JOHN 18:1-19:42
SOME OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR
WITH THE DEVOTION HAVING TO DO WITH THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF JESUS.
THESE ARE STATEMENTS MADE BY JESUS ON THE CROSS, RECORDED BY THE
WRITERS OF THE GOSPELS. JOHN, WHO WROTE THE GOSPEL YOU JUST HEARD,
RECORDED THREE OF THEM.
THE FIRST THING HE SAYS,
IS “WOMAN, BEHOLD YOUR SON,” TO HIS MOTHER, AND THEN “BEHOLD
YOUR MOTHER” TO HIS DISCIPLE JOHN. WE ARE TOLD THAT JOHN, FROM
THAT DAY FORWARD, TOOK CARE OF MARY. JESUS HANGING ON THE CROSS NEAR
THE POINT OF DEATH DOESN'T LOOK LIKE HE CAN DO MUCH FOR ANYONE, AND
YET, HE TAKES CARE OF HIS MOTHER. AND DURING HIS LIFETIME, HE ONCE
SAID, “WHOEVER DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER IN HEAVEN IS MY MOTHER
AND MY SISTER AND MY BROTHER.” JESUS SPENT HIS EARTHLY LIFE TAKING
CARE OF PEOPLE; HEALING THE SICK, RAISING THE DEAD, DRIVING OUT
DEMONS, AND MOST OF ALL, GIVING US A PATTERN OF LIFE THROUGH HIS
WORDS AND ACTIONS, SO THAT WE COULD KNOW THE WILL OF THE FATHER. AND
HE LEFT US THAT FRIGHTENING STATEMENT THAT IS VERY HARD TO HEAR;
“WHATSOEVER YOU DO NOT DO FOR THE LEAST OF MY BROTHERS, YOU DO NOT
DO FOR ME.” AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF THE LEAST OF OUR BROTHERS OUT
THERE, IN THE COLD, IN THE STREETS. THERE ARE PLENTY OF THEM IN THE
NURSING HOMES, IN TENEMENT HOUSING; THERE ARE PLENTY OF THEM WHO WILL
GROW UP IN POVERTY, DEPRIVED OF EDUCATION AND MORAL TRAINING, WHOSE
ROLE MODELS ARE THIEVES AND DRUG ADDICTS. AND THEY WILL CONTINUE
THIS VICIOUS CYCLE. WE KNOW THAT. AND I'VE ONLY MENTIONED WHAT WE
COULD FIND HERE IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS. I'M SURE SOME OF YOU SAW
THE MOVIE, “SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE”. I'M TOLD THAT THAT IS A VERY
REALISTIC PORTRAYAL OF WHAT IT IS LIKE TO LIVE IN THE SLUMS OF INDIA.
GOD GAVE THE HUMAN RACE A
BEAUTIFUL, FERTILE, PRODUCTIVE PLANET. EVERYTHING WE NEED TO BE
HEALTHY AND HAPPY IS HERE. HE GAVE US OUR INTELLIGENCE AND OUR
INGENUITY TO BUILD A WORLD WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO STRUGGLE FROM
MORNING TO EVENING TRYING TO GET SOMETHING TO EAT; WE ARE SO
FORTUNATE IN THIS COUNTRY THAT IT'S ALMOST CRIMINAL!
AND THAT IS THE FIRST
WORD FROM THE CROSS – TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. SHOW MY CARE, AND
MY FATHER'S CARE, TO THOSE AROUND YOU. THAT IS THE WAY I, JESUS,
WILL TAKE CARE OF MY PEOPLE. TO BE THE BROTHER AND SISTER AND MOTHER
OF JESUS, WE MUST DO THE WILL OF HIS FATHER AND OUR FATHER; AND IT
REALLY BEGINS WITH TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER IN A SUBSTANTIAL WAY.
THE SECOND WORD IS “I
THIRST.” AS A PHYSICIAN, I'VE BEEN AT THE BEDSIDE OF MANY PEOPLE
WHO WERE DYING, AND THIRST IS NOT AT ALL UNCOMMON. BUT I THINK THERE
IS A DEEPER MEANING HERE. GOD, BEING LOVE ITSELF, WANTS TO BRING ALL
HIS CREATION, ESPECIALLY WE HUMAN BEINGS, INTO HIS GREAT LOVE, INTO
THE HEART OF THE TRINITY. AND JESUS, THE VERY IMAGE OF GOD, TAKES TO
HIMSELF THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR SINS SO THAT WE CAN DO THIS; BECAUSE
SIN BY DEFINITION IS A FOCUS OF ATTENTION ON OURSELVES, AND WE HAVE
TO CHANGE OUR FOCUS TO GOD IN ORDER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS OFFER.
JESUS LONGS FOR UNION WITH US, AND THERE ON THE CROSS, HE SEES YOU
AND I AND ALL MANKIND, AND HE SEES THAT DESPITE HAVING GIVEN
EVERYTHING GOD COULD POSSIBLY GIVE TO US, MANY WILL CHOOSE TO IGNORE
HIS SACRIFICE, MANY WILL CHOOSE HELL RATHER THAN ACCEPT HIS MERCIFUL
ACT. AND MANY MORE OF US PERHAPS, WILL NEVER LET GO OF OUR EGOS; WE
WILL NEVER ALLOW GOD TO DWELL IN OUR CENTER, AND BECAUSE OF THAT WE
WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO GRASP ALL THAT GOD WANTS FOR US. THAT IS THE
GREAT THIRST OF JESUS, THE LONGING OF A HUSBAND FOR THE WIFE THAT HE
LOVES, WHO LOVES SOMEONE ELSE; THE LONGING OF A PARENT FOR A CHILD
WHO MOVES TO ANOTHER CITY AND CUTS OFF ALL COMMUNICATION. THE PAIN
OF THE NAILS, THE WHIP, AND THE CROWN OF THORNS IS NOTHING COMPARED
TO THE PAIN OF LOSING THE ONES YOU LOVE FOREVER; AND JESUS LOVES EACH
OF US MORE THAN ANY LOVER EVER COULD.
THE THIRD WORD IS “IT
IS FINISHED”. JOHN WROTE HIS GOSPEL IN GREEK, AND THE WORD USED IS
“TETELESTAI”. TO OUR EARS, “IT IS FINISHED” SOUND STIFF AND
FORMAL. BUT IN THE TIME OF JESUS, WHEN A SERVANT FINISHED A TASK
GIVEN TO HIM, HE WOULD SAY TO HIS MASTER, “TETELESTAI”. WHEN A
CHILD COMPLETED A LESSON, HE WOULD SAY, “TETELESTAI”. WHEN A
MERCHANT HAD BEEN PAID FOR WHAT HE HAD SOLD, HE WOULD SAY,
“TETELESTAI”. TO THE PEOPLE OF JESUS' TIME, THE WORD MEANT MORE.
JESUS HAS FINISHED HIS TASK ON EARTH; THERE IS NOTHING MORE TO ADD;
IT IS COMPLETE.
AND WHAT IS COMPLETE IS
RECONCILIATION. IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN OFFENDED BY SOMEONE, YOUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT PERSON CHANGES; YOU FEEL AWKWARD WHEN YOU ARE
AROUND HER; THE EASY BACK AND FORTH OF CONVERSATION IS NO LONGER
POSSIBLE. AND IF YOU HAVE A BIG HEART, YOU MAY REACH OUT TO THAT
PERSON EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE THE ONE OFFENDED; BUT FOR THE
RELATIONSHIP TO BE RESTORED, THERE HAS TO BE SOME REACHING OUT FROM
THAT PERSON AS WELL. AND JESUS IS THE REACHING OUT OF GOD THE
FATHER, AND JESUS IS THE RESPONSE OF THE HUMAN RACE, AND IN THAT
MOMENT, WHEN RECONCILIATION WAS COMPLETE, THE ORIGINAL FRIENDSHIP
BETWEEN GOD AND MAN, THE FRIENDSHIP THAT WAS APPARENT WHEN GOD WALKED
IN THE GARDEN WITH OUR FIRST PARENTS, WHEN GOD GAVE MAN DOMINION OVER
ALL THE EARTH – THAT FRIENDSHIP IS THERE AGAIN, FOR THE TAKING, IF
WE ACCEPT IT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
CROSS, WHEN YOU VENERATE THE CROSS, MAY TEARS COME TO YOUR EYES –
NOT TEARS OF SHAME, BUT TEARS OF LOVE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHY THEY CALL
IT GOOD FRIDAY – JESUS HAS GIVEN HIS ALL, NOT BECAUSE THE FATHER IS
A CRUEL TYRANT WHO DEMANDS THE DEATH OF HIS SON IN EXCHANGE FOR
LETTING US GO; NOT BECAUSE THE FATHER IS A SADISTIC RULER WHO ALLOWS
US INTO HIS KINGDOM IF HIS SON DIES FOR US; NOT BECAUSE JESUS GOES TO
HIS DEATH KNOWING FULL WELL THAT HE WILL WAKE UP RESURRECTED SO IT
ISN'T THAT BIG A DEAL – JESUS WAS REALLY DEAD, AS DEAD AS YOU AND I
WILL BE. NO, JESUS HAS GIVEN HIS ALL BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY WE
CREATURES, MADE IN GOD'S IMAGE AND LIKENESS, WITH A FREE WILL, COULD
EVER BE RECONCILED WITH THE FATHER; ONE OF US, THE SINLESS ONE, HAD
TO SUBMIT HIMSELF COMPLETELY TO THE WILL OF GOD. HOW MUCH DOES GOD
LOVE YOU? THAT MUCH.
