That Pathetic Crowd

 

Mark 15:1-15, CEB - At daybreak, the chief priests—with the elders, legal experts, and the whole Sanhedrin—formed a plan. They bound Jesus, led him away, and turned him over to Pilate.  Pilate questioned him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus replied, “That’s what you say.”  The chief priests were accusing him of many things.

Pilate asked him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? What about all these accusations?”  But Jesus gave no more answers, so that Pilate marveled.

During the festival, Pilate released one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.  A man named Barabbas was locked up with the rebels who had committed murder during an uprising.  The crowd pushed forward and asked Pilate to release someone, as he regularly did.  Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”  He knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of jealousy.  But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas to them instead.  Pilate replied, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call king of the Jews?”

They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

Pilate said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done?”

They shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”

Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd, so he released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus whipped, then handed him over to be crucified.

 

                The detail in this scene that always disturbs me the most is how the crowd turns on Jesus.  This is the crowd that only a couple of days ago cheered Jesus as he entered Jerusalem. They marveled at His teaching in the Temple and His putting of the religious leaders in their place.  Now, stirred by those same religious leaders and under the watchful eye of Pilate, they cry out for Jesus’s crucifixion.  They willingly participate in the greatest miscarriage of justice that this world has ever seen – the crucifixion of the Son of God.

I’m actually more disappointed with the crowd than I am Pilate or the religious leaders.  Pilate at least makes an attempt at avoiding punishing someone who is obviously guilty of nothing.  The religious leaders have convinced themselves that they are doing the right thing by getting rid of Jesus.  To be sure, as Mark notes, their treachery also speaks to their burning jealousy of Jesus.  They are protecting what’s theirs from this interloper.  I can understand that in a way while condemning it at the same time.  The crowd however, is so easily swayed toward this betrayal even though Jesus is no threat.  They aren’t intimidated by the Roman Governor to go along with this out of fear.  The crowd knows that Pilate has no interest in killing Jesus.  It just seems all too easy that the religious leaders can convince a crowd to condemn an innocent man. 

I’d like to think that I’d have been different if I had been in the crowd that day – that I would shout “injustice” and protest vehemently.  I’d like to think that, at the very least, I would have remained silent or even walked away so as not to give any sign that I support this travesty.   But the truth is, I will never know what I would do in this situation.  What I do know about myself is that I am capable of behavior that is at least as shameful as that of this crowd.  I know this because I have committed such behavior.  There have been times when I have been even more shocked and surprised at my own behavior than I have ever been with this fickle crowd.  I don’t like to admit that, but not admitting that doesn’t make it any less true. 

I believe that is why Mark and the other gospel writers recall this sad event.  I believe they want us all to see ourselves as participants in this injustice.  If we were all perfectly fine, the crucifixion would not necessary.  It we all truly understood the import of the gospel, than the gospel would not have to include God dying on a cross.  If we all practiced love so well, than Jesus would not have had to demonstrate what love shown to the fullest extent looks like.  We are all part of “the crowd.”  Jesus knew that the crowd would let Him down; Jesus knew that we would let  Him down. 

 

Question:  In what ways has your capacity to not do the right thing ever surprised you?

 

Prayer:  Have mercy on us Jesus.  Despite our best intentions, we too often disappoint You and even ourselves.  Help us see our need for you.  May we respond to Your sacrifice and accept the redemption You offer.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Spend some time today in confession to God about the areas of your life where you are aware of a need to do better.

 

Song:  Nailed to the Cross - Rend Collective

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFLk6v7US3I

ChatGPT Sermon?

 This is scary guys.  I recently tried ChatGPT, a artificial intelligence software that can be accessed on the internet.  I asked it to write a sermon on the love of God. . . AND IT DID!  Since today is Monday and I often post other people's thoughts, I thought I'd post the sermon from ChatGPT.  I even asked it to write a prayer and pick a song to go with it. . . AND IT DID!  I can't begin to imagine what amazing and truly truly terrible places this kind of technology will lead us.  Anyway, enjoy!

Me:  write a sermon on the love of God

 ChatGPT's answer:

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today, I want to talk to you about the love of God. We all know that God is love, and His love is beyond our understanding. The Bible says in 1 John 4:8, "Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love." God's love is the foundation of our faith, and it's the reason we are here today.

God's love is unconditional. It's not based on our performance or merit. In Romans 5:8, the Bible says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." We didn't deserve God's love, but He loved us anyway. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. This is the ultimate expression of love.

God's love is also eternal. It never fades or runs out. In Jeremiah 31:3, the Bible says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." God's love for us is not temporary or fleeting. It's a constant presence in our lives.

God's love is also inclusive. It's not just for a select few. In John 3:16, the Bible says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." God's love is for everyone, regardless of their background or status. It's available to all who believe in Jesus Christ.

Finally, God's love is transformative. It changes us from the inside out. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the Bible says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" When we accept God's love and surrender our lives to Him, we are transformed. We become new creations, and our lives are never the same.

So, brothers and sisters, let us never forget the love of God. It's the foundation of our faith, and it's the reason we are here today. Let us embrace God's love, and let it transform us from the inside out. And let us share God's love with others, so that they too may experience the unconditional, eternal, inclusive, and transformative love of our Heavenly Father.

May God bless you and keep you, now and always. Amen.

Write a prayer to go with this sermon

 ChatGPT's answer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We come before you today with hearts full of gratitude for your love. Your love is beyond our understanding, and yet, you pour it out on us without reservation. You loved us before we were even born, and you continue to love us today.

Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. Thank you for the ultimate expression of love that He showed us on the cross. Thank you for your grace, which makes it possible for us to be forgiven and to have eternal life.

We pray that you would help us to never forget your love. Help us to remember that your love is unconditional, eternal, inclusive, and transformative. Help us to embrace your love, and let it change us from the inside out.

We also pray that you would help us to share your love with others. May we be a light in the darkness, and may we show your love to those who are hurting and in need. May your love be the foundation of our relationships, and may we love others as you have loved us.

Thank you for your love, Lord. We pray that you would help us to live our lives in a way that honors you and brings glory to your name. May we never forget the love of God.

In Jesus' name we pray,

Amen.

What is a worship song that would go with this sermon?

 ChatGPT's answer:

One worship song that would go well with this sermon is "How He Loves" by David Crowder Band. This song beautifully captures the unconditional and transformative love of God, as well as the way that His love changes us from the inside out. The chorus of the song says:

"He loves us, oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us, oh, how He loves"

This simple yet powerful chorus reminds us of the depth and magnitude of God's love, and it can be a great way to respond to the message of the sermon. The song also includes verses that speak to the way that God's love reaches beyond our understanding and how it brings us to our knees in worship:

"He is jealous for me Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions Eclipsed by glory and I realize Just how beautiful You are And how great Your affections are for me"

Overall, "How He Loves" is a powerful and moving worship song that would be a great addition to a service focused on the love of God.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyedxYR05Es 

The Beauty of Fantastic Failure

Mark 14:66-72, CEB - Meanwhile, Peter was below in the courtyard. A woman, one of the high priest’s servants, approached  and saw Peter warming himself by the fire. She stared at him and said, “You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus.”

But he denied it, saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t understand what you’re saying.” And he went outside into the outer courtyard. A rooster crowed.

The female servant saw him and began a second time to say to those standing around, “This man is one of them.” But he denied it again.

A short time later, those standing around again said to Peter, “You must be one of them, because you are also a Galilean.”

But he cursed and swore, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”  At that very moment, a rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered what Jesus told him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down, sobbing.

 

            Though Peter’s thrice-denial of Jesus is famous, it is not why we remember Peter.  He is revered in the Catholic church as the first Pope. All subsequent Popes are spiritual descendants of Peter.  Peter is the author of New Testament letters and he is a central figure in the exponential growth of the first-century church.  Though this sad story is definitely one of Peter’s low moments, it does not ultimately doesn’t define the character of Peter’s legacy.

            Having said that, this denial of Jesus plays a critical role in Peter becoming the central figure in the early church.  It forces Peter to see something in himself that Jesus saw, but Peter (ironically) denied.  Jesus tells Peter that he will deny Him three times and Peter defiantly and boldly proclaims that it will not be so – that he will die with Jesus before doing such a heinous thing.  This explains Peter sobbing when He found himself doing the very thing he boasted he would never do.  It broke Peter. . . and this a good thing.

            My guess is that Peter never forgot this moment.  Even when he later did the same things Jesus did - confronting authorities, attracting hordes of disciples, and starting new faith communities around the known world – I feel certain Peter recalled this terrible moment multiple times.  It reminded him of his capacity for failure and kept him humble.  It kept him from judging others’ failures too quickly.  It reminded him that he was the beneficiary of grace and so grace should be part of his legacy as well.  In short, Peter’s failure made him more Christlike.  Another apostle, Paul, would put it this way:

“Therefore, I’m all right with weaknesses, insults, disasters, harassments, and stressful situations for the sake of Christ, because when I’m weak, then I’m strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)

In the kingdom of God, awareness of our weakness is our greatest strength because it causes us to depend fully on the power of God instead of our own.  Embracing our failures and our flaws forces to live by grace alone. 

            There are so many moments in my past for which I wish that I could get a do-over.  I relive them in my mind from time to time and it’s still painful. I know I’ve been forgiven by God and others for those low moments, but the memory of them still stings.  I suspect that might never change.  But I’m okay if that is the case.  Those mistakes and the memory of them have given me a grace that I don’t know that I would have if I had always gotten things right.  Being a flawed and broken human is good thing in the Kingdom of Jesus.  Praise be to God!

 

Question: How have your mistakes, and your memory of them, helped or hurt you?

 

Prayer:  Lord, to the extent that our mistakes have paralyzed us, set us free by your forgiveness and grace.  But to extent that they keep us humble, non-judgmental, and dependent on You, we are thankful.  Make us more like You Jesus.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for the victims of mass shootings that are happening daily in our country.

 

Song:  Not By Might – Leslie Phillips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1yQstWOh_s  

It’s Not Ours to Decide

Mark 14:53-65, NLT - They took Jesus to the high priest’s home where the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law had gathered.  Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and went right into the high priest’s courtyard. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire.

Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find evidence against Jesus, so they could put him to death. But they couldn’t find any.  Many false witnesses spoke against him, but they contradicted each other.  Finally, some men stood up and gave this false testimony:  “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another, made without human hands.’”  But even then, they didn’t get their stories straight!

Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?”  But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Why do we need other witnesses?  You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?”

“Guilty!” they all cried. “He deserves to die!”

Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and beat him with their fists. “Prophesy to us,” they jeered. And the guards slapped him as they took him away.

 

This passage is meant to be read with the end of the chapter 14, which includes the denials uttered by Peter.  Mark signals this by noting what Peter is doing while Jesus is on trail before the Sanhedrin.  However, there is more than enough to talk about for this time in just the section concerning the trial.  So we will talk about Peter next time. 

This whole trial is high irony as Mark tells it.  God is on trial and humans are the judges.  The judgmental humans in question here, ironically, would steadfastly proclaim that God is the judge and we are those who are judged.  Yet here they are, finding God in the flesh guilty of blasphemy against God!

Even though the humans have it backwards, God is still in control.  Jesus gives no answer to their arrogant questions until they ask THE question. . .the question that Jesus has not plainly answered before now:

““Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

This question is the one Mark seeks to answer with the entirety of his gospel.  In Mark 1:1, Mark states his purpose plainly; “This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.”  Yet throughout the gospel, when ever someone else proclaims Jesus to be the Messiah, Jesus instructs them to be silent about that.  In our journey through Mark, we have mentioned this “Messianic Secret” many times, but not been able to full grasp why Jesus keeps instructing others to keep it quiet.  Yet, here in this moment, Jesus proclaims the truth Himself:

“I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Though very few translations of Mark render the translation this way, one possible translation of the beginning of Jesus’s reply is “the I AM is here.”  This translation seems to make the most sense for Mark’s purposes.  In this climatic moment that Mark has been building toward for the whole gospel, Jesus using the Hebrew name for God given to Moses (ie…”I AM) would answer the Sanhedrin’s question in the most unequivocal way.  In the midst of many false testimonies and lies being spoken about Him, Jesus speaks the divine truth of His identity. 

            In an even more surprising bit of irony, the Sanhedrin, in condemning Jesus to death, confirm Jesus’s own prophecy that he will be falsely accused and condemned.  The ironic icing on the cake is that their striking Him, mocking Him, and spitting on Him, they are confirming even more prophecy.  The Sanhedrin are unwittingly playing their divinely appointed role in revealing the true nature of the Messiah. 

            In our own day, the irony continues.  The decision about who God is discussed way too often as if it is our question to answer. . . that humans are the judges in whether or not Jesus is the Messiah.  But Mark’s contention is that only God gets to reveal such truth.and here in this moment, Jesus does.  The “I AM is here.”  Jesus IS the Messiah regardless of what the Sanhedrin, popular atheists, or us decide.  The only judgement appropriate to us is whether we will believe the God-revealed Truth. 

 

Question:  What do you believe about the nature of Jesus identity?  It might even be helpful to write down a few of your thoughts to bring clarity to your belief.

 

Prayer:  Jesus, forgive us when we act as if we get to make the determination about the nature of Your identity and/or the teaching You have given us.  Give us vision  to see Your own revelation of truth to us clearly.Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for God’s blessing of atheists and agnostics you know today.

 

Song:  Jesus Messiah – Chris Tomlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdxSC1tHJn0

The Passion Begins

Mark 14:43-52, CEB - Suddenly, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, came with a mob carrying swords and clubs. They had been sent by the chief priests, legal experts, and elders.  His betrayer had given them a sign: “Arrest the man I kiss, and take him away under guard.”

As soon as he got there, Judas said to Jesus, “Rabbi!” Then he kissed him.  Then they came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him.

One of the bystanders drew a sword and struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his ear.  Jesus responded, “Have you come with swords and clubs to arrest me, like an outlaw?  Day after day, I was with you, teaching in the temple, but you didn’t arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled.”  And all his disciples left him and ran away.  One young man, a disciple, was wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They grabbed him, but he left the linen cloth behind and ran away naked.

 

            And now, the high drama begins, with armed confrontation, graphic violence, betrayal with a kiss, and even a man fleeing naked in terror from the scene.  Jesus, fresh from His “please take this cup from me” prayer is now eerily calm and seemingly in control.  He knew Judas was there to betray him and yet Jesus allows the traitor to kiss him.  As Jesus is grabbed by the mob, He points out that this treachery is being perpetrated in the dark of night in a remote garden instead of the temple where the deed would have been much easier, but much more public.  Nevertheless, Jesus announces, let the scriptures be fulfilled, implying that He could have stopped all of this, but is choosing to allow it to happen instead. 

            Mark takes great care to draw the contrast here in this scene between Jesus and everyone else.  A bystander becomes enraged and cuts off the high priest’s slave’s ear.  The mob has come armed for a violent encounter.  Judas, who has followed Jesus for three years, now achieves the peak of treachery by choosing to betray Jesus with a kiss.  And all the disciples fled the scene in a desperate attempt at self-preservation.  One young unnamed disciple even flees naked rather than stay and face arrest.  The only One in this scene not being carried away by their emotion is the One that has the most right to be out-of-control.    

            I find comfort in this, for there have been many times when I feel out-of-control and desperate.  Yet, even now, Jesus is still in control.  When I am enraged, Jesus is able to hear it without returning it.  When I try to hide my betrayals in the darkness, Jesus calmly and non-judgmentally calls me out. When I run away, Jesus allows me to do so, knowing that eventually, I will come back.  In the midst of  scenes of greatest turmoil  in my life, Jesus is the calm-restoring presence of God that I can count on in the moment. 

            Also abundantly clear in this passage is that Jesus chooses to give himself up.  This is not the story of a would-be savior whose plans were foiled by the religious authorities and/or Rome.  When Jesus announces,
“let the scriptures be fulfilled,” he is confirming what He has been telling the disciples repeatedly for weeks now; this was always the plan.  Salvation comes though the transformative sacrifice – a sacrifice made voluntarily by the very Son of God.  Spend a few moments today meditating on the thought that you and me are saved by God’s sacrifice.

 

Question: What does this passage show you about the character of God as seen in Jesus?

 

Prayer:  God, I get angry, confused, scared, and out-of-control, but You are my Rock in all of it.  It is Your unfathomable love that holds me, saves me, and transforms me in my worst moments. To You, Jesus, be all glory and praise forever and ever.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus: Pray for the people of Turkey as they experienced a second deadly earthquake just two weeks after the first that killed nearly 50,000 people. 

 

Song:  Judas is Betrayed By Jesus – Poor Bishop Hooper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oEq5rGa3lw

 

Only We are Surprised When This Happens. . .

Mark 14:27-31, CEB - Jesus said to them, “You will all falter in your faithfulness to me. It is written, I will hit the shepherd, and the sheep will go off in all directions.  But after I’m raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”

Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else stumbles, I won’t.”

But Jesus said to him, “I assure you that on this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

But Peter insisted, “If I must die alongside you, I won’t deny you.” And they all said the same thing.       

 

            If we see anything plainly in this passage, it is that God has a completely realistic view of us.  God is not surprised when we lack faithfulness.  God does not give up on us when we find ourselves denying that we are God-followers.  God is not deterred in caring for us even when we flee in multiple directions.  God sees us as we are – gloriously flawed and fickle creatures.

            This is not to say that God has a pessimistic or negative view.  God sees our gifts (after all, they came from God in the first place).  God sees our amazing potential.  He rejoices in our wise choices.  But God is not deluded as we sometimes are.  We often have grand visions of how we will perform in situations when our character is put to the test.  Sometimes, we live into those visions.  Sometimes those visions turn out to be fantasy.  God knows this about us.  God even accepts it. 

            Listen to Jesus speaking to Peter and the other disciples above.  He is not scolding them for something they haven’t done yet.  He wants to prepare them for their own disappointment in themselves when their faithfulness falters.  Just as Jesus wants them not to be destroyed when He is crucified (He warned them countless times), Jesus wants the disciples not to give up on themselves after they find themselves giving up on Him.  Jesus calmly tells them that even after they have all failed, He will be together with them in Galilee. 

            Obviously, Peter (and the others) aim to prove Jesus wrong.  Peter protests that not only will he be faithful, his faithfulness will remain true even if he should die because of it.  The others claim the same about themselves.  Unfortunately, I have found myself all too often making soon-to-be-exposed-as-false claims about how I will do when the test comes.  I’ve also seen that I’m not the only one. 

            But again, God sees us not as we foolishly hope we are, but as we truly are.  God embraces the real us, not the us we want everyone to believe is real.  When we fail, and we will, God will be waiting for us on the other side.  There won’t even be an “I told you so.”  With all the pretense wiped away by our failure, we will actually be in a better position to have an even more real relationship with God.  That is what Jesus was laying the groundwork for when He had this little talk with His disciples.  And Jesus is still doing the same for us. 

 

Question:  Are you tempted to believe that God sees your flaws as negatively as you sometimes do?

 

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, help us accept and even embrace that we flawed and, despite our most valiant efforts, we will fail You in the future as we have in the past.  When we fail, help us hear Your reminder that You will still be here for us.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for those who have in the midst of consequences caused by their own mistakes.

 

Song:  Faithful – I Am They

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUaS1Y-jyMk  

The Merger of Sacrament and Treachery

 

Mark 14:12-26, NLT - On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go to prepare the Passover meal for you?”

So Jesus sent two of them into Jerusalem with these instructions: “As you go into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him.  At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’  He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.”  So the two disciples went into the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

In the evening Jesus arrived with the Twelve.  As they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me here will betray me.”

Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one?”

He replied, “It is one of you twelve who is eating from this bowl with me.  For the Son of Man[d] must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”

As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it, for this is my body.”

And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.  And he said to them, “This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many.  I tell you the truth, I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.”

Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

 

                Over the course of my three decades of ministry, I have heard many persons say something to the effect that, “I don’t take communion because I don’t feel worthy.  It’s not a silly concern.  To receive a tangible expression of God’s grace should bring to mind that such a gift is indeed grace.  We don’t deserve such a consideration, but it is extended to us nonetheless.  Of course, we are unworthy. 

                However, reading this account of the institution of sacrament of communion should help us hear that our sense of being undeserving of this grace is precisely why it is offered.  If we were worthy, it would not be called a sacrament of God’s grace, but rather an honor or reward for our praiseworthy efforts.  As it stands, this gift was not withheld from Judas, the man who was about to indirectly cause the death of God’s Son.  Jesus Himself names Judas unworthiness of even having been born.  Then He hands Judas bread and cup with the words, “My body. . . and My blood.  Knowing full well the treachery Judas was about to commit, Jesus states that His sacrifice is for Judas as well as anyone else. 

                As we have traveled through Mark’s gospel, I have often asked you adopt the identity of the villain in these stories because Mark is intentionally trying to get us to do so.  While we would like to dismiss our capacity for treachery against Jesus, Mark gets right up in our face and all but forces us to see it.  We enjoy intimacy (signified by a shared meal) with Jesus while unintentionally (or even intentionally in some cases) working against Him in the background.  When Jesus talks about Judas being better off “never being born,” He is foreshadowing the agony that drives Judas to suicide in the next chapter. 

                Judas is not “bad man.”  He is all of us.  He is a human being that often misunderstands what God is doing and chooses to work against it as a result.  He is one who is all too easily influenced by wealth to betray His core values.  He is one who sometimes thinks he is doing the right thing when he is doing the exact opposite. 

                Enter the sacrament of God’s unmerited grace.  Sin doesn’t separate Judas from the grace of eating (being close to) Jesus.  That grace eventually shows Judas his sin.  It also shows Judas that his sin is forgiven.  It should do the same for us.

 

Question:  Have you ever found yourself knowingly or unknowingly working against God’s purposes?

 

Prayer:  God, please forgive us, for we often don’t know what we do.  Forgive us as well for that which we do knowingly.  Help us see ourselves in Judas so that we will more fully know the magnitude of grace that You offer us in Jesus. Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:      Pray for the end of divisiveness among the human family, especially that in the Church.’

 

Song:  Just As I Am – Alan Jackson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAnSmJecnEk&t

More Important Than Serving the Poor?

Mark 14:1-11, CEB - It was two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and legal experts through cunning tricks were searching for a way to arrest Jesus and kill him.  But they agreed that it shouldn’t happen during the festival; otherwise, there would be an uproar among the people.

Jesus was at Bethany visiting the house of Simon, who had a skin disease. During dinner, a woman came in with a vase made of alabaster and containing very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke open the vase and poured the perfume on his head.  Some grew angry. They said to each other, “Why waste the perfume?  This perfume could have been sold for almost a year’s pay and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her.

Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a good thing for me.  You always have the poor with you; and whenever you want, you can do something good for them. But you won’t always have me.  She has done what she could. She has anointed my body ahead of time for burial.  I tell you the truth that, wherever in the whole world the good news is announced, what she’s done will also be told in memory of her.”

Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to give Jesus up to them.  When they heard it, they were delighted and promised to give him money. So he started looking for an opportunity to turn him in.

 

                There is an awful lot to say about this passage, so I will try to economical in my highlights.

                First,  The passage begins and ends with the conspiracy to stop Jesus permanently.  In the beginning, it is the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus’s known opponents since His ministry started three years ago.  At the end, they gain the help of one of Jesus’s closest friends.  The implication here is that any of us on the continuum between friend and foe are capable of betraying the One who would save us.     

                In the middle, we have the controversial story an extremely expensive gift lavished on Jesus. He is anointed with perfume that is worth a year’s wages.  Most Christians have heard this story before and know that Jesus defends the woman’s incredible, if not wasteful gift.  But before we side too quickly with Jesus, I invite you to hear the legitimate protest.   What is your income in a year?  Hold that figure in your mind for a moment. Have you ever given someone a gift worth that amount of money just to show your love for them?  To put this in perspective, the average engagement ring given in America costs 4% of the annual salary of the person who gives it.  Also keep in mind that the woman would have been able to take care of her and/or her family for a year by selling this perfume instead of offering the gift.  To say that this is an extravagant gift is an understatement. 

                So why does Jesus defend the gift.  Jesus gives us a couple of clues in His answer.  First, he highlights that it is her choice to give the gift (She has done what SHE could).  The disciples don’t get to decide what is done with this woman’s resource; she does.  Second, Jesus points out that this is a once-in-history opportunity.  The compulsion to help the poor never ends.  This moment of uncalculated love on the woman’s part has marked a moment that will only happen once in history – the death of God’s Son.  There are rare moments where we have an opportunity to do something beautiful out of love that transcend conventional wisdom about counting the cost.  The extravagance of the gift is not the point.  The love that doesn’t care about the extravagance is.  Obviously, on almost all occasions, supporting the poor would be a better choice than wasting expensive resources on a fleeting gesture. We are reminded here though that we should not judge someone whose heart is driven by only by selfless love.  This woman’s gift foreshadows the unthinkable gift that Jesus Himself is about to give her and all the rest of us.   

                Jesus’s death is made even more imminent because Judas, the friend and pledged disciple of Jesus, helps the authorities do what they could not do easily without him – arrest Jesus discreetly so as not to attract the attention of the crowds of people gathered for Passover.  The fact that it is Passover further intensifies the cosmic symbolism of a sacrifice being given to save a people.  Jesus will become the forever sacrifice for all of us.  This rich and poignant story marks the beginning of Mark’s account of that sacrifice. 

 

Questions:  Two sacrifices are highlighted in this passage:  the sacrificial gift of the unnamed woman and the sacrifice about to be made by Jesus.  As you consider the striking comparison between them, how does what you have offered to Jesus compare? 

 

Prayer:  Dear God, may our hearts be guided by Your presence within us as seek to care for those in need and express our love to You.  May we not shy away from sacrificial giving of ourselves and our resources for Your purposes as we respond to Your sacrificial love for us.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for the congregation where you worship as they prepare for the Lenten season.

 

Song:  Lead Me to The Cross – Hillsong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuR3jXrIiNQ

What Will We Doing When He Shows Up?

Mark 13:33-37, CEB - Watch out! Stay alert! You don’t know when the time is coming.  It is as if someone took a trip, left the household behind, and put the servants in charge, giving each one a job to do, and told the doorkeeper to stay alert.  Therefore, stay alert! You don’t know when the head of the household will come,whether in the evening or at midnight, or when the rooster crows in the early morning or at daybreak.  Don’t let him show up when you weren’t expecting and find you sleeping.  What I say to you, I say to all: Stay alert!”

 

                As the “Little Apocalypse” of Mark 13 draws to close, Jesus drives home the main point with a simple parable which foreshadows what is about to happen.  The owner of the household (Jesus) is about to leave his servants (disciples) in charge.  They are to attend to their duties conscientiously knowing that the owner is coming back.  Not knowing when, they have to be always watchful to see His return.  They do not want to be caught not doing their job.  Vigilance is key!

                Constant vigilance, however, is also very difficult for humans.  We are easily distracted.  We get bored. We get tired.  We get lost. We lose our focus.  Sometimes, we even lose hope.  This is even more challenging when the vigilance we are to maintain has been charged to us by another. I am way better at staying focused on what I want to do than a task given to me by someone else.  What about you?

                What is the work that God has given you to do?  How’s it going?  If Jesus showed up later today, what would be your reaction?  Spend some time today thinking about these questions. 

 

Prayer:  Lord, forgive me for getting distracted, bored, tired, lost, and/or unfocused.  Renew my hope.  Make it clear what my focus should be at this point in my life and help me stay alert. Amen,

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people who life situation has changed recently in a significant way.  Pray for a fruitful transition.

 

Song:  I Wish We'd All Been Ready - DC Talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu_fm0oedGU

Appropriate Urgency

Mark 13:28-33, NLT -  “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.  In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door.  I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.  And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!

 

                We talked last time about what theologians have called the “delay of the Parousia,” which is a fancy way to say the delay of the Second Coming of Jesus.  In the text above, Mark’s gospel proclaims that “, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place.” Obviously, that generation did “pass from the scene” before Jesus returned.  Two thousand years later, we are still waiting. 

                Because of this scholars and theologians have made countless attempts to explain this delay.  I have spent collective hours reading these words written by people way more qualified than I to make such an attempt at resolving this problem.  Nonetheless, I am not overly convinced that any explanation is satisfactory.  This is one of those places where I have concluded, for the moment, that we may never know exactly what Jesus means here until we can ask Him someday.  I have a quite a list forming of such questions that have been gathered over my half-century of living. 

                I do have to say though, that this issue, the delay of the Parousia, is not at the top of my list.  After all, Jesus clearly states that though it seems imminent, no one knows and will ever know except God when it will happen.  If I cannot know when it will happen, then all I can do is be prepared now for when it does.  This is what Jesus says is the point; “And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard!” Live with watchful and expectant hope. . .this is our proper approach to life even two thousand years later. 

 

Question:  What would you do differently if you honestly expected the Second Coming to happen as soon as tomorrow?

 

Prayer:  Lord, forgive us for our nonchalance concerning Your expected return.  Install in us a holy urgency about how we should live.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus: Continue to pray for the nation of turkey as more than three times the number of people killed on 9/11 have been killed by this earthquake.

 

Song:  Soon and Very Soon – Birmingham Community Gospel Choir

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5KIwGk_gAY