Reflection on the Crucifixion-Matthew 27: 27-44

As I began reflecting on this portion of Jesus’ passion story one question dominated my thinking: what should we focus on to best help us remember what our savior endured for us? Certainly one way would be to focus on all the violent action that takes place. The crown of thorns. The beating. The spitting. It seems as though Mel Gibson covered that pretty thoroughly for us. Another would be to focus on the process of crucifixion: outlining the reasons it was effective for the Romans, the painful things the body endures when nailed to a cross, and the slow death by asphyxiation. We could also remember the highly charged political nature of the entire situation. The false testimony. The shady witnesses. The political title that Jesus never took for himself, but was given to him. We could remember all these things, but what sort of impression would it leave on us? What is there left to remember if not the gruesome details? Many of the other details of the crucifixion point to what we can remember and connect with most in this story: the emotional pain. The writer focuses on and even repeats words that we have all had directed at us before. Derided. Taunted. Mocking. These are the things that are strongly emphasized throughout the whole account and they call our attention to our own times of being treated as “less than.” Jesus was made to wear a purple robe and bear a crown and a title “King of the Jews.” When have you been dressed up and made into something you’re not? Someone passing by, Simon from Cyrene, was forced to carry the cross.  Jesus probably witnessed and took notice of this. When has someone been made to carry your pain that didn’t deserve it? One of the key insults that the common person threw at Jesus was his prediction about the Temple. When have you had something you’ve said be thrown back in your face? The chief priests, scribes and elders all wanted to see the power happen on their own time in their own way. When has someone expected something out of you that you couldn’t give? This doesn’t just happen to us; we often times play the opposite role. We force others to experience these things. We expect others to be more. We throw things back in their face. We make them carry pain that they don’t deserve. We have it done to us, we do it to others and Jesus experienced all of it. Jesus experienced and suffered what we do to ourselves and to each other all the time, intentionally treating each other as less than. In the midst of all of this we are also given a reminder from an unlikely bunch: the chief priests, the scribes and the elders. Their reminder? Jesus is more. He is the King of Israel. He trusts in God. He saved others. Even in all the mocking and taunting the truth is there. He trusts in God. He saved others. We stand at the cross now, hearing the insults but also hearing and knowing the truth: He trusts in God. He saved others. He saved us. Thanks be to God. Amen

Sermon on John 2:13-22 (Lent 3B)

The Passion of Jesus

I had the opportunity on Monday to go to Lamar High School and hear 4 of Nancy George’s debate students present speeches as a part of a Rotary Club contest. Each of these four students spoke on a unique topic and added their own perspective. It was apparent that they were reflecting on something they cared about. It was refreshing to hear these teens talk about topics that were beyond the thoughts of most high school juniors, but for me the most refreshing thing came after the results had been presented. One of the students didn’t do as well as she had wanted to and she was not happy to say the least. She had wanted to do better than last out of four, it wasn’t about winning, but she felt as though she had done better than last place. Her tears and raw emotions were unrivaled by all of the passion that had just been shared in 4 different speeches. She was angry. At what exactly I don’t know, the injustice, the unfairness, at herself and her preparations, or just the way the situation turned out.  I could only describe it with one word: passion.

Passion is where we dive into our gospel text for today. As I read it I wondered about a lot of things: Was Jesus just angry? Was he also hurt by what he saw? Was he crying? Did the disciples see this all happening in slow motion? Their teacher just going ballistic through the crowds of people directing the whip he had made in all directions, throwing things and flipping furniture over. Did some innocent people get caught in the cross fire? What did the poor dove sellers do that would cause Jesus to direct his words right at them? This is not our usual picture of Jesus. Why would he do such a thing? The writer tells us that the disciples remembered Psalm 69 “Zeal for your house will consume me.” Jesus’ example gives all new meaning to zeal and fervor huh? Before you pick up your whips and start trying to flip over your pews (Which you can’t by the way. They are bolted to the floor. I checked) let’s look at this text a little deeper.

Normally when you think of people being angry and passionate it’s in a rather unhealthy way. Lauren came home this week from work very upset by a phone conversation that she had with someone. As she was changing the marquee outside of Calvary someone stopped by and ask what their cross meant. Outside on the building they have a cross with a circle around the inside part of it. She didn’t know but said she would find out and call this person back. After consulting with the pastors she called this gentleman back and was bombarded with all sorts of opinions and thoughts about the cross as a symbol and how the church needed to rethink how it did things. 3 things were apparent: 1. This guy has way too much time on his hands 2. He wasn't looking for a conversation but rather just to berate someone with his thoughts and 3. He was very passionate about his convictions. All that came from it though was confusion and hurt for Lauren. It’s when our passions and our zeal and fervor become self-focused and self serving that we inflict a lot of pain. Usually when we react in this way after the feelings have passed we feel empty, worse than when we started. We are met with the question “What sign can you show us for doing this?” and we don’t know how to respond. People ask “Who do you think you are?” “Why would you do such a thing?” We can’t answer because let’s face it… we have passionate outbursts like this all the time and they usually happen because we are focused on us.

Does this mean we should be apathetic? Never have opinions about things? Not at all. We are called to follow Jesus’ example. Live the sort of passionate life that he lived. So that means we get to go randomly flip furniture over right? Sort of. The question I am most concerned with is: what is the motivation? Jesus doesn’t feel bad about his outburst, but instead answers back rather quickly when confronted about his credentials. It’s not about drawing attention to himself, but rather focusing the attention back on God. All of these things taking place in the temple courtyard were interfering with what coming to the temple and sacrifice were about: God. Jesus wasn’t merely flipping stuff over to make a point, but he was doing it to turn attention back to God and to God’s will. Jesus is showing his passion for God and God’s will by not allowing for these things to get in the way. Jesus was in the business of turning people back to God and there were a lot of other times that he did this during his ministry, in a much milder way, but there is one time in particular that we aren’t sure to forget: on the cross. Jesus showed his passion in the deepest of ways when he died on the cross to bring us all back to God. He didn’t do it to merely make a point but to draw our attention back to God. Jesus died on the cross so that things won’t get in the way of our relationship with God. Jesus used his passion for God to drive out those things that keep us where we are at and show us a new and different way of doing things.

Like the disciples we now remember. We remember the words of Jesus and his passionate outburst. We remember that he had zeal for his Father’s house. We remember the sacrifice that he gave so that we might be made free. We remember also that we are a passionate people created in the image of God. So here’s the question: What’s your motivation? What are you passionate about? How can you go back to work, to school, to your family, to your friends and be consumed by the passion for a new way of doing things? May we journey together and discover how to use our passions to turn people towards God. May we remember that Jesus has freed us for a new way of doing things. And may zeal for love, grace, and God ever consume us. Amen