March 25, 2016
Good Friday
John 18-19
(prayer)
Earlier this week, I filled
out my 2015 taxes.
The Canada Revenue Agency
will certainly encourage all income
earners in our country to fill out the required paperwork (literally or
virtually) by the end of next month.
//
You know what Benjamin
Franklin said about the certainty of taxes. In an 1789 letter, Franklin wrote
that (while there was hope for a permanence of the newly established US
Constitution), "in this world
nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes".
He was trying to be funny,
of course, because... taxes are NOT a certainty. If they were, tiny Caribbean islands wouldn't
have major financial institutions as their primary industries.
//
There is one thing that is
certain in this world... death. Nothing that exists now will endure in its
current state into perpetuity. That is
true for everything, living or inert.
//
As the minister for the
only United Church in town (that happens to be located across the street from
one of Leduc's two funeral homes), in the last 15+ years, I have been asked to
assist more than 330 groups of families and friends in their times of grief.
//
We value our lives. We live to be in
relationship with each other. It is how we are made.
This life we have is wonderful - full of wonder.
We all deserve to know beauty and love
to the fullest possible extent.
Our bodies have evolved an amazing
ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
Our minds (collectively) have discovered medicines and techniques to
heal the body from many injuries and ailments. We are living longer than at any other time in human history. These
abilities expand with every new generation.
But even with all of this... death is
still certain. Without exception.
//
It remains true that the life we have
in this world is fragile and finite.
Whether it is advanced age, or illness or violent trauma, every life
will end.
//
We all know this. But - it seems to be a topic, that most of us
avoid giving much attention.
When we are forced to (because of a
doctor's prognosis, or a sad call from a loved one, or reading the obit section
of a newspaper)... we will accept the finite nature of this existence. But for the most part, we try to ignore the end
that will come.
//
We prefer to invest our energy
in the stuff of life. It defines
us. It fills us.
And so when death comes close, we
become broken, incomplete, empty in some ways. This is true whether death has
come after a long life or a short one, whether it is slowly anticipated or
comes unexpectedly.
//
Today is Good Friday.
The day we remember the death of Yeshua
ben Yoseph - Jesus, son of Joseph - a carpenter turned teacher-healer from
Nazareth in the early 1st century.
Jesus' death came about relatively suddenly. Less than a week before hand, he was part of
a small group of pilgrims who were joining thousands of other people of faith
to share festival together.
Jesus and his group had made a special
journey south to Jerusalem - as they had likely done before. There was no reason to assume that this
festive retreat would end in death.
//
In retrospect, we can see the dominoes
fall. Early in the week, there was a
protest among the money changers. And
yes, Jesus was teaching in the Temple courtyard (as many others did), but was
his message really that outrageous?
In retrospect, we know that there were
concerns behind the scenes about a claim that Jesus (son of Joseph) of Nazareth
was a Hebrew king.
He didn't act like someone bent on
political revolution, but the powers-that-be were concerned enough to look into
the claims, which included seeking the assistance of one of Jesus' own
followers to bring him in for questioning.
Right through to suppertime on Thursday
evening, there was no obvious need for anyone to worry.
It was not until after a post-supper
garden prayer - when roman soldiers and temple police were led to Jesus to
arrest him - that worry entered the
picture.
But - even after a surprising Thursday
evening arrest - who could have imagined that (in only a few hours) Jesus' fate
would be sealed and he would be included among the empire's Friday executions.
With almost no time to prepare, Jesus'
friends watched him die at the hands of the Roman authorities - as a convicted
traitor to the empire: with the complicity of the local religious elite.
However you look at it, this small town
preacher died because was seen as a threat to established systems of
power. By 9 am Friday morning, it no
longer mattered if that threat was real or imagined.
//
If Jesus was part of your life in
Jerusalem that week, how do you think you would deal with that?
//
Simon Peter.
He was one of Jesus' first
followers. He had known Jesus longer
that almost everyone in his group other than Jesus' family members.
Peter is said to be one of the
disciples to first articulate a belief that Jesus may - in fact - be God's
anointed Messiah.
Peter was part of a small group that
experienced a shared vision of Jesus shining in the light of God's glory on
par with great figures of faith like Elijah and Moses.
And yet, Peter had little patience for
the possibility that Jesus (as the Christ) could be overcome by any human
power. Peter even argued with Jesus
about this.
It is said that Peter even tried to
violent disrupt Jesus' arrest.
We should not be surprised that Peter
was struck with worry and fear after Jesus' arrest.
I think Peter went in a self-preservation
mode.
He had no desire to join Jesus in the
governor's court of justice. There was
so much uncertainty. Would Jesus be
released? How much deeper will the
arrests go. It was time for Peter to lay
low and wait and see.
So, when his own ties to Jesus were at
risk of being exposed, Peter retreated.
"I don't know him!"
//
Pontius Pilate.
In the grand scheme of the vast reaches
of the Roman Empire, Judea and Galilee were not the most prestigious
posting. It was a valuable piece of real
estate being located at the land and sea crossroads between three continents,
but the role of the local officials was simply to ensure that the Empire's
military and economic aspirations could proceed with as little disruption as
possible: collect taxes and keep the trade and troop routes open. Within those limits, the local population was
able to live life as they saw fit - economically, culturally and religiously.
Pontius Pilate's main purpose, as Prefect of the Roman Province of Judaea,
was to maintain the peace. As was the
case throughout the Empire, this was done through a strong military presence
and acts of swift and brutal justice to any threats to Emperor Tiberius'
authority.
It is most unlikely that the
accusations against Jesus took up much of Pirate's time and energy. He was willing to take the advice of his
lower level advisors. If they imagined a
threat, then, fine, crucify him. Even the accused wasn't fighting it all that
hard - choosing to preach about power and truth instead of begging for mercy.
One way or another, I think that the
quashing of a minor threat, like Jesus, did not leave an impression on
Pilate. He brushed away as easily and
washing the day's dust off his hands.
Pilate did not allow himself to care about the life or death of
Jesus. He had long ago learned to be
numb to the suffering and death he inflicted.
//
Mary.
John.
Jesus' mother and one of Jesus' closest
disciples (traditionally identified as John, who like Peter was one of Jesus'
first fisherman followers) were holding vigil with Jesus as he hung on the
executioner's cross waiting to die.
I think it was a mix of...
²
their
desire to support Jesus (and each other) as death came nearer and...
²
their
own need to be there to accept the reality of what was happening.
Not everyone can do this: to watch
death force a final breath. But it can
be the most direct means of closure and acceptance of the end of life.
And in some ways, it is an act of deep
love and respect to be a physical reminder to the one who is dying that she or
he is not alone as they transition from this life.
The story we heard in our fourth
reading this morning shows us acts of deep compassion as Jesus' mother and dear
friend don't allow Jesus to face death alone; and in that time, Jesus shows
compassion as well. Jesus asks them to
see the an ongoing care for each other. John, look after my mother as if she was
your own mom.
We don't know how much connection John
had with his own family. Unlike Peter,
who the Bible tells us lived with his wife's extended family in Capernaum, John
may have been estranged from his family.
We are told that when John (and his brother James) were called to follow
Jesus, they immediately left their family.
The gospels tell us that the brothers left their father and the hired
hands right in the midst of the day's work.
They may have burned the bridges of
home and family when they chose to follow Jesus.
I think that John may have lacked a
deep family connection since he joined Jesus on that expedition to fish for people.
So, not only did Jesus ask John to
treat Mary like a mother, he asked Mary to treat John like a son.
This beautiful compassion was one of
Jesus' final gifts.
//
//
In John 19:31, it says that the Temple
authories were concerned about Friday crucifixions because... it could mean
that the condemned might not die soon enough to have the bodies removed prior
to the advent of the Sabbath at sundown.
The Torah would not allow for that work to be done on the Sabbath day, which
would mean that decomposing corpses would be left hanging until the next week.
Whether in response to these concerns
or the desires for the soldiers on execution detail to finish their work
sooner, there appears to have been a practice to break the legs of those on the
crosses to not allow them to support their own weight (and draw deeper
breaths).
This would hasten death.
It appears that there were those who impatient
with the pace of death and longed to speed it along.
//
//
For Jesus himself, there seems to have
been a resignation that his impending death was beyond his control.
The gospels tell us that immediately
after he accepts a baptism that signalled the beginning of his active ministry,
Jesus wrestles with various temptations to take shortcuts and make quick paths
to allow for a worry free, easy life as a preacher and prophet for God. Jesus did not succumb to the
temptations of compromise to dilute his message of God's love and the work and
effort it would take for people to embrace the truth of this good news.
In Pilate's judgement chamber, Jesus is
tempted once again. He could deny his
gospel; to dilute his faith in the sovereignty of God and kiss the ring of the
Empire.
It was true that Pilate might have
released Jesus, if he would have only denounced his views on where power really
lies.
But, for, Jesus, the idea of God's
ruling love was greater than the breaths that were left in Jesus' lungs.
If this was it for Jesus, he would greet death with his integrity intact.
//
//
These biblical reactions to
the end of Jesus' life parallel some of the ways we deal with death.
People we love and care for
fill up part of our souls. And so, when
they near the end and when they
ultimately leave this life, we discover an emptiness that is palatable.
²
It
literally has a 'taste' (in my experience).
²
It
shortens new breaths.
²
And
it aches like a deep hunger or thirst.
//
We (like Peter) can do what
we can to protect ourselves from worry.
We can try to minimize our involvement and hope that this makes the
experience of death easier. Sometimes it
works. Most of the time it doesn't.
//
We (like the soldiers)
might wish for death to be quick. Many
people would prefer not to linger - if there is no hope of quality of
life. We prefer to not have others
endure our slow death. And, it is common
to have end of life directives like
'do not resuscitate' or 'removing feeding tubes and breathing assists'.
As of this summer,
Physician Assisted Death will exist (in some form) in Canada. The debate will continue as to whose
suffering is really served by PAD:
the one dying or those at bedside and how those decisions are made and by whom.
//
We (like Pilate) can
convince ourselves that we don't care - to allow ourselves to become numb to
death's effect on us.
//
We (like John and Mary)
might find a lasting comfort in the practice of vigil and the deepening of relationships.
//
There is no perfect way to
deal with death - other that to make sure that no one (who longs for comfort)
should be left to hold their grief alone.
//
//
Death is an unwelcome, but certain,
part of every life.
And along side death is... the reality
of grief.
//
Jesus' absolute final living act
(according to John's gospel) was to quench a lingering thirst.
It provided him the strength needed to
profess the completion of his message of God's compassion in all times and
places.
"It
is finished."
***silent reflection***
#581VU
“When We Are Living”
No comments:
Post a Comment