Tag Archives: Passion Week

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Peace – God’s Peace

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“Peace – God’s Peace”

John 14:23-27 (14:27) – May 25, 2025

            I invite you to turn on the network news, read the news on your cellphone, listen to the news on a podcast, read a computer news website. Take the opportunity to sample any of these news sources. I’m sorry to say, but repeated over and over again are stories, articles, and photos of disquieting and upsetting events in this world.

            These familiar words of our Lord Jesus we have just read sound far away and distant. It seems that on the contrary, every day, we are surrounded by evidence of anger, upset, uproar, catastrophe, and outright fighting.

Peace. I’ll say it again—peace. When I think about the word “peace,” many disparate connections come to mind. Peace on earth. Interior peace. Peace be with you. Peace in the Middle East and in Ukraine. Peace in our time. Visualize world peace.

            Many today are searching for peace in an unpeaceful world. It doesn’t matter where you are located, what you do for a living, who your ancestors are. The drive for a peaceable life is a drive that is deep-seated and heartfelt in many people, a drive for living in a peaceful community, with a stable government, in a peace-filled environment.

There is a realistic, cynical part of me that wants to say, hold it! Come on. This isn’t paradise, you know. Wake up and smell the coffee. Come back to reality. Peace just won’t happen now, not on a worldwide scale. At least, not that kind of peace.

            Let’s go back to the situation of Jesus and His disciples. Jesus was living in what is now the country of Israel. During the first century of our common era, Israel was by no means an independent country. It was a Roman province, under the heel of Roman domination and oppression. In plain terms, Israel was under occupation! Remember the political situation Jesus was operating under! Everything was not hunky-dory in Jesus’ time. Certainly not.

            So, politically, the situation was not good. Personally, in the life of the Rabbi Jesus, this was not a peaceful time, either. Remember where Jesus and His disciples were, here in John 14. This was the Passion Week of our Lord. This chapter from John is part of the Upper Room Discourse, given earlier at the Passover dinner on the night Jesus was betrayed.

I ask again: was Jesus talking about external things? I think not. One big clue I have comes from our Lord Jesus’s phrase “I do not give to you as the world gives.”

            What does the world give? What is big, in the world’s eyes? What is worthwhile, as far as the world is concerned? Money, power, prestige. A big house, a big car, a big job. An attractive spouse, 2.5 well-behaved, cute children, Graduating from “appropriate” schools, living in “appropriate” places, knowing “appropriate” people. Fill in the blanks. These are all external, human attempts to try to get to peace. Many people try to achieve peace with themselves and with others through the world’s methods and by being steered into ways the world proposes.

So, some people turn around and concentrate on the inside! To be more specific, on their insides. The internal person. But, there’s a danger here, too.  If we’re not careful, worry and anxiety can sneak into the picture. Worry and anxiety can gnaw away at us on the insides, as well as our relationships with God and with others around us.

            Has anyone here had any experience with termites? I never have, thank God, but I understand that termites can go through large amounts wood over an extended period of time. If we allow worry and anxiety to eat away at our peace and relationship with God and with others, it’s like termites eating away at a wooden front porch. After a period of time, even though the porch looks stable, and seems like it can hold weight, it collapses.

            It’s the same way with us, when we allow worry and anxiety to get the better of us and take control of our insides. This refers to the second part of verse 14:27, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” This is Jesus giving advice to us! He is telling us, just as He told the disciples so long ago. This is an exhortation, not a suggestion.

            What does all that have to do with you and me, today, anyway? Whether we’re talking about 2000 years ago, or whether we’re talking about today, life continues to happen. We can see that things, events, situations just don’t stop. Exterior upset, stress, catastrophic illness, fighting, calamity. All of these can happen, and probably will, at some point or other in our lives.

            Let’s think more about scary things, unpeaceful situations. When you and I are really scared, what happens? Do we have a safe space where we can run? Who do you run to? “We run to someone who loves us and will help us! Does that make us feel better? It does me! I don’t like to be scared and alone…I think that’s what Jesus means by giving us peace, Jesus reminds us that we have each other to help us remember that we are never truly alone.” [1]

It isn’t easy. Jesus didn’t say it was. This was the most event-filled night of our Lord Jesus’ life. He knew what was coming. Yet—He makes the statement, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.” He gave His disciples the gift of His peace.

            Jesus gives us the same gift, today, too. His peace. It isn’t peace like the world would expect. It isn’t always external peace (although it can very well be that, too!), but it is peace on the inside. Peace where it counts, as far as Jesus is concerned. We have His word on it. He promises to give us peace in our interior selves. Even though life happens, and trials and tribulations come into each one of our lives, we can claim our Lord’s promise and carry His peace with us, wherever we go. We can praise God for these gracious words of peace.

            How can you impart God’s peace to those around you? How can you communicate the good news of the gift of Jesus’ peace to others? My challenge to each one of you is to pray that God will not only encourage your hearts with Godly peace, but also provide opportunities for you to extend the peace of Christ to others.

            What a gift! What a promise! What an opportunity! Thank Jesus for His peace.

            Alleluia, amen.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1] https://faithformationjourneys.org/my-peace-i-give-to-you-john-14-23-29-may-1-2016-easter-5c/

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We All Are Witnesses!

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“We All Are Witnesses!”

Luke 24:48 – April 14, 2024 

Have you ever been confused by the number of hurried, jumbled nature of things happening at once? And the speed at which these things happen? This experience is more common than we might think. Just think of the passing of time, where it’s New Year’s, you and I turn around, and it’s already Easter! Or, before we know it, the school year is over!

However hurried and jumbled these past months have been, it pales in comparison with our Gospel reading today. The end of the Passion Week must have been momentous and confusing for the followers of the Rabbi Jesus. Some confusing and jumbled things were happening very quickly. From the big festival entrance on Palm Sunday to the Passover Dinner of Maundy Thursday evening, to the arrest, trial and Crucifixion on Good Friday.

Events happening in short succession from morning until night. Everything happening one thing after another. This was compounded by the followers of Jesus scattering, running away, frightened by the very real, very legal, very official things happening to Jesus on Thursday night and Friday during the day.

   Let’s fast-forward to that Sunday morning, the first day of the week. The disciples still must have been frightened to death of the Jewish and Roman authorities. I suspect they needed to talk about the happenings of the past few days, too. We can see that from our scripture passage.

We pick up the narrative right after the events of the Road to Emmaus. To fill everyone in, two followers of Jesus got on the road to Emmaus that Sunday. As they walked, they talked. Debriefed. Tried to figure things out, as best as they could. And what circumstances they needed to figure out! A Stranger began to walk with them on the way, and unbeknownst to them, it was the risen Jesus, incognito. He shared with them a summary of all that He had come to earth to do. Of His ministry, His message, and His purpose. And still, they did not know it was Jesus.

Not until dinner that evening in Emmaus, the risen Jesus was revealed when He blessed and broke the bread. And then—Jesus disappeared! The other two at the dinner table did not waste any time! They ran back to Jerusalem, to the Upper Room, to tell what they had seen. Yes, they were witnesses. Eye witnesses, verifying everything that had happened that day.

Our Gospel reading for today picks up the story at this point. All of the followers of Jesus are gathered together in the Upper Room, and are talking about the story of the road to Emmaus. Do they believe? Or, don’t they? Are a few skeptical? Or doubtful? Are some still frightened?

Let’s transition to today. Here and now. I can hear some people today, scoffing at the idea of some guy rising from the dead. And then, miraculously traveling alongside of two other guys? Good as new—in fact, even better? No way! Not a chance. The other two must have been hallucinating. Or dreaming. Or maybe, seeing a ghost. They can’t believe. Or, won’t believe.

As we start the Gospel reading, the risen Jesus suddenly appears to the group in the locked Upper Room. What does He say? “Peace be with you.” A common greeting of the time. He’s also calming their hearts, their spirits, their anxieties, their emotions. “Peace be with you.”

How does the risen Jesus immediately respond to the disciples?  “Don’t be frightened! It is I, myself.” He emphasizes His identification. “I, myself!” It’s not anyone else, but Jesus! He lets them know that He is solid and corporeal, not a ghost. Not a spirit. And, Jesus doesn’t criticize His followers for being afraid! For feeling uncertain, doubful and anxious!

I wonder whether you have ever had a kind and patient teacher, or instructor, or coach. When you were afraid, uncertain, or anxious, did this kind and patient person get angry with you? Or, upset? Or, did this person continue to be open and willing to help you? Generous with time and welcoming to your attempts? Well, that is Jesus, all over. To a T.

Jesus tells the disciples, first. They are to proclaim what they have seen and heard. They are to be witnesses to the power of the resurrection. They are to tell how the risen Jesus has made a difference in their lives! And boy, that was a big difference!

When we read the book of Acts, that is exactly what we see. The disciples being witnesses of what they have seen and heard, witnesses of the power of the resurrection. Time after time, no matter what, the disciples tell others about how Jesus lived, preached, did miracles, and rose from the dead. Then, how all that has made an earth-shaking difference in their lives.

This is the message that Jesus told the disciples to start to carry, when John was a very young man. Some decades later, we see the aged John still carrying the message Jesus told him to, the message of sacrifice, hope, and resurrection. John is still being a witness, all those decades later, at the close of the first century! Dear friends, our Lord Jesus gave specific instructions to His friends, to go and be witnesses. He gives those same instructions to us. We are to be witnesses of the power of the resurrection.

Can you think of someone who was a witness to the power of God, in your life? Someone who immediately comes to mind for me is Miss Rose. I met her more than thirty years ago, when my older two children were very small. She was a witness to the power of God, and to God’s love. She communicated God’s love to everyone she ever met, just about! A little lady, a dynamo for God, she would tell everyone about God and how much God loved them.

I met her again, some years ago when I was a chaplain intern at the Presbyterian Homes. She was a resident there. I was so happy to see her. Miss Rose and her joy in the Lord bubbled over and communicated to everyone she met there, too. Even though she was in severe, chronic pain, Miss Rose witnessed to the power of the resurrection, asking people she met, “Do you know Jesus? Can I tell you about Him, and what He’s done in my life? Can I tell you my story?”

Each of us has an opportunity to be a witness, to communicate the Good News about the risen Jesus and the power of the resurrection. We can communicate by words, by a smile, by being kind, through our actions, through our generosity.

Think about someone who impacted your life, who communicated the Good News to you. There’s a great example for you! Just like Miss Rose is a marvelous example for me, to be a witness despite pain and suffering, even through difficulty in my life. I can still communicate God’s love, just like the aged Apostle John did, too, decades after the Resurrection. He was even in prison when he wrote his letters, on a little island in the Mediterranean Sea. That didn’t make any difference. John still told his story, how the risen Jesus made a difference in his life.

What is important is that we get out there and start being a witness, telling people about the power of God, and about how much the risen Jesus has changed our lives. Can you be a witness? It’s as simple as telling your story. Can you tell the story of Jesus and His love? Jesus loves you. Jesus loves me. Jesus loves all of us.  Be witnesses. Alleluia, Amen.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

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Seeking Jesus

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“Seeking Jesus”

Matthew 28:1-10 – April 9, 2023

            “Don’t be afraid!” Is that a familiar thing to say to your family? Children or grandchildren? Even ourselves?  

            There was a lot to be afraid of, this past Passion week in Jerusalem! The Rabbi Jesus marched right into the city out in the open, riding on a donkey. Even having a grand procession. The Jewish leaders, scribes, Pharisees, and members of the Sanhedrin were all on the lookout for this troublemaking Rabbi Jesus.

Imagine, He said all kinds of things that made the Jewish leaders really angry! And, many Jewish leaders wanted to throw Jesus into prison, if not have Him tried and executed. With all that going on, this upstart Jesus entered Jerusalem like a big shot! Like someone claiming to be the Messiah! I am sure some of the followers of Jesus were afraid of what might happen.

The Rabbi Jesus openly traveled in Jerusalem, for the next few days going to the Temple and having lively discussions with the Jewish leaders, lawyers and Pharisees. With the city overflowing with visitors because of the upcoming holiday of Passover, I am sure many people heard stories about this amazing Rabbi Jesus. Perhaps a miracle worker? Maybe even the Messiah? Was it possible? Except – many of the Jewish leaders, Pharisees and members of the Sanhedrin wanted to put this upstart Rabbi behind bars! So much to be afraid of!

Yes, the Rabbi Jesus walked through the days of Holy Week, debating with the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders in the Temple and in public places. And then, the Passion Week got even more intense. He ate a Passover dinner with His disciples on Thursday evening. The special thing Jesus did on Maundy Thursday was instituting the Lord’s Supper with the bread and cup of the Passover meal. Do this in remembrance of Me, He said.

            After dinner, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He wanted His disciples to keep watch with Him, but they were too exhausted. After the events of a very busy, anxious and fearful week, just think. The disciples couldn’t keep their eyes open!

            This is when the most feared part of the week happened. Most feared yet, that is. Imagine one of the friends of Jesus, a disciple, who traveled with Him intimately for years, coming up to the Rabbi Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. And, kissing Him hello! An intimate gesture of affection! Yet, not affection. What is this? What happened? What was going on, thought the other, sleepy disciples? Roman soldiers? An angry crowd of people? Taking their Rabbi away?

            Oh, don’t be afraid, we hear. But how can we not fear? How can we not be anxious?

            Then the events follow in rapid succession. The arrest, torture, trials, and sentencing. The walk down the Via Dolorosa, the Way of Sorrow. Jesus dragging the cross outside the old city of Jerusalem. The disciples fled. (I won’t blame them—since their Rabbi and master was sentenced as a criminal and enemy of the state, I suspect the disciples were afraid they might be connected with their leader Jesus, too!)

We see the women at the foot of the cross. The faithful women. And Jesus’ mother, Mary. Then—Jesus dies on the cross. The earth quakes, the sky is darkened. All creation mourns as the Word made flesh, the creator of all the universe, dies on the cross.

            What some do not know is that our Lord Jesus was taken down from that cross later Friday afternoon and laid in a new tomb. Quickly, quickly, before night fell on that Friday evening, and the Jewish Sabbath began. A time of God-ordained rest when no work could be done, not even to bury a dearly loved one.

            Friday night passed. All day Saturday—the Jewish Sabbath—passed. Saturday night, and nothing could be done. No work, certainly. It was dark, after all!

            On Sunday morning, the first day of the week, the two Marys came to the new tomb. I’d imagine they came early, early in the morning, creeping—coming on tiptoe toward the tomb. I’d also imagine that they might have been frightened to come into a graveyard.

            “Don’t be afraid!” Is that a familiar thing to say to your family? Children or grandchildren? Even ourselves?  Just think of the dedication and love and respect the two Marys had for their beloved Rabbi Jesus. Even with that strong feeling, it must have taken a tremendous amount of courage to go to that new tomb early on that Sunday morning.

            What about you? What about me? Would we be with the women disciples, courageous enough to go to the tomb? Or, would we be like the rest of the men disciples? Running away, hiding, afraid to show our faces?

            As Matthew tells us in his Gospel, an Angel of the Lord had rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. “3 [The Angel’s] appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.”

            What about the two Marys? The Angel said to them, first thing, “Do not be afraid!”

            This is an important command for us, too! Do not be afraid! Let’s go a few verses further. The risen Jesus greets the two women with the same words: “Do not be afraid!” Here, I am certain the women were scared half to death when they encountered Jesus!

            Talk about an Easter surprise! No one expected their Rabbi Jesus to be alive again.

What on earth does this mean for us, today? “For children, this simply means ‘don’t be afraid of anything.  I am stronger than the worst evil there is.  And, no matter what happens I will be with you always.’” [1] And for us big people, it can mean exactly the same thing. Jesus tells all of us, “Don’t be afraid!” This is a message we can tell each other again and again.

  Who among us needs to hear this Good News from Jesus this morning? Who needs to be reassured with “Do not be afraid?” Jesus has His hands stretched out wide. This is very much the truth. Yes, Jesus is alive. Yes, He is Lord. And, yes, He has conquered death once and for all. Do you hear? Listen again to the words of Jesus: “Do not be afraid!”

We, too, can worship Jesus. We, too, can go and tell. Tell our friends, families, even strangers on the street about our Good News. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Amen, alleluia!

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1] http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2014/03/year-easter-sunday-april-21-2014.html

Worshiping with Children, Easter Sunday, Including children in the congregation’s worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2014.

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All We Have Gone Astray

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“All We Have Gone Astray”

Isaiah 53:1-7 (53:6) – April 15, 2022

            On this day – this night – of Good Friday, we finish our Lenten journey. We walk the way of Jesus, to the Cross. This bitter, grievous Biblical event and the other heartbreaking parts of the Passion are widely depicted in art and music. Music is so important to me, and I relate to much of the musical settings of the Passion and of Good Friday.

            This Passion Week can be overwhelming. Today’s story is the big story to which all the rest of the week has been leading us. As we walk (or listen) through these stories, I encourage you to take them one at a time. I invite all of us to focus on that one part; pray and meditate on the event depicted.

            What songs, what hymns, what pieces of music come to your mind as you think of this bitter event in our Lord Jesus’s time here on earth? Musical settings of Scripture come to my mind right now. I am especially remembering George Frederic Handel and the second section of his oratorio “Messiah.” All have words of Scripture, and all are gorgeous musical settings.

            Nancy read a portion of Isaiah 53 just now, and this Scripture is found in three choruses, which follow each other in quick succession in Part II of the “Messiah.” I sang in the chorus of music majors at the undergrad college I attended. Each year we sang “Messiah,” and singing this masterpiece was one of the highlights of my school years there.

            The lyrics of the first chorus? “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.” I invite you to enter into the profound grief of this Scripture reading. As He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, we can receive and attempt to understand what our Lord Jesus bore. He bore it all for our sakes.   

            The second chorus is somber and incredibly moving. “And with His stripes we are healed.” I am led to consider my own unrighteousness. Jesus took the sins of the world upon Himself. Through the events of that arrest and trials on Thursday night and Friday morning, Jesus was beaten. Somehow, a healing comes from the stripes, the bitter lashes in some way. It is so difficult to contemplate, but the book of Isaiah tells us it was for our corporate healing.

            The third chorus from Part II: “All we like sheep have gone astray.” The lightness of the opening of the chorus is fitting for sheep, gamboling about in green pastures. Musically, they go every which way, as the bright lines of polyphony lead us in separate directions. Yet, the homophonic finish brings us all to a sharp realization. The Lord has indeed laid on Jesus Christ the iniquity of us all.

            As a result of our Lord taking upon Himself our iniquity, “we are no longer defined by our sin, our iniquities, our sorrows, our transgressions. All are defined by Christ’s death. God’s mercy revealed in the ugliness of Christ’s crucifixion defines us all.” [1]

            We have a postscript, a coda on the life of George Frederic Handel. A few days before Handel died, he expressed his desire to die on Good Friday, “in the hopes of meeting his good God, his sweet Lord and Savior, on the day of his Resurrection.” He lived until the morning of Good Saturday, April 14, 1759. His death came only eight days after his final performance, at which he had conducted his masterpiece, “Messiah.” Handel was buried in Westminster Abbey, with over three thousand in attendance at his funeral. A statue erected there shows him holding the manuscript for the solo that opens part III of “Messiah,” “I know that my Redeemer liveth.” [2]

            Yes, the events of Good Friday are bitter and overwhelming. Yet, we can remember Christ bears all our iniquities. Christ gives us His righteousness freely. As the statue standing watch by Handel’s grave testifies, “I know that my Redeemer liveth.”

Through Jesus Christ, His Passion, and death, and Resurrection, we are forgiven! Believe the Good News of the Gospel! Amen, and amen.

[1] https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/good-friday/commentary-on-isaiah-5213-5312-8

[2] https://revelationcentral.com/the-story-of-handels-messiah/

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

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“I Have Seen the Lord!”

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“I Have Seen the Lord!”

Woman-and-Jesus-

April 5, 2015 – John 20:18

Who doesn’t like to hear a good story? Storytellers are wonderful to listen to. Small children love to hear stories. Even grown-ups enjoy stories. Certain stories are told over and over again, in different ways. Cinderella. King Arthur. The Arabian Nights. Aesop’s fables. Even the Wizard of Oz. What about The Greatest Story Ever Told? That’s another name for the narrative of the Passion Week, following Jesus step by step from Palm Sunday through Good Friday, finishing up with the happily ever after ending on Easter morning!

We left Jesus on the cross, on Friday afternoon, when last we met in St. Luke’s sanctuary on Good Friday. Jesus had walked through the days of Holy Week, debating with the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders in the Temple. He had eaten a Passover dinner with His disciples on Thursday evening. The special thing Jesus did on Thursday was instituting the Lord’s Supper with the bread and cup of the Passover meal. Do this in remembrance of Me, He said.

After dinner, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He wanted His disciples to keep watch with Him, but they were too exhausted. After the events of a very busy week, just think. The disciples couldn’t keep their eyes open!

Then the events follow in rapid succession. The arrest, torture, trials, and sentencing. The walk down the Via Dolorosa, the Way of Sorrow. Jesus dragging the cross outside the old city of Jerusalem. The disciples fled. (I won’t blame them—since their Rabbi and master was sentenced as a criminal and enemy of the state, I suspect the disciples were afraid they might be connected with their leader Jesus, too!) We see the women at the foot of the cross. The faithful women. And Jesus’ mother, Mary. Then—Jesus dies on the cross. The earth quakes, the sky is darkened. All creation mourns as the Word made flesh, the creator of all the universe, dies on the cross.

As we continued to follow the Greatest Story Ever Told, Jesus is taken down from the cross shortly before sunset. His body is turned over to one of the Pharisees, Joseph of Arimethea. That Pharisee who came to Jesus one night early in His ministry, recorded in John chapter 3. Joseph hurriedly lays the dead body of Jesus in a tomb nearby. And, the faithful women are also there. They follow the dead body to the tomb.

What faith they must have had! What tenacity, and what love. To follow their leader, their rabbi, their Lord and master, even though He’s dead. To care for His body, in the absence of the disciples. The men disciples who are in hiding.

The women are there. Not shunted aside, not put in second place. These faithful women play an important role in caring for their Rabbi and their friend, hurriedly washing and preparing His dead body for the grave, before the Sabbath begins at sunset.

As Friday night swiftly approaches, with it comes the Jewish holy observance. Especially this special Sabbath—which falls during Passover. No work is to be done at all on this holy day of rest, not even the compassionate work of caring for a dead body.

After Sabbath day and Saturday night end, it is now Sunday morning. Faithful Mary Magdalene heads out for the tomb even before the sun has fully risen. Can you see her, eager in her haste to get to the tomb? With some oils to anoint the body, perhaps? But as she comes near the tomb, she discovers the stone has been rolled away. The tomb is now empty. What happened? What on earth is going on? Mary runs to get some assistance, someone to come with her and check things out more fully. (Prudent, I say! Better to be safe, Mary!)

Sure enough, Mary tells what she discovered. Two of the—men—disciples come back with her. Mary returns with the other two, back to the tomb. They see the tomb, and sure enough. It is empty. And then, these two disciples turn right around. Go back to the rest. In hiding.

But—what about Mary? What does she do?

Again, I come back to the indisputable fact that the women are faithful and true. The women show compassion, love, and care for their Rabbi, their master and friend. Mary stays put near the tomb, and weeps.

What a roller coaster ride Mary has been on. Starting on Palm Sunday, their leader and master Jesus marches right into the lion’s den, right into Jerusalem itself. All through the Passion Week, Jesus appears in and around Jerusalem, in the Temple, doing anything but keeping a low profile. And I am certain the disciples and the women accompanying them knew very well that the Jewish leaders and most of the Pharisees were planning on doing bad things to Jesus. I suspect the events of Good Friday were not totally unexpected.

So, at this desperate point, early on Sunday morning, Mary weeps. She does not know where her Lord and Master’s body has gone! After many days and nights of worry, anxiety, strong emotion, and intense grief, I can well understand how Mary broke down in tears.

What about us, today? Have you ever been through days of intense emotion, gut-wrenching anxiety, even intense grief? All of those feelings tumbling and roiling through you? Then you know a little of what Mary was going through.

What Mary did not suspect at first was that she was in the Greatest Story Ever Told. She sees Someone through her tears, in the cemetery. She suspects this Person is the gardener, of all things! She says, still crying, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Then, Jesus—for it is He!—Jesus speaks to her. Jesus calls her by name. “Mary!”   Do you hear that? Jesus calls her by name. “Mary!” How sweet to have someone who loves you very much call you by name! Remember, I just said that Mary had been on an emotional roller coaster the whole week previous? Just think what this would do! Wow!

Mary’s eyes are opened. Mary finally sees clearly, and responds, “Rabbi!” “Teacher!”

There’s a word in the next verse that is sometimes misunderstood. In verse 17, Jesus tells Mary, “Do not hold on to me.” I’d like to tell you about this phrase. In the original language, Greek, the word ‘hold on’ or ‘touch’ is a present imperative verb. The verb in the sentence can be translated “Do not keep touching me!” Mary finally realizes that it was really and truly Jesus, in the flesh. And I bet she fell on her knees and grabbed onto His legs with every ounce of strength in her body. Clutching, crying, laughing. Can you just see her? Can you just see them? Jesus, gently trying to get her to let go. “Mary, Mary, can you stop clutching at Me?”

Can you see Mary now, as she understands in full. Jesus is alive! He is risen! Then, she listens to Jesus. Returns to the disciples, and declares the joyful truth to everyone!

So, Mary is not only a faithful friend and follower of her Rabbi, she is also someone who carries the Good News! The news that Jesus is no longer dead, but He is risen! He is alive again. I want all of you to understand this all-important point. Jesus has entrusted Mary with the Gospel message. Mary Magdalene is no longer just a supporting player, just a side note in the Gospel. Instead, she transitions to a lead actor in the Greatest Story Ever Told, here in John 20. And, one of the first and best preachers, sharing her experience, hope and joy.

What a story! Except—this is not make-believe. This is for real. This is very much the truth. Yes, Jesus is alive. Yes, He is Lord. And, yes, He has conquered death once and for all. Do you hear? Listen again to the words of Mary. She told the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!”

I pray that we all can affirm together today: He is risen! Christ is risen, indeed!

Alleluia! Amen!

@chaplaineliza

Thanks to the kind friends at http://www.40acts.org.uk – I am using their sermon suggestions and notes for Lent 2015. #40acts Do Lent generously! And, to the Rev. Dave Buerstetta for several ideas from his commentary notes on John 20:1-18.

(Suggestion: visit me at my daily blog for 2015: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. Thanks!)

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Generous with Our Forgiveness

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“Generous with Our Forgiveness” – April 3, 2015

Jesus Christ crown of thorns and nail

Luke 23:33-34 and John 19:28-37

Have you ever had someone say something or do something to you that was really unkind? I mean, downright awful? I can think of other descriptive words, too. Mean, nasty, despicable, evil. There are people like that in the world. In the world today, as well as throughout history. People who act and speak in a thoughtless manner, yes, but also people who act and speak in a deliberate way intended to hurt and to cause all manner of evil.

Tonight, we remember the events of that Passion Week, Thursday night through Friday afternoon, two thousand years ago. We will consider how unkind many people were to Jesus, our Lord. People who acted and spoke to Him in a deliberate way intended to hurt, and to cause all manner of evil. Imagine!

But first, let’s back up. Go back to the Upper Room, where the Rabbi Jesus and His disciples gathered together. They ate a Passover dinner, a Seder. Remembering that night so long ago when the Passover lamb was slain for the redemption of each Jewish household in Egypt. Remembering so long ago, as the head of each house smeared the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of each house so that the Angel of Death would pass over that house in the final plague on the people of Egypt. Remembering as the Jewish people fled from Egypt in such a hurry they were unable to allow their bread to rise. So they ate matzoh, or unleavened bread.

This Passover dinner in the Upper Room celebrated and commemorated the deliverance of the Jewish people from their slavery in Egypt. Jesus and His disciples remembered all of that. They came together to eat, to remember why that time, that night was different from all other nights. But Jesus added a whole new dimension to why that night was different. He instituted the Lord’s Supper. The Eucharist. We will remember this after the sermon, tonight.

The Passion narrative does not stop there. After dinner, after the bread and cup were shared by everyone present, Jesus went out to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed so earnestly and with such agonizing intensity! Yet, His friends, His disciples could not keep watch with Him. They were too exhausted. Imagine.

Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples, slipped out during the Seder dinner. He went to the house of the Chief Priest and told them he would betray Jesus. With a kiss, a common greeting between two friends at the time. Imagine.

As we follow Jesus through the events of that night and on into early Friday morning, Jesus is led through several trials. He is scorned, mocked, tortured, and ultimately stands before Pilate. Jesus is sentenced to death. Death by crucifixion.

This kind of death is particularly horrible. A criminal’s death.

I am going to pause here, and take a moment to tell you what this service is not. It is not a service where we consider Jesus’ Seven Last Words on the cross. I have attended such services. Where there are a series of recitations of each Word, followed by a short message interpreting each one. Some churches commemorate Good Friday with the observance of the last day of our Lord’s life. They retrace the scenes, or the Stations of the Cross. These show that final journey of Jesus, to the cross. Emotionally moving, graphically illustrating the sights, sounds and feelings of those surrounding the cross, as well as Jesus, on that horrific day.

All over the world, today, people are remembering that awful journey. There are some who, just a few hours ago, walked that journey. Along the same roads where Jesus walked, through the old city of Jerusalem. Yes, it is incredibly sad to remember that our Lord was condemned to death, even death on a cross. A criminal’s death. People beat their breasts, and commemorate that agonizing journey. The stations of the Cross.

Instead, we will zero in on one particular word that Jesus spoke from the cross. We come to the end of our Lenten series of generosity. By looking at this word spoken by Jesus, I would like us to reflect on the magnitude of the generosity of our Lord. “Father, forgive them. For they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus is so generous that He forgives those who kill Him. Torture Him. Despise Him. Imagine what a kind, generous, God-sized heart Jesus had! Imagine.

I suggest to you tonight that you—that I—that we all consider how wide and deep Jesus’ forgiveness must be! Consider, with our friends at #40acts, who have given me these wonderful Lenten sermon ideas.

It is not easy to forgive! God knows, I have been wronged, I have had some awful things done to me. I’ve been wounded and in pain, and I bet you have, too! Others might mistreat us, even abuse us in a myriad of ways. Do you think it’s easy to put aside bitterness and resentment? Let me tell you. I know from experience. It is not easy.

Yet, that is exactly what Jesus does here. On the cross, no less! That diabolical device of torture, devised by the Romans to be a horrific instrument of death. If Jesus could forgive His killers and those responsible for His death, what does that mean for us, today?

I know what it means for me. I know that I have been moved to forgive those who have hurt me. God has urged me to forgive those who I have resented deeply, for years.

We can look at this tremendous act of forgiveness—all forgiveness begins at the cross. Jesus models for us what forgiveness ought to be like. What forgiveness can be. We are only able to forgive each other if we know what God’s forgiveness is like. Imagine.

Thank God that God has given us the promise that is faithful and true. Each Sunday, we proclaim God’s forgiveness of our sins. Each Sunday after our confession of sins, I make the statement, “Believe the good news of the Gospel—in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!”

Can you believe the good news that Jesus proclaims to us from the cross? He proclaims forgiveness. Jesus, struggling for breath on the cross, uses the last of His remaining breath and strength to speak. What does He say? He speaks forgiveness. Can we do any less?

Praise God. Jesus loves us this much. What love. What generosity. What forgiveness. Amen.

@chaplaineliza

Thanks to the kind friends at http://www.40acts.org.uk – I am using their sermon suggestions and notes for Lent 2015. #40acts Do Lent generously!

(Suggestion: visit me at my daily blog for 2015: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. Thanks!)