAS NOT VENGEFUL, LIKE A MEDEVIAL TYRANT; GOD IS LIKE THE LOVING FATHER IN THE STORY OF THE PRODIGAL SON, WHO EVEN THOUGH HIS SON SINS AGAINST HIM, WAITS ANXIOUSLY AND WHEN THE SON RETURNS, REJOICES AND DEMANDS NOTHING FROM THE SON.  WOULD THAT KIND OF GOD BE ANYTHING LIKE THE GOD IN THE THEORIES WE JUST MENTIONED?  WOULD GOD WHO SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON DEMAND THE DEATH OF THAT BELOVED SON TO MAKE UP FOR THE SINS OF HIS OTHER CHILDREN, YOU AND I?  WOULD A  LOVING GOD STAND BY AND LET HIS CHILDREN BE ENSLAVED BY SATAN?  I ACCEPT THAT JESUS HAD TO DIE FOR US, BUT THERE MUST BE ANOTHER WAY TO SEE THIS, A WAY THAT DOESN'T MAKE THE FATHER INTO A VILLAIN.
I THINK THE STORY OF THE PASSION MAY GIVE US A HINT.  DID YOU NOTICE THAT AFTER JESUS WAS HUNG ON THE CROSS, HE WAS  OFFERED A MIXTURE OF VINEGAR AND MYRRH, OR IN MATTHEW'S STORY, VINEGAR AND GALL?  IN THOSE DAYS THE FAMILIES OF THE CRUCIFIED PERSON WOULD DO WHAT THEY COULD TO HELP THE PAIN  – THEY MIGHT OFFER A SLEEPING POTION, OR A DOSE OF OPIUM, OR SOME OTHER PREPARATION THAT WOULD DULL THE SENSES, MAYBE PUT THE VICTIM TO SLEEP.  AND JESUS REFUSES TO TAKE ANYTHING THAT WOULD LESSEN HIS SUFFERING.  AND THEN LATER, SHORTLY BEFORE HE DIES, JESUS IS OFFERED WINE ON A SPONGE.  IT IS OFFERED BECAUSE THE CROWD WANTS TO SEE IF ELIJAH WILL COME AND FREE HIM.  AND THIS TIME HE DOES DRINK IT.  AS HE FELT HIS LIFE LEAVING HIM, HE TOOK THE WINE; A LITTLE WINE ENERGIZES, AND JESUS ACCEPTED IT FOR THAT REASON.  JESUS SUFFERED AS MUCH AS HE WAS ABLE TO SUFFER; AND BEING GOD, HIS SUFFERING WAS GREATER THAN THE SUFFERING OF ANY HUMAN BEING BEFORE OR AFTER HIM, FOREVER.  JESUS IS NOT A MASOCHIST.  HE DID, AFTER ALL, PRAY THAT THIS CUP WOULD BE TAKEN AWAY.  BUT WHEN IT IS OBVIOUS THAT HIS PRAYER WON'T BE ANSWERED, HIS RESPONSE IS TO ENTER INTO THE FATHER'S PLAN FULLY.  IN REFUSING THE DRUG AND TAKING THE STIMULATING WINE, HE SAYING, “YOUR WILL IS MY WILL”.
WE CAN'T FORGET THAT JESUS' SUFFERING WAS ONLY PART OF HIS WHOLE LIFE.  HE BEGAN AS AN EMBRYO, LIKE ALL OF US.  HE PASSED THROUGH INFANCY, CHILDHOOD, THE TEEN YEARS, AND ADULTHOOD.  HE WORKED WITH HIS HANDS, HE STUDIED, HE FORMED FRIENDSHIPS AND HE KNEW JOY AND SORROW.  AND THEN HE SUFFERED.  GOD CHOSE TO BECOME HUMAN, AND LIVE THE LIFE OF EVERY HUMAN BEING.  AND IN LIVING MY LIFE AND YOUR LIFE, HE ACCOMPANIES US IN OUR OWN LIVES.  HE IS ALWAYS ONE STEP AHEAD; HE'S BEEN WHERE WE ARE GOING; AND NO MATTER HOW GREAT OUR SUFFERING MAY BE, HE WILL BE THERE WITH US, SINCE HE'S EXPERIENCED THAT.  HE SUFFERED AS PART OF HIS PLAN TO LIVE YOUR LIFE AND MY LIFE SO THAT WHEN THE FATHER RAISES HIM FROM THE DEAD, HE IS STILL GOING AHEAD OF US MAKING RESURRECTION AND ETERNAL LIFE  POSSIBLE FOR THOSE WHOM HE HAS ACCOMPANIED.
PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED WHY INNOCENT PEOPLE SUFFER, WHY THERE IS EVIL IN THE WORLD, WHY EVERYONE WHO IS BORN MUST DIE WHEN A GOOD GOD WOULD NOT WISH ANY OF THIS ON HIS CHILDREN.  THE CHRISTIAN ANSWER, WHICH WE DEDUCE FROM THE STORY OF ADAM AND EVE, AND FROM OUR OWN EXPERIENCE AS WELL, IS THAT THE EVIL IN THE WORLD IS THE RESULT OF THE  FACT THAT  GOD MADE US CREATURES LIKE HIMSELF WHO ARE FREE TO MAKE AND CARRY OUT CHOICES.  GOD KNOWS THAT BECAUSE HE MADE US FREE, WE WILL MAKE BAD CHOICES, WHICH WILL BRING SUFFERING ON OURSELVES AND ON OTHERS.  AT THE SAME TIME, GOD KNOWS THAT ONLY FREE CREATURES CAN FORM RELATIONSHIPS, ESPECIALLY WITH GOD HIMSELF.  FOR THERE TO BE LOVE, THERE HAS TO BE FREEDOM.  SO GIVEN THOSE CONDITIONS, ALL GOD CAN DO IS WHAT HE DID DO, WHICH IS TO BECOME HUMAN SO WE CAN BECOME SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD..