March 26, 2010

• Called to be Christ like

  The Original Testament reading for today is selected for Palm Sunday because Christians see in it the prophetic vision of what happened to Jesus when he came to Jerusalem for Passover week.  The passage is called the Third Servant Song and The Song of the Suffering Servant.  “Exalted YHWH’ has given me a skilled and well trained tongue, so that I can sustain the weary with a timely word.  God awakens me morning after morning—wakens my ear, to listen like a student.  Exalted YHWH’ opened my ears and I have obeyed, I did not turn away.  I offered my back to those beating me, offered my cheeks to those who would humiliate me.  I did not hide my face from insults or spitting.  Because Exalted YHWH’ helps me, insults cannot wound me, for I have set my face like flint, because I will not be put to shame.”  Clearly this passage describes the ministry of Jesus.  But it should not be considered unique to Jesus.  The prophet Isaiah was not describing what only the Messiah would do.  There is no indication the Jews associated this text with Messianic prophecy at all.  This text is a description of what it means to be servant of God.  Listen to the words of Archbishop Oscar Romero spoken one week before his assassination in El Salvador, “No one can quench the life that Christ has resurrected. Neither death nor all the banners of death and hatred raised against him and against his church can prevail. He is the victorious one! Just as he will thrive in an unending Easter, so we must accompany him in a Lent and a Holy Week of cross, sacrifice, and martyrdom. As he said, blessed are they who are not scandalized by his cross.  Lent, thus, is a call to celebrate our redemption in that difficult combination of cross and victory. Our people are well prepared to do so these days: all that surrounds us proclaims the cross. But those who have Christian faith and hope know that behind this calvary of El Salvador lies our Easter, our resurrection. That is the Christian people’s hope.”

   We are all called to be Christ like, to be suffering servants in God’s call for justice, peace, and love in this world.  Being Christ like is not about being important, or being in charge, or telling others how to live.  Being Christ like is about being in service to others, healing those who are diseased in mind, body, or spirit.  It is about sharing the truth of God’s love for others, even those who betray us, those who deny us, and those who abandon us.  We are to prepare ourselves to go into a hostile world and proclaim God’s word and Good News even to those who are not eager to hear.  We are called to speak truth to power on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves.  Jesus tells us to arm ourselves before we go.  We do not arm ourselves to do battle with a hostile world; Jesus told them to take swords but rebuked them when they used the sword in violence.  We arm ourselves with our strength of conviction, not to harm but to be able to stand in the presence of power and not back down.  We use the strength we are given so we live the message of God’s justice, peace, and love just as Jesus modeled it for us.

   

  In my role as an intentional interim minister, I am called to live as Christ lived, bringing a message of God to people who are sometimes hostile to the word God has for them.  At first, I thought it arrogant to compare my ministry to that of Jesus but then realized if my ministry is not Christ like then it is no ministry at all.  I go to churches that are struggling with their history and their future.  Much like Jesus came to a people struggling with their historic understanding of being a chosen people while facing a future of political domination.  I challenge the congregations to examine their past, celebrate the joys and mourn the grief and let them all go so a new work can be begun in them.  Jesus challenged the Jews to remember their history celebrate their close connection with God and mourn the way they treated the prophets and abused the law and then let them all go so God could do a new work in them.  Some of the people are frightened and angry when confronted with their past and challenged to consider being different in the future.  Most of us are uncomfortable with change and we find it easier to attack and vilify those who institute the change rather than do the hard work of changing into what we are called to be.  I challenge congregations to do the hard work of changing into what God has called them to be.  Jesus challenges each one of us to do the hard work of changing into what God calls us to be.  We have the choice of responding with “Hosannas!” or “Crucify him!”  Which do you chose?  Amen.

  • 11:50 pm
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