Who are you looking for?

Our long journey through the Easter story, Hosannas and foot washing, arrest and trial, humiliation and death, ends for the disciples with Jesus body being placed in a tomb.

Mary went to the tomb on Sunday morning, John doesn’t tell us why.

She finds the tomb empty and goes to tell the others. Notice in her conversation with the two disciples, ‘angels’ and ‘the gardener’, Mary shows no indication that she thinks Jesus has been raised from death, she says: They have taken the Lord from the tomb.

Mary thinks the body of Jesus has been stolen.

What if it had been?

Would it matter if there was an empty tomb, but no encounters with the risen Jesus?

What would Christianity look like without resurrection? 

I suspect it would have finished with a group of frightened disciples in the upper room, hiding from the authorities.

The religious and political leaders would have been right, you kill the leader, the whole thing falls down like a house of cards.

Resurrection means more than an empty tomb about 2000 years ago.

We can hear this story, and all the Easter story, and hear it as a historical drama.

Does this story have anything to say to us today?

Does this event have any impact on our living?

We live in a world where there is still death and despair, oppression and slavery.
We live in a world where there is still violence and betrayal.
There is still unrest in the Middle East, and it looks like we are walking into another Cold War.
We live in a world where millions of people are displaced or seeking refuge.

Closer to home, about one woman each week dies at the hands of their partner, or ex-partner;
There is still a gap between the health and education outcomes for our indigenous brothers and sisters and other Australians.

We live in a world where money speaks
We live in a world where violence and retaliation are seen as the answer We live in a world where children die from lack of food

What does resurrection have to say in this world,
in this world of hunger and greed and violence?

…….

Who are you looking for?

This is the question Jesus asked the guards as they came into the garden to arrest him: Who are you looking for?

It is the same question Jesus asks Mary at the tomb: Who are you looking for?

Mary hopes this man has some information for her, but when he says her name: Mary, life changed.

Mary knows it is Jesus.

She was looking for the body of Jesus, and now she has been found by the risen Lord.

Can you remember a time when you realised you were known, and loved?

Maybe Jesus looking like a gardener, is a link between this new creation with the first creation?[i]

Resurrection offers us new life. Not the same life over again, but a new way of living. A way of living defined by love, sacrifice, humility, liberation and forgiveness.

We don’t have to justify our existence or prove ourselves. God loves us.

………….

Maybe the answer to hunger and greed and violence, is relationship.

Relationship with each other and relationship with Jesus.

From my experience the answer to the question: Who are you looking for?
Is often ourselves, our true self, known and loved by God;  
not the persona we hide behind, so we don’t get hurt by the power plays of the world.

Who are you looking for?

Is it your true self? Come and be found in the love and grace of Jesus.

Who are you looking for?

Come to the one who knows you and calls you by name
the one who forgives you and offers you peace
the one who takes away your sin
the one who thinks you are an amazing person,
the one who heals the pain of broken relationships and betrayal
the one who offers you new life.

Come to the one who seeks you.

And then live out the resurrection life

By loving and forgiving
encouraging
seeking justice and reconciliation
living out the new life you are offered in Christ
so that others might also have life and food and peace.

This Easter I encourage you to think about your experience of resurrection, the ways in which Jesus has and is transforming your life.

---

[i] Working Preacher podcast, https://www.workingpreacher.org/narrative_podcast.aspx?podcast_id=1001

Ecumenical Easter Sunrise

Today is the day, as Christians, we want to celebrate,
to sing and shout hallelujah.

But…

I think we get ahead of ourselves.

If you follow the last week through Mark’s gospel, we have heard of Jesus riding into Jerusalem to shouts of Hosanna!
cleansing the Temple;
Jesus being anointed by an unnamed woman;
the Last Supper;
prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane;
betrayal, arrest, crucifixion, death and burial.

and then the section we heard this morning:

Three women went to the tomb, to do what was necessary.
The body was buried quickly, and now they body needs to be prepared properly,

The women are carrying the spices with them and wondering how they will roll away the stone.

These women weren’t setting out to change the world that Sunday morning, my guess is they would have been disheartened. Jesus, who they thought was going to change the world is now dead and buried:
what was going to happen now?
what was the past few years all about?

They are doing what they can, going to the tomb to prepare the body, and hoping that somehow the stone can be moved.

I wonder this morning:
What are the worries we carry with us?
What stops us from living out our call from God?

In the midst of fear, in the midst of despair, at times we just carry on as best we can, putting one foot in front of the other, doing what has to be done without any enthusiasm or energy. 
Worried about the ‘what ifs’;
worried that we won’t be able to make it through the day;
worried that something else will complicate life even further. 
some days, and weeks, are like that.

I am guessing that is how the women felt.
They were friends of Jesus; executed as a criminal.
their hopes for a new world dashed.

The worry about how to move the stone, however, wasn’t enough to deter them from their task. They continued; together.

Then when they see the stone has been moved, and the tomb is empty, they are utterly amazed. To their despair is added disbelief and astonishment. After their encounter they flee from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and too frightened to say anything.

The women were faithful in going to attend to the body,
but in their shock they run away speechless.

Mark finishes the story in an unlikely place, but it allows us to write the next part of the story with our lives. We get to live the resurrection. In the midst of pain, despair, fear, or terror; we can look for the signs of God’s presence, the signs of resurrection and live into the hope we have as Christians. 

“Christianity is the only world religion that confesses a God who suffers. It is not all that popular an idea, even among Christians. We prefer a God who prevents suffering, only that is not the God we have got. What the cross teaches us is that God’s power is not the power to force human choices and end human pain. It is, instead, the power to pick up the shattered pieces and make something holy out of them – not from a distance but right close up.

…. That is the power of a suffering God, not to prevent pain but to redeem it, by going through it with us.”

[From Barbara Taylor Brown, God in Pain]

This is a story of hope in the midst of fear;
this is a story of transformation in the midst of tyranny.
In my lifetime I have seen the Berlin Wall fall and the end of Apartheid.  Both things considered impossible. People who dreamed of a new way of living and didn’t let hate or fear get in the way.  People who practised resurrection living, in the everyday. People who trusted God would act. 

  

Today is a day of celebration,
celebration of new life
celebration of hope
celebration of the power of love.

Not because there is no more suffering or pain,
not because there is no more evil
but because our God has taken the evil and the pain and the suffering of the world and lived through it and died with it and redeemed it.

We have a God who knows suffering,
who knows rejection,
who loved the world, the whole world and each individual, enough to live in our pain, to bring new life and new hope.

And we get to join in with resurrection life;
trusting that God will change the world;
participating with God in that change;
looking for where God is active and getting involved.
That may mean taking some risks,
facing our fears,
finding life in new places.

The tomb was found empty,
from death comes new life.

Where are you finding new life?

Palm Sunday Journey

three readings and 3 short reflections

Reading 1: John 11:55-12:3, 9-11 

Reflection 1

Will he turn up?

The gossip in Jerusalem was about Jesus, he had raised Lazarus from death, and now the political and religious leaders are after them both. Will he come to the Temple in Jerusalem for Passover, or give it a miss this year?

But how did we get here. In John’s gospel, Jesus travels widely, but keeps returning to Jerusalem. He is there for major festivals. Jesus has travelled from Galilee, to Cana, to Jerusalem, to Samaria and Cana again and Jerusalem again and back to the Sea of Galilee and Jerusalem and Bethany and Jerusalem… lots of travelling, but always returns to Jerusalem and the Temple.

He travels and meets with people from various parts of Israel. The edges, the centre, various parts in between, and even outside of Israel, when he met the woman at the well in Samaria.

The political and religious leaders are concerned about this traveling teacher, because he is drawing large crowds, and there is talk of him being the son of God, but to top it all off, Lazarus came back from the dead and Jesus had something to do with it, and now everyone wants to see Lazarus, and Jesus.

Jesus goes to a place of welcome and respite, and visits Lazarus and Mary and Martha. In difficult times we need familiar faces and trusted friends.

Which parts of the journey of Jesus do you most connect with: fishing, healing, food, being in the temple?

In what ways has your faith deepened?

[reflection]

Reading 2: John 12:12-17

Reflection 2

The Gospel of John is the only one which mentions palm branches. The other gospels have cloaks or tree branches, but John is the only one to mention Palms.

Palms were a symbol of victory, not just for Jewish people, but for Greeks and Romans as well. Waving the palm branches was a sign of victory.

Waving palm branches was like waving your country’s flag in a parade.[i]

The people of Israel were looking for a Saviour.

They shout Hosanna! Hosanna!  

an Aramaic word in a sea of Greek. The gospels were originally written in Greek, but here an Aramaic word is used.
A word with two meanings – ‘praise God’ and ‘save us’

The crowd made up of followers, and disciples, and the curious are shouting
Hosanna!
Praise God!
Hosanna!
Save Us!
Hosanna!

Jesus enters Jerusalem to a welcome fit for a conquering hero. 
Except he isn’t.

Not the kind they were hoping for anyway.

The people wanted a saviour that would free them from oppression and injustice. They were waiting for a saviour who would make Israel independent, free to worship God.

Jesus does bring freedom.
Jesus does allow us to worship God freely.
But not by overthrowing the worldly powers.
Jesus is not going to fight the Romans, or anyone else, by the rules of this world.
Jesus came to change the game.  

To change the game from oppression and power and fear,
to freedom and grace and love.

And the way he will change the game is by not submitting to the politics of fear, but by love, love that doesn’t give up.

Reading 3: John 12: 17-26 

Reflection 3

 Are we on a journey with Jesus, where love is supreme?
Are we on a journey with Jesus, dominated by hope?

 Remember Lent week one, we renewed the covenant:

I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing, put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you or laid aside for you;
exalted for you or brought low for you;
let me be full, let me be empty;
let me have all things, let me have nothing;
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.[ii]

We have walked through the final week of the life of Jesus, then today backtracking to Palm Sunday.

People came to listen to Jesus, to see Jesus, some were disciples, giving up everything to be with Jesus, others were curious to see what all the fuss was about, and some followed while things were interesting, and then disappeared at the first sign of trouble.  

Poem:  This is Love

 ~ written by John Birch, and posted on Faith and Worship. http://www.faithandworship.com/

Are we on a journey with Jesus, where love is supreme?

Are we on a journey with Jesus, dominated by hope?

---

[i] Working Preacher Podcast

[ii] Uniting in Worship

the cost of love

Goodness is stronger than evil;
Love is stronger than hate;
Light is stronger than darkness;
Life is stronger than death;
Victory is ours through Him who loves us.

Desmond Tutu

http://godspacelight.com/2012/04/26/goodness-is-stronger-than-evil-by-desmond-tutu/

John has taken us on a journey:

·         from Jesus washing the feet of the disciples praying for the disciples the arrest of Jesus – noting that in John’s gospel, Judas doesn’t have to point Jesus out, Jesus says: here I am.

·         Jesus and the High Priest, Annas and Caiaphas

·         Peter denying that he is a follower of Jesus

·         Jesus and Pilate – we heard the first part of their encounter last week.

Then this passage which sees Jesus condemned.

This reading is gross, firstly Jesus is flogged, and Pilate was planning to let him go free.

You could flog someone before you put them on the cross. [i]

Or, you could flog someone, and then say, OK, you can go now, you are innocent. What ???

Whichever, it seems unnecessarily harsh and cruel.

But then the Romans were known for their cruelty and harshness.

Here we have Pilate trying to work out what to do with Jesus,
     this man who won’t answer his questions,
     this man who has enraged the religious leaders,
     this man that Pilate does not find guilty, at first.

But then, Pilate is spooked by the crowd. Once they question his loyalty to Caesar, he must crucify Jesus, otherwise he will be seen as not being loyal to the Emperor.

Here we see Jesus,
     Jesus willing to join with human victims
     Jesus willing to join with suffering humanity
     Jesus willing to live into his calling of incarnational love.

The Gospel of John rarely talks directly about the kingdom of heaven, but in this reading, we see the difference between the kingdom of Jesus and the kingdom of the world.

The Roman Empire, as with worldly kingdoms, uses violence, fear and threats to maintain their position and power.

And then Jesus comes along, with a different kind of kingdom, a kingdom that is built on love and grace and mercy. Not earned but lavished on us by Jesus who is the embodiment of love.

“Servants of Caesar are known by their violence. Jesus says everyone will know his servants by their love.” [ii]

John 19, we see the upside-down world clashing with the upside-down kingdom. The true Messiah and King, by his very existence, threatens those in power who crave only self-preservation and maintaining that power. Both the chief priests and Pilate want to stay in office and stay alive. So, Jesus stands condemned.^[iii]

This reading raises a lot of questions in my mind.

        Where is my primary loyalty?

What do I value?

        What compromises do I make?

When do I let others choose how I live?

What is the truth of my life?

All through the Gospel of John, encounters with Jesus discloses the truth about whoever he is encountering.[iv]

And it is the same with us. When we recognise and accept that Jesus is part of our lives, we change, and the way we see things changes. The way we see ourselves changes.

A quote from C.S. Lewis: I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.^[v]

One of the images I shared on Facebook this week asks, how we treat other people. Do we choose to think about a person in a forgiving or accusatory way?

One thing I am noticing about the people I meet in this place on a Friday is the variety of stories, but also the many stories of struggle. I meet with single parents, children with special needs, families who rely on food banks, families where work is intermittent and unreliable.

And for these people, this is a place where they are not judged. A place where they and their children are welcomed, offered food and drink, a chance to sit and chat, to engage with their children, to engage with questions of life and faith, to be taken seriously, to have their lives treated as precious.

And this all happens because we have decided as a congregation that we will be people of the kingdom of love and grace, not of threats and fear.

This passage is gross, it is terrible, the cruelty, the lies, the mocking.

But it is a story that tells us that we do not have to conform to the ways of the world
we do not need to side with power, or might,
there is another kingdom, another set of values we can live by:
   the values of Jesus, of love and forgiveness, and generosity.

This reading raises a lot of questions in my mind.

        Where is my primary loyalty?

What do I value?

        What compromises do I make?

When do I let others choose how I live?

What is the truth of my life?

What question does this reading raise for you?

[reflection time]

Prayer

Lord Jesus,

you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross,

that all people might come within the reach of your saving embrace.

Clothe us in your Spirit, that we,

stretching out our hands in loving service for others,

may bring those who do not know you to an awareness and love of you;

who with the Father and the Holy Spirit live and reign,

One God forever! Amen!

~ C.H.Brent (1862-1929 AD)

Hymn/song TiS 341 My song is love unknown verses 1, 2, 4, 7

---

[i] Working preacher podcast https://www.workingpreacher.org/narrative_podcast.aspx?podcast_id=992

[ii]  https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3408

[iii]  https://spiritandtruthpublishing.com/blog/gods-upside-down-kingdom-march-18-2018/

[iv] Working preacher podcast https://www.workingpreacher.org/narrative_podcast.aspx?podcast_id=992

[v] https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/c_s_lewis_162523

which kingdom, which truth

Usually we hear this passage as part of the series of readings on Good Friday. The arrest, the trial before the religious leaders then this trial before Pilate, condemnation, humiliation, crucifixion, burial. We hear it as one long story.

Here we have just 13 verses.

13 verses that tell as a lot about Jesus, and we also learn about some of the other characters in this part of the story.

Last Sunday we heard about the arrest in the garden, the trial before Annas and the denial of Peter. We thought about where we, like Peter, say “I am not one of that man’s followers.”

This week, I wonder which person you most identify with?

Caiaphas: wanting this man gone, but without the authority to do away with him. He needed to stay on the right side of the Roman authorities.

I wonder in what ways we compromise ourselves to stay on good terms with someone in power?

Pilate: the most powerful person in the region. Pilate has been appointed governor by Rome. He was known as being ruthless and brutal. He lived, not in Jerusalem but in a Roman enclave on the coast of the Mediterranean. He is likely in Jerusalem because of the Passover, he will be there with soldiers to keep ‘the peace’.[i] He doesn’t want any trouble on his watch, which means we see him give into the religious leaders, even though he sees no reason to condemn Jesus.

I wonder how we use the power we have? Do we take risks, challenge injustice or play it safe?

Then there is the crowd. I don’t know what to make of them, maybe some genuinely believed that Jesus was a criminal; but I wonder what happens when we are in a group, and you don’t want to stand out, so you do not speak up.

I have noticed in this Parish, that at times people will make a comment to me privately, but not speak in a meeting where a decision is being made. I wonder why people are unwilling to speak up in this place?

and we come to Jesus: a man who seems not to be able to answer a question with a simple answer, even to save his own neck.

But what do we hear Jesus saying? Jesus challenges Pilate in response to each question.

Pilate asks: “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus answers: “Are you asking this on your own or did someone tell you about me?”

Are the questions we ask, and the criticisms we make, our own, or are we speaking someone else’s words?

There are so many opinions available, in newspapers, on TV and on-line, as well as family and friends; do we just take an opinion and make it our own, or do we do the hard work of checking and thinking for our self. It is often easier to go along with the group; to align ourselves with a group or political party or social commentator.

Then Jesus seems to ignore Pilate’s next comment, and says, “My kingdom doesn’t belong to this world. If it did, my followers would have fought to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. No, my kingdom doesn’t belong to this world.”

The kingdom of Caesar or the Kingdom of God;
a kingdom based on fear or a kingdom based on grace;
a kingdom based on violence or a kingdom based on love;
a kingdom that values strength or a kingdom that embraces our weaknesses.

Which kingdom will you choose?

Pilate replied. “So you are a king,”

Jesus told him “You are saying that I am a king,”. “I was born into this world to tell about the truth. And everyone who belongs to the truth knows my voice.”

everyone who belongs to the truth knows my voice,
where have we heard that before? this phrase reminds of John chapter 10, Jesus says: “I know my sheep, and they know me.” [John 10:14 CEV]

“My sheep know my voice, and I know them. They follow me, and I give them eternal life, so that they will never be lost.” [John 10:27-28a CEV]

Jesus said: I have come to:

to testify to the truth NIV and NRSV,
to bear witness to the truth RSV
to tell about the truth CEV
so that I could witness to the truth MSG

notice isn’t to give you the truth, or to tell you the truth, but to tell you about, to witness to the truth.

Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?”

We don’t hear the answer Jesus gave to this question; or if he gave an answer.

What might Jesus be talking about?

The people we have met in the readings last week and this all seem to have something holding them back:

Peter: violence in the garden, fear in the courtyard
Caiaphas and the religious leaders: backroom deals and false testimony
Pilate: anything to keep the peace
the crowd: fear at standing out as being different

Jesus is the one who is consistently authentic.
Jesus is the one who is aware of the reality of his life,
the reason for his life
Jesus is the one who has lived true to his own values:
    grace and love and forgiveness and healing.

“Jesus’ truth -- his testimony and his person -- is an expression of the divine love he embodies and comes to reveal. This truth brings comfort (John 14:1-7), freedom (8:31-32), and joy (15:11). … God’s truth is from above and offers a peace “not as the world gives.” It calls the one being freed to a new perspective and new life -- abundant but also transformed.” ^[ii]

But when we base our lives on the values of the kingdom of the world, on power, fear and violence, then the truth of God’s transforming love is a threat.[iii]

Last week we thought about where we, like Peter, say “I am not one of that man’s followers.”

This week, I wonder which kingdom we choose, not in a one off decision, but in the myriad decisions we make each day.

Is it the kingdom of truth and grace,
of love and forgiveness,
the kingdom that embraces us as we are
and transforms our lives?

Or do we allow the crowd to sway us, to close our ears and hearts to God’s voice?

---

[i] https://www.workingpreacher.org/popoutplayer.aspx?podcast_id=990

[ii] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3407

[iii] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3407

I am , I am not

Introduction to the Reading

Just before we hear the Scripture reading this morning, a quick recap:

2 weeks ago, we thought about the raising of Lazarus, and the various responses to that event.

Last week, Jesus washing the feet of the disciples.

in the same chapter, Jesus foretells his betrayal, and the denial by Peter;

in the next chapter, Jesus tells the disciples about the Holy Spirit that will come,

Chapter 15 begins with I am the true vine and my father is the vine grower and then,

still in this long section of teaching, Jesus prays for the disciples. We start our reading at the end of that prayer.

John 17:25- 18:27 

This is another action packed story.

After the time spent with the disciples, Jesus and the disciples moved across the Kidron valley, which is at one edge of the city walls.  

Scene 1: The arrest scene:

Now in a garden, Jesus and the disciples notice some people arriving.

Jesus asks: who are you looking for

Guards say: Jesus

Jesus says: I am

Guards fall down

And the exchange again, this time without the guards falling down.

Other gospels have Jesus praying and the disciples sleeping, not John, here we have a bold Jesus. Jesus says I am, the same name that we have for God in the conversation with Moses.

It also is a reminder of all the I am statements John records:

I am the bread of life 6:35

I am the light of the world 8:12

I am the gate for the sheep 10:7

I am the good shepherd 10:11

I am the resurrection and the life 11:25

I am the way, the truth and the life 14:6

I am the true Vine 15:1

Recap scene 1: arrest, Jesus says I am

scene 2: we move from the garden to the trial in the courtyard of the house of the  high priest. Annas questions Jesus about what he has been teaching, and Jesus responds that all his teaching has been in public, ‘I have said nothing in secret’.

Jesus is then sent to Caiaphas, the current high priest, and son-in-law of Annas.

the secrecy of the religious leaders in looking for ways to kill Jesus, the secrecy of Judas in betraying Jesus are contrasted with the openness of Jesus.

While this is happening, also in the courtyard is

scene 3:

Peter and another disciple follow the guards and Jesus, to see where they are taking Jesus. We don’t know the name of the other disciple, but he is known to the High Priest, and it seems on good terms, as he is allowed to freely enter the courtyard. This disciple arranges for Peter to be allowed in. the person on the gate, asks:

“Aren’t you one of that man’s followers?”

Peter says: I am not!

Then warming himself around a fire,

 “Aren’t you one of that man’s followers?”

Peter says: I am not!

And a relative of the guard whose ear Peter had cut off: “Didn’t I see you in the garden with that man?”

Peter denies it.

We don’t hear where the other disciples are at this point, so let’s not be too hard on Peter.

Ever wish you were somewhere else?  

When we hear or see violence, racism or sexism, do we speak up?
...Do something?
…...Or just try and blend into the background.

I wonder if Peter felt a bit like that. Jesus has been arrested and he is trying to find out what is happening, without getting involved. Impetuous Peter, is trying to play it cool.

Many Bibles put headings on paragraphs or sections, and you may already know I don’t like them, the heading on this is ‘Peter denies Jesus’, but I think Peter does more than that. Peter denies himself.

In the other gospels, Peter says, I do not know this man.
Here in John it says: I am not (one of that man’s followers)

Where Jesus says: I am

Peter says: I am not

When do we say: I am not!
…. I am not one of that man’s followers
Not necessarily in so few words.

In what ways do we deny our relationship with Jesus?
in what ways do we deny the presence of God in our lives?
in what ways do we deny our own truth?

What about when we say: I am not enough
What about when we try and fit in with the crowd
What about when we feel powerless to change anything,
and so we become spectators,
onlookers,
peeking around corners,
staying out of trouble.

At the workshop some of us attended yesterday, one person talked of how Christianity had started on the fringes, the edges of society, moved to the centre with Constantine, and then popes and bishops held power with kings and emperors. Now Christianity is moving from the centre to the edges. The Christian Church is no longer a dominant player in our society.

Increasingly we will need to find our voice,
our voice that tells of the transforming love of God in our life
our voice that tells our story
my voice that tells my story
your voice that tells your story
     a story of fear
     a story of difficult decisions
     a story of mistakes
     a story of love and grace and community and inclusion.

What people saw in Jesus all those years ago, is what people still look for today;
     authenticity,
     honesty,
     knowing who you are and
     living by your values.

Do our words and actions say: I am, or I am not one of that man’s followers

Do our lives say: I am, or I am not one of that man’s followers

Our response to challenge
our response to poverty and violence and despair,
will all speak louder than our words and prayers.

In what ways do we deny our relationship with Jesus?
in what ways do we deny the presence of God in our lives?
in what ways do we deny our own truth?