Holy Week: Maundy Thursday Reflection

Today’s reflection was written and delivered by Kathy R. Smith.

John 13: 31-35

31 As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man[a] to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. 32 And since God receives glory because of the Son,[b] he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once. 33 Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

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This passage starts off with a very interesting statement, “As soon as Judas left the room…”.  Jesus waited until Judas was gone to instruct the disciples on upcoming events, how they should handle themselves, and what they should know about him.

Jesus wanted them to know that he loved them, and that it was necessary to leave them for a while.  He explained how he had to enter “his Glory,” which meant his coming death on the cross.  He explained how God would receive Glory from his son because of the sacrifice his Son will make.  He explains that they will search for him, but will not be able to find him.  All of these things, Jesus said to the disciples, AFTER Judas had left to commit his betrayal. 

Then, when he finished explaining to them how he would have to leave them, he ended with a powerful and challenging statement, “Love each other.  Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” What a beautiful parting statement from the Savior to the disciples and also to us thousands of years later.  “Love each other.”  It was the very reason, this love, that would lead him to the cross to save and heal us all. 

And again, he said none of this until “Judas left the room.” These wonderful directives that Jesus left his disciples were not heard by Judas because he had left the room.  Jesus knew that Judas had made his choice, and he knew his statements would have been lost on Judas. Judas had spiritually left Jesus long before he physically left the room.  

During this Easter season, let us try to follow Jesus’s call to love one another, showing compassion and understanding even when we don’t want to. And in those times we don’t want to follow this call - we ask Jesus to give us his heart so that we can show true and sincere love, not fake and counterfeit love that that we see so much of today.  Don’t miss out on God’s goodness, his love, his understanding, and his kindness because you, too, have left the room.

Let us pray: Loving God, teach us to love one another even as you have loved us. May we always be present and receptive as you teach us and guide us. In Christ we pray, Amen. 

Holy Week: Wednesday Gospel Reflection

John 13: 21-30

21 Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!” 22 The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean. 23 The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table. 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, “Who’s he talking about?” 25 So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. 27 When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.” 28 None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant. 29 Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor. 30 So Judas left at once, going out into the night.

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Betrayal in life can be terrible and devastating. Most of us will experience a betrayal at some point or another. It may be simple like a friend at school tattles on us. Or it may be gut wrenching such as an unfaithful end to a long marriage. Betrayal never comes from an enemy; instead, it always comes from those closest to us. That is because betrayal is predicted on trust. 

Jesus and the disciples had been together long enough to build that sense of trust. That is why they are stunned as Jesus announces one of them would betray him. They had come to see him as prophet, healer, teacher, and even as the Holy One. How could one of them who experienced such things betray Jesus? The thought defied their imagination. 

Even when Jesus gives them the sign, they seem unwilling to understand or believe that Judas was about to turn Jesus over to the authorities for crucifixion. They gave him the benefit of the doubt. That attitude shows us that the best tool of manipulation for a betrayer is to exploit the love and trust which overlooks faults, finds grace in acts which are wrong, and fails to hold accountable that which borders or crosses the line of evil. 

Love must be our strength and our mission as followers of Christ, but love brings with it accountability and responsibility. Love is willing to forgive, but love cannot overlook what is wrong. We must follow Jesus’s example of gently yet firmly holding Judas accountable, speaking the truth of his bad actions, and giving the option to do what is right. 

So what do we do when evil motives prevail? Here is a careful reminder: “There will be people in your life who will claim to love you but will turn their back on you when it is no longer convenient for them. Thankfully, there is one who promises, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Betrayal will leave us feeling broken hearted, but God will never fail to deliver on a promise, and God will never forsake you. And there is where we find our hope and our assurance in life. 

Let us pray: Steadfast God, when others wound us, forsake us, and use us for their own selfish motives, remind us that there is a love which is pure and holy, a love found in you. Teach us to be gentle, yet firm in our faith in you, so that your hope and truth will reign. In Christ we pray. Amen. 

Holy Week: Tuesday Gospel Reading

John 12: 27-32

27 “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! 28 Father, bring glory to your name. ”Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” 29 When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him. 30 Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. 32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”

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What does it mean to be “drawn?” I’ve heard descriptions of people as being “drawn to trouble” or even “drawn to drama.” As the evening winds down, and it begins to get dark, I am drawn to my bed. If you look for a dictionary definition, you would see the phrase: to be gently pulled or guided in a certain direction. 

Here, Jesus is speaking to his followers, and they hear a voice from heaven. Some say it is angels speaking, and some say it is thunder. But what Jesus says next is the heart of this reading, “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone unto myself.” A pastor I follow and listen to, Michael Piazza, said in his Palm Sunday sermon, that if we celebrate Palm Sunday, then go straight to Easter, we miss the cross. 

His exact quote was, “Palm Sunday without Good Friday is a lie, and Easter without Good Friday is an empty platitude that doesn’t ring true.” That hit home. If we are to be drawn to Christ, we have to be drawn to every aspect: the celebration, the cross, the pain and suffering, the call to love the least of these and those in the margins of society. We can’t embrace part of Jesus without embracing the whole, even if it makes us uncomfortable. 

But the good news is that we will be changed forever by the embrace. Even as Jesus was lifted up on the cross, he drew all of us unto himself. It reminds me of the hymn, “Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to they precious bleeding side.” I pray we follow Christ all the way, not just in the easiest of moments and lessons. 

Let us pray. Holy One, draw us closer to you that we may be reminded of your love and mercy. May we be prepared to follow you wherever you lead. In Christ, Amen. 

Holy Week: Monday Gospel Reflection

John 12: 1-8

12 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate[a] with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. 4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. 7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

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This makes me think of the quote by Martin Luther King, Jr., “The time is always right to do what is right.” In our lives, we have choice. We can choose to do what is right, with God’s help. Lazarus did what was right—he fed and provided great hospitality to Jesus and his disciples. Martha did what was right. She used her skills to cook, to feed, and to serve Jesus and his followers. Mary did what was right. She wasn’t quite the worker bee that Martha was, so she honored Jesus with a powerful gift and her love of him as the Holy One. With God’s help, they all chose what was right. 

Judas, however, seems to have never chosen what was right. He was a thief, a manipulator, and a betrayer. He stole from the money the disciples had. He tried to manipulate more money out of Mary and Lazarus’ house. And he betrayed Jesus to the authorities because of his greed. I don’t think Judas was inherently some arch villain of the Bible. He was a man who was selfish and greedy, and didn’t care who he had to sell out to get what he wanted. 

There are those in life who fit both categories: who choose what is right and who seem to be consumed by selfishness, greed, and self importance to the point that the miss the whole point of Christ’s teaching. You and I have a similar choice. We can let God help us do what is right, or we can continue to turn a blind eye to the call of the Savior. Here’s a little guidance. The time is always right to do what is right. 

Let us pray: Holy One, help us to break down our idols and those things that draw our attention away from you. Let us be guided and yielded to do what is right, and to follow your wise and holy leadership. In Christ, Amen.

Into Your Hands, I Commend My Spirit

Into Your Hands I Commend My Spirit: Luke 19: 28-40; Luke 23: 44-49

I don’t think many of us understand what it’s like to live through a time when churches cannot meet, when we have to stay home, and when we must experience the holiest of church days in our homes unable to leave because of and illness we don’t fully understand or know how to fight. 

As Christians we’ve been privileged to be able to congregate and pray and meet whenever we wanted to do so here in the United States without fear or worry that this right would be taken away from us. If we ever thought that right may be taken from us, perhaps we thought it would be through force, or politics, or even foes rising against us. But nobody would expect us to be sheltered away from our churches and places of worship for our own safety. That’s something we struggle to understand and accept. 

I believe, though, we can find comfort in the story of Palm Sunday and the final words of Christ from the cross. The story of Jesus’s journey into Jerusalem on what we know as Palm Sunday is often called the “triumphant entry.” Jesus rides on a lowly donkey through the streets to a hero’s welcome. He is praised and celebrated, honored and glorified by the people. They go so far as to say “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord,” a statement which would have seemed like blasphemy to the religious leaders of Jesus’ time. 

The people of Bethany and Bethphage loved Jesus. That had seen him tech and heal, and even bring Lazarus back to life. It was four and a half short miles into the city of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives and these two cities. And in four miles he was met with an ominous warning: the Pharisees complaining about his followers offering hosannas and praise. Jesus rode into the city knowing it would be the end of his mortal life. The crowds in Jerusalem would cry out for him to be crucified, and the crowds in Bethany and Bethphage who had only recently shouted praises would silently say nothing in his defense. 

Four miles and five days changed “Hosannah in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” to “Crucify him.” And still Jesus rode on through the crowed likely with fear and uncertainty, knowing that pain and suffering awaited him in Jerusalem. He would experience physical suffering, his friends an followers abandoning him, being alone, falsely accused, and ultimately killed by a corrupt state working in tandem with religious frauds and zealots. 

But the answer to the suffering comes in Jesus’s last words on the cross: “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands.” There was one place where Jesus could find all truth, all real holiness, and the true light of life: in the hands of God. Right before the end, the darkest point where death was imminent, Jesus tells us where that glimmer of hope is found: in the hands of God. Jesus entrusts himself in his final moments to the Father’s love and mercy, and finds his rest there. 

In our tough times this can be a lesson for us. If we find ourselves lonely and bored, fatigued at the lack of human touch, interact, and presence, let us commit ourselves into the hands of God. If we are worried about becoming ill of friends and loved ones getting sick, let us commit ourselves into the hands of God. Many folks have wondered why the church seems to have no answer for why this is happening, or what can be done. But I think the answer is right here: Jesus rode on through the cheers in Bethany and Bethphage, through the questions of the religious leaders, and ultimately to his death. It wasn’t about being right and fair. 

Instead it was about us—healing us, saving us, and restoring us. Even our own Savior had to suffer and endure struggles in this life, but ultimate goal was to save, heal, and help. Our mission is the same. In times of crisis, the church can’t sit back and contemplate why this is happening, how we explain it, or what theology makes this okay. Sometimes the answer is simply life is going to hurt. But in those times we can do like Jesus and entrust ourselves into God’s hands. Don’t let trouble run you away from God, instead let it push you closer to God who will strengthen you for the journey, just as Jesus was strengthened for his. 

We, too, have a mission to save, heal, and help. There are people out of work, without food, fearful and losing what little hope they may have had. This is the time we can truly show what it means to follow Christ. We can provide Kroger cards to feed those in need, send help to the food pantry, sew masks if able for the medical professionals, We can show that Christ is still very much alive in us and in our communities and houses of worship. Don’t let the struggle demoralize your faith. Let the present struggle inspire you to ride on through just like Jesus showing God’s love and what the church can really do to help, heal and restore. We have an opportunity at this point to make faith come alive and show that faith can still make a difference both spiritually and in this life. So may we rise to the challenge and ride on in hope and glory just as Jesus did. Amen.

It Is Finished

“It Is Finished” John 19: 28-34

“It is finished,” said Jesus. Typically, when we hear that word, “finished,” it means the end of something. For instance, when you’re done eating, you say, “I’m finished,” or “I’m done.” We think of being finished when we have completed something, such as finishing all our chores for the day. Or it can even express frustration. I have heard my mother say a couple times, “That’s it, I’m done with this.” So when we think of that word “finished” it usually means to us the end of something. 

And in fact, when Jesus says, “It is finished,” it means the end—the final word. It was the end of Jesus’s mission on earth. What has started as the birth of a holy child ended here on the cross. He had healed, he had taught, and he had created new ways of living and understanding faith and truth. Jesus had pleaded in the garden that this suffering would be removed from him, but in the end, he understood the mission of saving and redeeming humankind. It was the end of Jesus’s mission, what he came to do on earth. 

But this was also an end for us—an end to our searching and separation from God and our human failure, or as I grew up hearing, the “old sinful self.” At the birth of Christ way back at Christmas, which at this point seems to be 3 or 4 years ago, we sing in a hymn, “God and sinner reconciled.” This is where we see that happen—where Christ gives us life and joins with us in our own lives. 

In our modern lesson, we hear those words: I was spring cleaning, and God hadn’t found me still, so my faith sat in the attic. One year later, God teased with silence and created a period of waiting and silence. We all live in this pattern sometimes—of waiting, of uncertainty, of leaving our faith dusty and packed away in the attic because it feels like something is missing. We especially feel it right now. Some of us are self-isolated. Some of us are quarantined, and some of us are in cities with lockdowns like we’ve never seen before. It’s a holding pattern, a time of uncertainty and silence. 

But our faith does not have to live in the same pattern: for Christ said “It is finished,” and all was complete—God and sinners reconciled. The hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” reminds us, of those powerful words of promise, “Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide…strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.” Even when our faith feels like it’s dusty in the attic, or we are waiting on a sign or a word, God’s presence is still there and can give us strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Christ has said, “It is finished,” and we must have faith in that promise. 

But when Jesus said, “It is finished,” it wasn’t just the end, or coming to a conclusion. It was a beginning as well. It was the beginning of a relationship, of God with us. I think that idea of God with us is so beautiful. It’s much like these two weeks I’ve been working from home. My cat, Lilly, has always wanted me to be around more. But now that I am, she’s not really sure what to do with it. Some moments she naps close by. Sometimes I get bitten and batted with a paw if I step out of line. But then there are those times when I’m frustrated or annoyed that she comes up, plops herself right in my arms or lap and starts purring and dozing off. It’s a reminder of a presence that loves and appreciates me. 

God with us. The cross was intended to be the end of this radical one, Jesus, of this strange set of followers he had. But the cross was not only the end, for it signaled the beginning as well: an end to our separation from God and the beginning our our ability to step out in faith—God with us. So, in these trying times, may we treat one another gently, love one another unconditionally even as God has loved us. As our modern lesson reminds us, God exists in the between, before, and after. God love is like a water cycle, from the heights of the heavens to the reflections on earth that show us God, too, lives in us. It is finished, but also, it is just the beginning. Amen. 

My God Why Have you Forsaken Me?

3. My God, My God: Genesis 39: 10-23; Matthew 27: 45-46

A couple of years ago, I gave a sermon about a friend who was diagnosed with cancer. She fought it, and survived. For over two years things were fine, she was healthy, and life was going back to normal. But then her cancer returned with a vengeance late last year. She lasted six months or less and died recently leaving a young child behind, now an orphan. In those moments, I thought to myself, “But I prayed! I prayed hard!” I asked God why, why would something so cruel and unfortunate happen? It was a moment of clarity on those words my God, why have you forsaken me, or us? 

Though I know you are sick of hearing about it, I think we need a minute to talk about this virus, and how it is affecting us. Many of my friends are being laid off from work because people can’t go out. Their lives are shattered. People feel deeply the isolation especially if they live alone and family may be far away. Our friends and loved ones are getting sick, and some are dying. I think as this continues to drag on for weeks, maybe even months we are all going to be feeling that statement, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

In those times we feel alone, forgotten, and left to struggle by God, we have to remember the truth: that God is always with us, no matter what. I think of the old hymn, “God Leads His Dear Children Along.” The chorus says, “Some through the waters, some through the flood, some though the fire, but all through the blood; some through great sorrow, but God gives a song in the night season and all the day long.” Trials and struggle will always be present with us. Times when God feels far away will plague us through out life. Can I hear, can I understand, can I feel your presence? O God, where are you? 

That feeling was the most agonizing part for Jesus in his time of suffering. He bears his pain, for the most part, in silence until that point. But the pain of feeling utterly alone causes him to cry out. But in the night season, in the midst of struggles, God still gives a song. Look at the story of Joseph. He was sold into slavery by his own family, falsely accused of a crime he didn’t commit and imprisoned in Egypt. But we are told in that same scripture, “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love.” 

What an enduring and powerful reminder! God was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love. But Genesis 39 goes on to say, “The Lord was with [Joseph]; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.” It’s somewhat of a dual experience. Joseph was in the midst of struggle and suffering, but God was still strengthening and blessing him, for God never abandoned Joseph. The same will be true for us. In life we may struggle. There may be unpleasant times…times of struggle, of pain, of loss. But just as God was with Joseph, God will also be with us. 

In times when there is trouble and suffering, many people go to a quote from Mister Rogers, “When I was a boy, and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” And while that quote is very comforting, we need to also go a step further. When Joseph was in prison, he didn’t just hump up and wait for God. We are told in Genesis 39, “The chief jailer committed to Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were in prison…the chief jailer paid no heed to anything that was in Joseph’s care because the Lord was with him.” 

Don’t just look for the helpers. Be the helpers. As Christians we are given grace and love, but we are also called to the responsibility of our faith. When people feel forsaken, isolated, and lonely, be the helper who calls and checks on them, befriend them, and tell them that you care about them and God loves them. When Christ called out that God had forsaken him he was helping and saving us all. That begs of us a responsibility to help those who are hurting. 

For all of us, there will be times when we feel like God is not near to us, that we are isolate, struggling, lonely. There will be times when our friends and loved ones dies, and life seems cruel and unfair. I pray that it does not make us bitter, but instead, may we see life’s struggles as a call to be the helpers, to show Christ to others both in easy times and when life is difficult. Call a loved one, check on your neighbor, pray and lift up others in this time. I promise that the more you become the hands and feet of Christ in the world, the less you will feel forsaken, and the more you will be able to say, “It is well with my soul.” 

A Sermon When Church is Closed for a Week

So…What Next?—Joshua 1:9

“I hereby command you: be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” —Joshua 1:9

Despite the fact that church is cancelled tomorrow due to the COVID-19 “Corona” Virus, I would definitely be negligent in my duties if I left you without a sermon on Sunday. Thus, I am attempting to do this whole “virtual” frontier with this week’s sermon. It’s not in our regular worship line up, but I thought we needed to chat for a moment about all that is going on in our world. 

There was a posting on facebook going around the pastor-specific facebook pages which said this: “Dear Everybody—Since I’ve not pastored people through a pandemic before, I don’t know all the answers. But, I”m paying attention to science and praying for wisdom. Together we will take courage, be patient, consider the least of these, and press onward while loving our neighbors. Love, Your Pastor…PS…wash your hands.” 

I got a bit of a chuckle out of that, especially the last part. But the truth still remains that it is agonizing to make decisions such as cancelling church on a Sunday, asking folks to stay home for safety reasons, and so on. There is a fine balance between being safe and unfounded panic. As a pastor, and as a lawyer, I see people tread that line in various ways on almost a daily basis. 

The scripture from Joshua was chosen intentionally. The Israelite people had been waiting to enter the promised land, and it was a long wait of years and years in the desert. They were also in a state of confusion and concern. Moses, who had led them throughout this whole journey was dead. Joshua was new in the leadership role, and he would be put to the test as the people now journeyed from the desert into the promised land. 

For many of us, waiting is a difficult part of life. Nobody wants to sit at home waiting for a virus like this one, the flu, or something else to pass. We worry that we’ve gone overboard, or even that we’ve become weak. God, though, very often had the people in waiting periods: waiting for the danger to pass, waiting for the time to be right, waiting for God to speak. 

First, God spoke to the people a command: be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed. When the time was right, when all was safe, secure, in place, and ready for God’s divine timing, God commanded them to go forth. And God sent them forth with a powerful promise: the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 

God will do the same for us: go forth when God says the time is right, and God will be with you all the way. As your minister, it is my job to teach and counsel, comfort and provide a pastoral presence. Also as part of my ministerial role, it is my responsibility to ensure that church is a safe place where you feel welcomed, but also where we come too concerned to properly worship our God. 

So therefore, take this Sunday to pray and lift up those who need love and prayers. Know that there is no need to worry because God loves you and will see after you both in illness and in good health. Do call and let me know if you need something, or if you need someone to brave the masses at the store and pick up some groceries/supplies for you. Always remember how much I love you and God loves you. And PS…wash your hands. Much love, my friends. 

Words of Christ from the Cross Part 2

Today in Paradise: Psalm 121; Luke 23: 39-43

A friend told me about an awkward lost and found story that happened when she was in college. She had gone home to visit her family, and visit them. Her mom went out for some supplies at Wal-Mart, to stock up on the essentials. My friend texted her mother as her mother was headed home from Wal-Mart. It went something like this: “Mom, where are you?” The reply, “I’m headed home from the store, I’ll be there in a couple of minutes, don’t worry.” My friend texted, “Mom….” The answer, “What?” My friend texted, “So, did you forget I went to Wal-Mart with you?” 

We have all forgotten something or been forgotten before in our lives. No one regardless of age, gender, or any other difference is free from being forgetful from time to time. As we read our second installment of the Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross we see one of the criminals crucified with Christ get right to the heart of this. He says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into you Kingdom.” It’s such a simple request, no frills, no fanciness, none of the extra trappings we tend to add to things: Jesus, remember me. And down through the ages I believe we have all prayed that same request at one time or another. 

Now the other criminal also made a lasting impression, but it’s really the bad kind. He mocked Jesus even as they were being crucified, saying, “So, you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us too while you’re at it!” Now, I don’t know the motivation for this. Perhaps he was just that bitter  and mean, and thought he was getting away with taunting Jesus. Maybe he hoped the authorities around the cross would appreciate his whole “Hey I’m with you!” thing and spare him. Maybe he just didn’t care at all anymore. 

And yet, his attitude has gone down through history as one of the biggest blocks to people believing. Because we struggle with the idea of faith we say the same thing, “Prove it.” Proving it is something we do in courtrooms, in science labs, in socio-political realms. But faith lives in our hopes and dreams. Faith lives in our experience and our hearts. I can’t walk faith through a scientific method because I’m not talking about science. I’m talking about something different. But you know faith when you see it. When friends come to your rescue, sacrifice, give of their time and effort to help you, that looks like faith. When you feel this sense of comfort in your darkest hour and can’t explain it, that looks like faith. When things work out in such an amazing and powerful way that it defies explanation, that, too, looks like faith. It’s in those moments when you pray, “Jesus, remember me,” and somewhat you simply know he does .

The other criminal understood it clearly. He pushed back: “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die?” He understood in this moment that faith was about all he had left, and he had better cling tightly to it. Perhaps we’ve all been there—when it feels like nothing is left in life but our faith. We have something our life so great that we can’t buy our way out, think our way out, plan our way out, or even find a way out. When we are stuck, there’s always one thing that stays with us: our faith.Perhaps the criminal who called out to Jesus to remember him understood that. 

That idea goes with our Old Testament, “I look to the mountains—where does my help come from?” And then that bold, power-filled statement: “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” That same Psalm wraps up with a moving reminder: “The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” I’ve said several times that we should never worry for God will watch over us in this life or unto the next. For the criminal on the cross it was the latter. He was not spared his crucifixion. God did not spare him in this life and bring him down to go on till old age. But God brought him safely unto everlasting life. For when he cried out—“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” Jesus responded without compromise or hesitation, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” 

We will all have times in our lives where we feel forgotten, ignored, or even like someone is too busy or distracted to care about us. I see it most in relationships that are meant to be close and intimate. There’s never enough time in the day. Children don’t get the time they need with their parents. Spouses have no time with each other to work on their relationship. Our elderly don’t hear from the loved ones who are supposed to look after them when they get to the age they need help. Sometimes we talk about all kinds of ministries and outreaches and programs, but you know what is truly a humbling ministry? 

Go visit a nursing home or assisted living. Go and spend time talking to the patients living there. They can’t tithe cause all the money is tied up in paying for their care. They can’t really get out and come to church and volunteer. But how truly are such people the least of these whom Christ called on us to care for. Go and visit the doubter, the skeptic, the hurt and broken with the church. Go and talk to the ones who have lost their faith or walked away in pain and grief. Go show some of the faith in your life to the real challenges, not just the ones you feel comfortable hanging around. If we are to make a difference we have to get away from seeing the ones we remember all the time, and go out to visit, care, and greet the ones begging, “Jesus, remember me.” 

If you’ve ever felt forgotten, you know how much it hurts. The criminal who begged to be remembered had lost his way, was probably not a very great person, and likely had not contributed to society as some upstanding citizen. But when he cried out to Jesus, “remember me.” Jesus gave him the greatest answer imaginable: “Today you will be with me in paradise,” the promise to end all promises, the assurance that he was most definitely remembered and indeed loved. No matter who has forgotten you, broken you, left you behind, or simply and selfishly not even cared about you, Jesus remembered you, and Jesus will never, ever forget you. 

I have a good friend who forgets everything, and no it’s not my friend who got left at Wal-Mart. Whenever he and I would hang out or go somewhere, I made absolutely sure that we started heading to the door 30 minutes early because we would play “scavenger hunt.” Where are your keys, your wallet, your glasses, your shoes? Everything needed was somewhere else. He never could keep things together. But you know what he never forgot? He always asked how I was doing. He always called and checked on me from time to time. He always made it a point that even though heaven knows where his keys and wallet landed, he never forgot about his friend and family, and to me, that looked like Christ, that looked like faith. 

A criminal, condemned, forgotten, and even hated by society called out to Jesus, “Remember me!” And Jesus said to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Regardless of what happens in your life or who forgets about you, Jesus will always, always remember you. 

Words of Christ From the Cross: Part 1

Woman, Here Is Your Son: Exodus 2: 1-10; John 19: 26-27

One of the greatest forces on our earth is that of a relationship. Very often when we think of this in terms of a romantic relationship, when we fall in love, we see things through the rosy glasses, we grin and flirt and all those silly things. But relationships also have a strong bond that doesn’t involve romance. There is the parent-child relationship, relationships between friends, pastor and parishioners. Relationships go deep in our souls and spirits holding us to one another in powerful ways. 

I remember a case I handled several years ago. A daughter had stolen significant amounts of money from her mother and squandered it all. Her mother was not broke, but left in a difficult financial place in her old age. Even in all of that betrayal, pain, and exploitive actions, the mother constantly said that she loves her daughter and refuses to get her in trouble. Relationships have many facets, some involve healthy actions and proper accountability; some blindly overlook everything.

In our studies on the seven last things Christ said on the cross we have looked at forgiveness and we have looked at Jesus remembering us. Today we consider that even on the cross, Christ spoke to the importance of living in a relationship. We see first that a relationship provides for. Now, I’m going to leave you hanging on what comes after that “for” part. When Christ was on the cross, he emphasized the importance of relationship to those gathered around by providing for his mother and his beloved disciple. 

Jesus knew that his mother would be grieving. Yes, she understood the purpose and the mission of her son, but that doesn’t help with a mother’s grief at the death of her son. In fact, there is very little that can comfort such a loss. But Jesus says to the people there, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And to the disciple whom Jesus loved, he said, “Here is your mother.” And from that time on this disciple took Mary into his own home and cared for her. 

Jesus provided for his mother—someone to look after her and care for her. Mary was older now, and the life and times were hard in those days. Jesus was worried about his mother and wanted to make sure she was provided for. But he also knew he was leaving the disciple whom he loved, and that his loss would be felt deeply by this particular disciple. So he made sure that Mary was there to comfort and give a loving, mothering presence to this disciple. He provided for a continued caring relationship for these two people whom he loved. Relationships are meant to provide for. 

In addition to providing for a relationship is meant to save and protect. In our Old Testament story, we read about the birth of Moses. He was born in a time when things were bad for the Hebrew people. They were living in Egypt, and a new king who knew nothing of Joseph, the one who saved Egypt from starvation, was on the throne. He enslaved the Hebrew people, then out of fear that they were too numerous and powerful, ordered their baby boys to be killed. 

So, out of love and a desire to protect and save her child, Moses’ mother let him float down the Nile in a basket. The daughter of Pharaoh discovered Moses and used his own mother to nurse him as a baby. When he was old enough, Moses was then taken to the palace. His mother’s love, the relationship they had as well as his relationship to Pharaoh’s daughter saved and protected him from certain death. 

Too often in life our relationships turn out to be toxic. People are exploitive, have hidden motives, try to do us harm, or are so self-destructive that they are like a great big whirlpool sucking us down into their mess. God designed the relationships in our lives to be a beautiful and holy thing. All throughout the Bible we read of covenants, of relationships, of people working together in holy and loving ways. God had a relationship to Adam and Eve—even from the very beginning. And right to the very climax where Christ is on the cross, the whole story of faith is the story of God’s relationship with us, God’s people. 

Christ even makes it a point to tell this from the cross, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And on the cross, Christ established one of the greatest relationships in history: a relationship with us. It’s the kind of relationship on which we should pattern our own behaviors and actions, on how we should treat people and live together as humans with one another. God meant for relationships to provide for, to save and protect, and to be rooted form the very foundation in love for one another. 

When I think of having a solid relationship, especially with God, I think of that hymn which says to us, “safe and secure from all alarms….I’m leaning on the everlasting arms.” There should be love at the basis of our relationships, but they should also bring us a sense of peace, of joy, they should be kind and gentle in communication and behavior. In our relationships we should strive to be like Jesus…long-suffering, patient, kind, and ready to lift up others. 

But God does not want us to be abusive or abused in our relationships and how we deal with one another. There are several instances where we are given examples of boundaries: Jesus flipped the tables in the temple; Jesus told the woman at the tomb not to touch him; Jesus confronts Peter about his betrayal and denial. Just as people should not use and exploit us because of a relationship to us, so likewise we should be strong in setting boundaries while gently and lovingly holding people accountable for their actions. Christ encourages us to lead, help, and grow together, not punish or pay back. 

I had a friend who was married for several years. She was bright, funny, and full of laughter. But over a few years of marriage, I watched that change. She became quiet, critical of herself, believing that she was worthless, ugly, and useless. The source of that was her toxic relationship. Her husband was mean, insecure, and constantly putting her down to make himself seem better. That, right there, is abuse. 

God’s relationship to us is the pattern that we should strive for in all of our relationships here on earth. It is a relationship that is loving, that provides for, that saves and secures. And we should do the same here on earth. We should be gentle with one another, loving. Even when we have faults and failures and see others behaving in bad ways: we should correct and set boundaries gently and carefully. out of love and not anger or a desire to “get even.” 

When Jesus was on the cross, even in the midst of his own suffering, he spoke to those around him and to us down the ages about the importance of relationships. To his grieving mother who lost a son, he provided someone to love and care for her. To his beloved disciple who was hurting and grieving, he provided comfort and a mothering presence: “Dear woman, here is your son,” and “here is your mother.” From that day on the disciple took her into his home, and they cared for one another, even as Christ had cared for them. May it be so in all of our own relationships.