Sermon for 1/22/2012

Luke 23:26-56

The Crucifixion of Jesus

 As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.” Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us”; and to the hills, “Cover us.” For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’

 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [[ Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’]] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

The Death of Jesus

 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’ And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

The Burial of Jesus

 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.

On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Much of our culture depends on us wanting to be like those who are more famous than us. Last weekend there was another Hollywood awards show, and I have no doubt that countless celebrities traipsed the red carpet with breathless onlookers commenting on their attire for the evening. Designers count on this—they depend on people like you and me rushing out to the store and buying similar clothes so that we might at least look like our favorite celebrities. Often you'll see a celebrity endorsing a product that you can be certain they have never used—but the company depends on you believing that their word makes the product more appealing.

In Christianity, this takes on a bit of a different spin. There aren't, as far as I know, reporters who announce what brand of suit Joel Osteen is wearing, in the hopes that other Christians will rush out and buy the same. There aren't brands of Billy Graham endorsed clothing, because there isn't a market for people to buy similar clothing in the hopes that it might help us become like him.

But we are guilty, I think, of having a bit of envy for those 'super-Christians' that are lifted up in society and in Scripture. We read the stories of David and Gideon and Abraham and Noah and we wonder why our lives don't more closely mimic their radical dependence on faith. In ways, we can learn from them, and their faith can show us how to live, even though we are separated by many years.

There's a common story told that reflects on this common idea that we are called to emulate the giants of the faith.

A classic story tells about the great Chassidic Rabbi Zusha, who was found agitated and upset as he lay on deathbed. His students asked, “Rebbe, why are you so sad? After all the the great things you have accomplished, your place in heaven is assured!”

“I’m afraid!” Zusha replied, “Because when I get to heaven, God won’t ask me ‘Why weren’t you more like Moses?’ or ‘Why weren’t you more like King David?’ God will ask ‘Zusha, why weren’t you more like Zusha?’ And then what will I say!?”

The reality of the Christian life is that each of us is a unique individual, made in the image of God, but called and gifted in ways that have never been seen before and never shall grace this earth once more. You, and you alone, have the combination of brains and brawn for a very certain reason—because God has called you to something unique.

Now, perhaps the Christian church, perhaps this very church, has been guilty of trying to prescribe a one-size-fits-all calling. And while I will say, in our defense, that many of the attributes of our lives in faith are held in common, our lives themselves are so unique that we could never capture a full picture of them in the same way that you do. You have been uniquely gifted, called and placed in your situation, and only you can minister the way you do to the people in your life. If I tried to minister in the same situation and way you did, it wouldn't work, just as your gifts and callings wouldn't work in my life. We are each differently gifted, thanks be to God. God loves variety, and God uses us in different ways, in different places, differently.

In today's text, this sad, sad tale of death and despair, we come face to face with this fact in the way only a story-teller could capture. We find ourselves wandering the path to Golgotha, to the cross, along with Jesus, and on the road we meet people as different as one could imagine.

First, we meet Simon of Cyrene, a man of mystery who appears for the purpose of aiding Jesus on his long journey. Simon is there to carry the cross—so he is a strong man. Perhaps he had spent his life wondering why God made him so strong, only to discover on this day that it was for the purpose of helping his Savior. Perhaps, after this day, he recognized his calling as being a man of help to others with burdens too great for one. Simon shouldered his brother's load.

Next come the women. Now, these women probably weren't given the gift of strength as Simon was. I don't want to say that for certain, for plenty of women in this world are stronger than I am, but these women had a role to play, too, but it was different than Simon's. How much worse this story would be if everyone assumed their role was the same as Simon's! Instead, they are called to weep, to mourn for the depth of despair in the world, to cry for the presence of sin. And I will say with boldness that there are people this very day who need someone to cry with them, who need someone to sit with them in their sorrow and discuss the deep wrongs of their lives, of the world. They don't need someone to fix their problems, they just want someone to listen. So the women, in their own way, wept.

Next, we come to the soldiers, men oblivious to the fact that their gifts could be used for God's glory. They are more concerned with enriching themselves and being entertained by this sad scene than they are in helping anyone. Sounds like much of the world, doesn't it? More interested in being enriched and entertained than in growing faith—may we be careful not to fall into this rut.

Finally, we have the two soldiers on the cross—one is caught up in the soldiers' mockery, but the other recognizes that he has missed his life's calling, wasted his terrible years, and in his dismay and anger he cries out to the Savior, desperate to hear if it is too late. The good news for him, for me, for you, is that it isn't too late. The Savior's arms are always open for another sinner to run home.

Even after the death of Jesus, we see people putting their gifts to use. Joseph of Arimithea has influence and he has wealth, and both of these he puts at the service of God so that the body of a King may have a place to lie. He doesn't try to carry the cross, and he doesn't come weeping, but rather comes with the gifts that he has, that no one else has, and does what he can. It's all Jesus asks—that we do what we can to be faithful in our lives.

At the end of the scene we encounter once more the women, waiting to embalm the body of Jesus, desperate to offer one more service to their Lord. They know that they can't do everything, but this once thing they can do, and so they will return.

Friends, you have each been given a unique combination of gifts for the purpose of playing a role in God's unfolding drama of redemption. You are an agent of hope, of light, of the Kingdom, and if you play your part to the best of your abilities, you can trust God to do the rest. So let us set aside our comparisons, our self-abuse, for not being someone else, and let us discover who we are and how we are to live. Let us do this as individuals, claiming our singular role in God's Kingdom, and let us do this as a congregation—may we not regret that we aren't Christ United Methodist or Rivermont Presbyterian or any of the other mega-churches around us. We have a unique role to play as New Hope Presbyterian Church, and we betray our true identity if we don't live into that and trust God to do something powerful with that. Let us claim our identity with passionate hearts and be faithful to that call.

Each of us follows the King in our own way, and we follow Him to the cross, where he fulfilled his unique role as the lamb led to the slaughter, the perfect sacrifice to atone for the sins of humanity. He laid down his life for us, that we might have life, and so we follow him, and in his life we have our own life, lived for his glory, so that we may spread the message to all of humanity—Christ is Risen!

Let us pray!