Follow the Man on the Donkey

Debbie Cato

Zechariah 9:4-9a and Mark 11:1-11

The Way of the Cross –Week 6 (Palm Sunday)

Peace Presbyterian Church

March 29, 2015

Follow the Man on the Donkey

Today begins Holy Week – the last week of Lent. I would say it is the most important week in the Christian faith. I commend you to extra prayer and vigil this week as we continue to walk the way of the cross with Jesus. Plan to attend our Maundy Thursday service when we will remember the last supper and Jesus’ arrest. Then on Friday – Good Friday as it's called - spend extra time in prayer and reflection as you remember Christ’s crucifixion. It is only after walking all the way to the cross with Christ, that we can truly rejoice on Easter morning.

Jesus and his disciples have been heading to Jerusalem for quite some time. One-third of Mark’s Gospel relates to Jesus entry into Jerusalem and the last 7 days of Jesus’ life. Jerusalem and the events that are about to transpire are the very definition of who Jesus is. While traveling to the city, Jesus heals the blind, exorcises demons, feeds the five thousand, speaks to the crowds and teaches his disciples. And three times - three times, he explains to his disciples that he is going to die and be resurrected.

And now, after all the teaching, after all the healing, after all the encouragement, after all the warnings, they draw near to Jerusalem. Can you feel the momentum gearing up? Can you feel that something is about to happen?

As they draw near to Jerusalem – before they actually arrive, Jesus sends two of his disciples into a village ahead of them. Jesus sends his disciples telling them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter, you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat; untie it and bring it. ³ If any one says to you, `Why are you doing this?' say, `The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.'" Notice that Jesus is in control over every thing that is about to happen; over every detail Divine knowledge brought him to Jerusalem thus far. This same divine knowledge will take him all the way to the cross. Jesus is in control. Everything happens according to plan. Jesus does not enter Jerusalem as an unknowing victim.

The disciples do as they are told. They go away, (into the village) where they

find a colt; a young donkey tied at the door out in the open street; and they untie it, just as Jesus instructed them. And sure enough, people standing there ask the disciples, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" ⁶ And they tell the people exactly what Jesus told them to say. After hearing the explanation the people let the disciples take the colt and go on their way.

See how everything happens just as Jesus says it will?

And the disciples bring the colt to Jesus, and they

throw their garments on it; and he sits upon it.

A young donkey with a large passenger struggling down the steep road that leads from the Mount of Olives to the eastern gate of Jerusalem may seem a little ridiculous to us; a little under-stated for the Savior of the world. But to the people gathering around to watch Jesus’ arrival, his mode of transportation is symbolic. By riding into Jerusalem on a humble donkey, Jesus is making a very specific political statement He is making a messianic claim, echoing the prophet’s imagery in Zechariah 9:9.

“Lo, your king comes to you' triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Instead of a display of power and might, Jesus the King of all kings comes in “humble and riding on a donkey.” This is no ordinary man coming into town. All the signs point to his kingship; to his Messiah-ship. This is no ordinary king promoting his own glory; flaunting his symbols of power. This is a king for fishermen; for tax collectors; for prostitutes. This is a king for you and for me.

And the crowds of people? Those accompanying Jesus are as humble as his entry — a ragtag collection of disciples and hanger-ons spreading their cloaks in the road; the ancient equivalent of rolling out a red carpet. And yet, what do those crowds do? Those that lay their cloaks on the ground and shout Hosanna as Jesus enters the city? Those that traveled with Jesus into Jerusalem, those that considered themselves followers? Well, they disperse as mysteriously as they assemble. The welcome, the celebration soon turns to opposition and eventually to condemnation and death.

It won’t be long – days actually, that these same people that celebrate Jesus as he enters Jerusalem, the same people who shout Hosanna on the Highest! - these same people will taunt Jesus. These same people will mock him. They will turn on him. These will be the same people who scream “crucify him, crucify him.” In a few days, Jesus will stand alone, betrayed and forsaken.

This passage is one of both triumph and suffering. Jesus enters the city knowing, anticipating, and yes, even controlling every single detail of his suffering and death. It begs us to ask questions to try to understand. Why does Jesus decide to ride into Jerusalem in a way that invites acclaim? Why at this point in his ministry does he make an almost triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the stronghold of his enemies? By this time, Jesus has no real doubt that he will meet a violent death. Is this entry into Jerusalem a challenge to his opponents? Is it part of a journey marked by deeper and deeper letting go of all things, except the will of God? Is it a sign of things to come, no matter what will happen to him in Jerusalem?¹

Unlike his followers, we know the ending. We know that when Jesus enters Jerusalem this time, it will be his last time. We know he is traveling on the road to his death. Three times he tried to tell his disciples that his destiny is suffering and death. But they didn't want to hear; they didn't understand.

Discipleship is not only about the hosannas and the praises. Discipleship is not about enthusiasm for some hyped-up faith. It is not about jumping on the bandwagon of whatever is popular at the time. It is not about following some charismatic leader. It’s about following Jesus – the man on the donkey. Jesus’ mission and revelation as the Son of God is not complete until he suffers and dies on the cross, only to be resurrected from the dead – defeating sin and death for once and for all. Jesus is not confessed as Messiah in the pomp and circumstance, but only at the cross. And so, it is there that we too must go.

Many Bibles give today's passage the title, “Jesus Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem.” The word “triumphant” implies a victory; a conquering of sorts. And that is certainly what Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is. A victory of cosmic proportions. But certainly not the kind of victory the people expected. It's not the kind of victory they were hoping for. This whole narrative is a dramatic, yet puzzling event in the story of Jesus' movement toward his destiny.

Honestly, I don't know what to do with all of this. But God does. I don't completely get it, but I don't have to because God does. I don't want to figure this out. But, that's O.K. too. God has it figured out.

When I read this passage, I can see myself in that crowd at the entrance into Jerusalem. I can feel the excitement of Jesus' appearance. “He's here, He's here!” I can hear myself shout. I can see myself waving my palm; taking off my robe and laying it on the ground for him. I imagine myself weeping as I see this Jesus of Nazareth for myself. “Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest.”

But if I'm honest, I also see myself hiding when the trouble starts; too afraid to voice my opinion; too filled with fear to stand up for him. I can see myself caught up in the crowd, the chaos – horrified at what I see yet unable to turn away. Nervous that someone might recognize me as one of them; as one of his followers. I recognize myself denying him; too afraid for my own well-being. I can see myself.

What about you? Where do you see yourself in this story? Who are you? Where are you? What do you see? How do you feel? What do you hear? What do you do? Who do you see yourself as? Where are you in this story?

Discipleship means following the man on the donkey all the way to the cross. We know the King is coming, are we ready?

1Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 2. Theological Perspective. Margaret A. Farley. P 152.

The Difference in a Year

March 29, 2014. Steve Miller (and probably Linda) got up early in the morning, boarded a train, and headed to Tacoma, Washington. I greeted Steve at the train station and drove him to my empty apartment. Once there, I bid her sister farewell. Steve hopped into the U-haul, me into my car, and we hit I-5 and headed to Eugene.

Yes, friends, I have been here for a year! In many ways I feel as if I have always been here – always known you, and in other ways, I can’t believe a year has come and gone.  I have now been with you for every season of the church and for every season of nature. 

We have had some highs and we have had some lows. I’ve performed 2 memorial services – three with Pat Lanier’s on April 11^th, and no weddings. There have been no baptisms. No new members.

There is a devoted group of adult Bible study where we learn more about scripture, more about the Lord we claim to follow, and more about one another. The Lenten Soup & Study is fantastic! The Deacons and I are reading our second book together. Session is discussing a different  book – giving us insight and ideas for the future of Peace. The new Session has energy, enthusiasm, and tremendous hope for the future. They are moving forward with the Ministry Plan developed by the session and deacons in September.

Watch for some exciting changes that will make us more visible, more family friendly, more alive. Embrace what God is doing among us! Pray for your church – every day. Pray for the leadership, for the congregation, for the people that God will bring to us. Pray that God would show you ways to get involved! If a 100-year old woman can sew nearly 1,000 “Little Dresses for Africa”, there is something that each and every one of us can do to bring new life and stability to Peace Presbyterian. Embrace change. Talk with your elders and see how you can help. 

I can’t wait to see where God has taken us in the upcoming year.  Thank you for calling me as your pastor. I really love being here.

Grace and peace

Pastor Debbie

Sacrifice & Servitude

Debbie Cato

Jeremiah 31:31-34 & Mark 10:32-45

The Way of the Cross –Week 5

Peace Presbyterian Church

March 22, 2015

                                                                Sacrifice & Servitude

Today we come to Jesus’ third and final prediction of His death and resurrection. Jesus already told his disciples that he will be killed and resurrected. Twice. Obviously, this is important. He wants his followers to know what’s ahead. He wants them to get it. He wants them to understand.

But they aren’t getting it. After telling them twice, Jesus tries again. He’s headed to Jerusalem with his disciples. Jesus is leading the way. While they are walking to Jerusalem, he explains what will happen for the third time. This last prediction – this third time, Jesus is the most explicit. The most clear. He includes the most details. The time is eminent – they are headed to Jerusalem at this very moment and once they get there, things will happen fast. Jesus knows what is facing him when he arrives in Jerusalem. He wants his disciples to understand what is about to happen to him; their teacher, their leader … their Lord.

If you ask me, Jesus is pretty clear. “We are going up to Jerusalem. I will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes. (pause) They will condemn me to death. They will make fun of me, humiliate and beat me. They will kill me. After three days, I will rise again. (pause)

Now if you’re like me – you connect the dots. Jesus is very clear. He doesn't mince words.  Of course, we know how this story ends, don’t we? We know that Jesus is crucified on a cross like a common criminal after being beaten and ridiculed by the Roman soldiers. We know that he dies on the cross. We know that he’s buried in a tomb. We know that three days later, the tomb is empty. Jesus rises from the dead. We know that his disciples see him – they witness his resurrection. We know that Jesus ascends into heaven. We know the story. We know how life-changing, how life-giving it is. We know the end.

Bu the disciples don’t have our advantage. They are living the story in real time and Maundy Thursday and Good Friday haven’t happened yet. Easter hasn’t arrived. If we didn’t know the ending – if we didn’t know about Good Friday or Easter, I’m guessing we wouldn’t understand what Jesus was saying either. We probably wouldn't be able to connect the dots.

And yet, do we really get it? Do we really understand? Even though we know the story; even though we know how it ends, do we really, really get it? Do we understand what Jesus’ death and resurrection really means for us – for the world. Do we really understand what it means to be disciples of Christ? Or do we just talk the talk?

I remember when I was 12 years old and my parents told us we were moving. We lived in Springfield Minnesota – a very small town in southwest Minnesota. Both my parents were born in Springfield. All my grandparents lived in Springfield. All my friends lived in Springfield. I had never been anywhere else. I hadn’t even imagined being anywhere else.

And then one evening in February, right after dinner, my parents called all us kids down into the living room. We had never been summoned together like that before. I knew something big was about to happen. And then dad said it. He told us that at the beginning of May we were moving to Oregon. Just like that. Moving across the country.

At the ripe old age of 12, my life flashed before my eyes. Oregon? As far as I was

concerned, that was like moving to a foreign country. I didn’t know anything about Oregon. I didn’t know what music kids listened to. I didn’t know what they wore. I didn’t know if I would make any friends. I didn’t know if I would find a piano teacher as good as Mrs. Birkemeyer. I didn’t know what I would do without my Grandma Potter. I didn’t know it yet, but I didn't even know how to pronounce it correctly. I was devastated.

And then my little brother Mike – 7 years old at the time – said the stupidest thing I had ever heard anyone say. Mike said, “What should I wear?” Seriously! What should I wear? Like we were going to a party or something.

We were moving to Oregon. My Dad had just totally ruined my life and Mike wanted to know what he should wear! Obviously he didn’t get it – he didn’t understand how life-changing our move to Oregon would be. He didn’t understand that nothing would be the same again. “What should I wear?” Give me a break! 

For the third time, Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to die and be resurrected and how do they respond? James and John ask him a favor. Jesus, do what we want you to do for us. We want to benefit from any recognition, any glory you might receive. You do whatever you have to do Jesus and then we’ll share the limelight. We deserve it. We are your disciples. Forget the hard stuff you’re talking about. Forget the horror you are telling us about. Forget what you are really saying. Forget how totally life changing your news is. This is what we want. We’re worried about getting the recognition.

Jesus has been very clear and consistent about the suffering that is waiting for him in Jerusalem. But the disciples have selective hearing. They hear what they want to hear. They think they are heading to Jerusalem to grandeur. They have figured out that Jesus is the Messiah and they expect that in Jerusalem, he will inherit his messianic kingdom. They think that in Jerusalem everyone will recognize that Jesus is the Messiah and at last he will be honored and exalted in the manner he deserves. And … they think, because they are his followers, the glory and honor Jesus receives in Jerusalem will roll down to them. They think they too will be glorified. They too will be honored. So James and John say, let us sit at your side – in the midst of your glory.

Each time Jesus told his disciples about his future, they have jockeyed for position and prestige. Their response has been self-centered, self-serving, and callous. Their response is offensive. The disciples want fame. They want honor and recognition. They want to be considered the greatest. They want to sit with Jesus in glory. But they don’t want to do any of the hard stuff. They don’t want to get their hands dirty. They follow Jesus to Jerusalem because they think it’s about glory and honor. They completely misjudge Jesus’ mission to Jerusalem.

I remember being pregnant with Jessica – my oldest child – and “joking” about this 24-hour a day job I was about to undertake. Parenthood didn’t come with a job description – at least I never got a copy of it! I was ready to do everything I could to be the perfect Mom and give my child the perfect home. I was prepared for a beautiful baby that I could rock to sleep at night. I was prepared for this child that I could nurture and love and teach and watch grow up. I was ready to give this child opportunities that I had not had. I thought I was ready to stop doing things that I liked to do and put this baby first. I thought I was ready to get up during the night and feed a hungry baby. I thought I was ready to go without sleep. I thought I was ready to be a Mom.

Jessica came and I loved feeding her and rocking her and just looking at her. I loved bathing her and calming her. I loved being her mom. But I didn’t know about the fine print in the job description. In addition to the good came a lot of hard stuff. Getting up in the middle of the night when I hadn’t slept in almost a week. Taking care of her when she was sick; even when I had a 102 fever and could barely crawl out of bed myself. Cleaning up diarrhea diapers when even her armpits were filled with….well you know!

No one told me that there is a whole level of exhaustion that you just don’t understand until you have a baby. Nobody told me that I’d cook meal after meal even when I was exhausted. No one told me I’d stay up late at night to do laundry because it was the only time I could get it done. Nobody told me how many things I would do without so that my girls could have something. No one told me I’d have to make hard decisions that my daughters wouldn’t understand. No one told me that I’d let them down; that I would disappoint them.

Until I had children, I did not get this parenting thing. I didn't understand. It’s about a lot more than the “oh so cute” easy stuff. It’s 24/7 - literally. It’s non-stop. It’s about rolling up your sleeves and getting down and dirty. It’s about being proud and hurt and mad and worried. It’s about exhaustion and pain and greater joy and happiness than you can imagine. It’s about fears and disappointments and gut-wrenching decision-making. Being a parent is hard. Being a parent is wonderful.

And being a follower of Christ – well that’s amazing and hard too. Through Christ, we have the promise of God’s loving faithfulness. In Christ we have purpose and true meaning in life. The peace of Christ surpasses all under-standing; we can’t explain the peace we feel in the midst of the muck of life. The breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love for us surpasses all knowledge – we can’t grasp the unconditional love of God. With Christ, we have hope for tomorrow and the promise of eternal life. But we all know that life as a Christian isn’t easy.

Jesus' whole life and ministry is an example – a model of what being a Christ follower looks like. Jesus models humility. Jesus models sacrificial love for others. Jesus models servanthood – the very opposite of glory and recognition.

Jesus serves and Jesus gives. Look ahead to Jerusalem – Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice of his life for us - for you and for me. Jesus is about to suffer immeasurable pain and humility for us – a bunch of sinners.

And in return; if we are truly followers of Christ – we must understand the whole job description. Following Christ means exactly what it says...following Christ means living our life the way Jesus’ modeled during his life and ministry. It means struggle and suffering as much as joy and blessing. It means humility and sacrifice. It means that we must live our lives in service for others – putting others before ourselves. It means that whoever wants to be first must be last. It means that if we want to be great, we must make ourselves least. A little different than the world says, isn’t it?

In today’s Scripture lesson – in this third and final prediction of Jesus death and resurrection, Jesus is trying one last time to show his disciples the whole job description. Being a follower of Christ – just like being a parent – isn’t just about the joys and the good times. It certainly isn’t about honor or glory or recognition. Being a follower of Christ is about more than just showing up for church every Sunday. It’s about more than believing when times are easy and uncomplicated. It’s about more than trusting when times are good. It’s about having faith when we aren’t sure we believe any more. It’s about trusting God when it seems utterly impossible to us. It’s about hoping when things seem hopeless. It’s about following Christ… in the good, the bad…the easy and the hard.

If we do not live a gospel that calls us to a life of sacrifice and service, we are living a shallow, selfish, shoddy substitute that promises much, but demands little. Sacrifice and suffering are not options of discipleship. Sacrifice is at the very heart of what it means to follow Christ. If we really understand the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection; if we really understand what it means to be a disciple of Christ, we will understand the call to sacrifice and servitude.

There are two weeks left of Lent. Two weeks left of following Jesus to Jerusalem and to the cross. Two weeks to decide if what we are really looking for is glory and honor or are we willing to walk the way of sacrifice and servitude; to be least? To be last?

Let us pray.

Holy God, by the cross and resurrection of Jesus,
you lift the suffering world toward hope and transformation.

You open the way to eternal salvation.

As we move ever closer to the passion of Christ,
may your law of love be written on our hearts
as he draws all people to himself,
revealing your love for the world.
Help us to take on attitudes of servanthood and sacrifice,
so that we might look like Christ in our community and in the world.

In Jesus name, Amen.

“Oh, No! It's that Four-Letter Word!”

Debbie Cato

Numbers 21:4-9 and John 3:14-21

The Way of the Cross –Week 4

Peace Presbyterian Church

March 15, 2015

“Oh, No! It's that Four-Letter Word!”

This is the fourth Sunday of Lent. The fourth Sunday that we have been focusing on what it means to go “The Way of the Cross.” What it means to follow Jesus all the way to the cross. It is a walk intended to deepen our faith; to change us.

We've talked about temptation; about self-denial and repentance. Not necessarily “happy, pick-me up and feel good” topics, but disciplines that we need to foster if we are going to call ourselves disciples of Christ; call ourselves Christians. These are difficult practices that don't come naturally. We aren't good with temptation. We do not like to deny ourselves and put others first. Repentance takes too much honesty and humbleness. But these are the ways of Jesus. So, they must be our way too. And now, on this fourth Sunday of Lent; as we get ever so closer to the cross; it's time to talk about a four-letter word! Obey. As we follow Jesus to the cross, we are called to obey.

This morning, our Old Testament passage is from Numbers; the fourth book in the Bible and part of the Pentateuch or the Torah – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The term Pentateuch” comes from a Greek word that means “five-volumed book”, or as the Jews have designated it, “the five-fifths of the law.” These first five books; the Pentateuch, have traditionally been credited to Moses. They have been called the Law of Moses.

Numbers covers 38 of the 40 years that the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. It relates the story of Israel's journey from Mount Sinai (where God gave Moses the Commandments), to the plains of Moab on the border of Canaan. Numbers tells of the murmuring and rebellion of God's people and of their subsequent judgment. The very people God had freed from slavery in Egypt responded with unbelief, ingratitude, and repeated acts of rebellion.

It's been about 2 years since the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. Two years since

God miraculously saved the Israelites from Pharaoh. He parted the Red Sea so they could safely cross and when Pharaoh's army was almost on top of them, God closed up the gap and the army disappeared in the sea. But the people forgot how miserable they were as captives in Egypt. They forgot how excited they were to leave that land; how grateful. Our memories do that, don’t they?

          “The people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God
          and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt
          to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we
          detest this miserable food!” (Numbers 21:4-5)

Can't you just hear them? Grumbling and complaining while they walk? They sound like a bunch of kids! But wait! Can’t you just hear us? How often do we grumble about what we have; wanting something else; something better? How often are we disobedient in our walk?

Eventually God has enough of their whining and he sends a pack of poisonous snakes into their midst. Many of the people die from the snake bites before the “Let's go back to Egypt” committee convinces Moses to change God's mind. We have heard this story of a serpent getting the best of God's people before – back in the Garden of Eden. No wonder the Israelites were terrified!¹

The drama turns when Moses crafts a poisonous serpent make of bronze and lifts it high on a pole. All the Israelites who had died were given new life, and every time an Israelite was bitten by a snake, all he or she had to do was look to the serpent on the pole and be healed.² God got the people’s attention. He certainly would have gotten mine! I am terrified of snakes.

Think for a minute about when you go to the hospital to have a procedure or to have surgery. Sometimes, when you go to the hospital, they have to hurt you before they can heal you. Danger frequently paves the way to new life. Often an image of ugliness and death can be the means to wholeness.

In this story in Numbers echoes the larger story of salvation. Jesus' violent death on the cross is the moment of God's redemption and the reconciliation between God and creation. Still, whether it is Moses raising up a dead serpent or Jesus bleeding on the cross, it is an odd way for God to show His love and mercy to his disobedient people. It is an odd way for God to grant healing through pain and lifting high and image of ugliness and death to bring about new life.³

The Apostle John tells us that when Jesus explains to Nicodemus why faith based on signs and wonders is inadequate, he refers to this passage in Numbers. Jesus says,

          “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
          so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes
          in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world
          that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in
          him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

The Son of Man does not just offer life; the Son of Man offers eternal life. But as Nicodemus learns, it is not enough to look at the Son of Man; we must believe in him. In John's Gospel, “believe” is an action verb. It is something you do, and it must not be reduced to merely giving intellectual affirmation to certain statements – like Jesus is the Son of God, that he was raised from the dead. Affirming these things is certainly part of believing, but for John, believing is much more than this. In verse 36, John writes: Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God's wrath.” For John, the opposite of belief is not unbelief but disobedience. To believe, therefore, is to obey.⁴ There's that four-letter word! Obey.

The verses that follow are a little confusing; a little hard to understand. Jesus uses language about light and darkness. Judgment is based on our response to the light that reveals a person's true identity. Jesus is the true light. Those who believe – those who are obedient to God's revelation of himself in Jesus, do what is true; they come into the light. To love darkness rather than light is disobedience, which results in the evil deeds that the light exposes.

In love, God sent Jesus to save the world, but each person must decide whether to believe; to obey and live in the light or disobey and continue to live in the darkness. We must decide. Obey or disobey? Light or darkness?

Lent is the perfect time to consider our response to the decision that Jesus brings on. It is a perfect time to consider the nature of our obedience in the light of the images of Jesus' obedience. During his forty days in the wilderness, Jesus rejected Satan's temptations to be another kind of messiah. After feeding the multitude, Jesus rejected the people's efforts to make him king. In the Garden, Jesus turned back his own desire to have it any other way. Even on the cross, Jesus rejected the temptation to “save” himself. Jesus became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:8) ⁵

If believing is more than giving mental agreement to certain faith statements; if believing really means obedience; then during Lent, as we remember the obedience of Jesus, we must ask: “Do we really believe?”⁶ Do we? Will we obey?

Let us pray: Holy and loving God. Thank you for the gift of your Son and through our faith in Him, the gift of eternal life. Help us to stop just believing in our heads and help us to believe with every fiber of our being. Show us areas in our life that are getting in the way of our relationship with you and help us to have the courage and strength to let go. Give us the wisdom and the courage to be obedient to your unique call in our own lives. We offer ourselves to you, O God. In Christ’s name we pray. AMEN.

1Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 2. Craig Kocher, Pastoral Perspective. P 100.

2Ibid

3Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 2. Craig Kocher, Pastoral Perspective. P 100.

4Feasing on the Word, Year B, Volume. W. Hulitt Gloer. Homiletical Perspective. P 119.

5Feasing on the Word, Year B, Volume. W. Hulitt Gloer. Homiletical Perspective. P 121.

6Ibid.     

The Fruit of Repentance

Debbie Cato

Isaiah 55:1-9 & Luke 13:1-9

The Way of the Cross –Week 3

Peace Presbyterian Church

March 8, 2015

“The Fruit of Repentance”

There is a lot of pain and suffering in the world. Some people say that we are living in dark times. Turn on the TV news or pick up a newspaper on any given day in any given week and you will find a report on some horrific tragedy somewhere in the world.

On February 13^th of last year, the Washington Post reported that in the first six weeks of 2014 alone, there were 13 school shootings including one eight-day period in which there were four shootings. 2014 included a school shooting right here in Oregon.¹

March 8^th – a year ago today, Malaysian flight 370 disappeared. It just disappeared. 227 individuals from multiple countries and 12 crew members were lost.² The families still do not have answers. Then in July – another Malaysian jet went down and everyone on board that jet died.

There was the kidnapping of nearly 300 Nigerian school girls by Boko Haram. 300 girls.³ Fighting and upheaval in Ukraine and Syria and so many other places around the world. Tremendous natural disasters all over the world – including here in the United States.

Left unreported by news crews, are the larger but somehow less visible and dramatic tragedies; like 30,000 children who died this past Wednesday of hunger, roughly the same number who died somewhere on our planet on Tuesday and Thursday and every other day too, every day of the year. In every one of those deaths, families and loved ones grieved… in every single one. And at some level, every one of those grieving people probably asked the same question: “Why?” It doesn’t seem fair. What had any of those people – any of those children done to deserve such tragic deaths?

In Jesus’ day, there was no question about fairness. The assumption was that disease, suffering, and death bore a direct correlation with human sinfulness: the greater the sin, the more likely the misfortune. And to some degree, whether we want to admit it or not, we still think this way.

Think back to 2010. On January 12th, a catastrophic earthquake struck the country of Haiti. An estimated three million people were affected by the quake. The Haitian government reported that over 200,000 people died, another 300,000 people injured, and an estimated 1,000,000 people were homeless. Thousands and thousands of children are now orphans as a result of the quake. It was estimated that some 250,000 homes and 30,000 commercial buildings collapsed or were severely damaged.⁴

The very next day, January 13^th, famous televangelist Pat Robertson – a Christian mind you, said on public TV that “the deadly Haitian earthquake is God’s vengeance for a pact Haitians swore to the devil.” He went on to say that “Haiti has to endure hardships due to God’s vengeance.”⁵ It takes my breath away that anyone would say this.

But, we really aren’t that different! Just as in Jesus day, too often we presume that bad things happen to bad people and good people only receive blessing upon blessing. Tragic accidents, massacres and any other suffering must have a cause that lies in the people who suffer the event. They must have drawn it to themselves! It must be their fault. You get what you deserve. Suffering must mean that you are bad; otherwise, God would rescue you. By blaming the victims, we are able to disassociate ourselves – separate ourselves from those that are suffering by claiming that we are less sinful than they. When we can blame others, we feel safe from similar troubles somehow. We find comfort in being able to logically explain such tragedies by pointing the finger at others. We separate ourselves from those that suffer. It’s the “us/them” mentality.

And when calamity strikes us, as it surely does, we wonder what we did wrong. We hunt for some cause in hopes that we can change what we are doing and stop what-ever has gone (or is going) wrong. We scrutinize our behavior, our relationships, our diets, our beliefs. What we crave, above all, is control over the chaos in our lives. Some logical explanation.

Jesus exposes the error of this kind of thinking while at the same time driving home the point that life is uncertain, death is unpredictable and judgment is inevitable. It’s as if Jesus is saying, “You can’t go around making statements about deeply mysterious tragedies of life, as if you somehow know how these things work!” There are things that only God understands. He says, stop trying to figure out why things happen and just focus on God. Rather than putting effort and energy into explaining and rationalizing why things happen – put your effort and energy into bearing fruit for God’s kingdom. The reason bad things happen isn’t important. “You are all sinners,” Jesus says. “Repent or you will all perish!”

To drive his point home, Jesus tells the parable about the fig tree. It’s a parable about a landowner who expects his fig tree to bear fruit. The sequence is logical and simple – plant a fig tree, expect fruit and if after three seasons the tree bears no fruit, get rid of it. Land is precious, and an unfruitful tree cannot be allowed to use resources that could nourish a fruitful one.

But the gardener intercedes on behalf of the tree and pleads for a one-year clemency against the logical decision of the landowner. Give it another chance! “Maybe there is a mystery at work here that you and I don’t understand,” he says. “Let me feed and mulch and fertilize the tree and if there is still no fruit next year, go ahead and chop it down. But I’m willing to shovel manure for a year to give it a chance to bear fruit. Please, give it one more chance.

This parable is a reminder of the need for “everyone” to repent. Not just “those”…. (Terrible, worst-of-a-kind, good-for-nothing, you-name-them, fill-in-the blank, anyone-but-us), “sinners”. The fact is that we are all sinners. We are all in need of repentance. We are all deserving of punishment. But, as amazing as it is, we are all protected from the wrath of God – at least until judgment day – purely by his mercy. Jesus firmly rejects the possibility that we are holier than the victims of troubles and tragedies. He reminds us that we are all equally human, equally in need of repentance, and will equally stand before the judgment of God. Repentance is necessary for every single one of us. It is the obligation of every person to live in penitence and trust before God, without linking our loyalty to God to life’s sorrows or joys. All are to repent or perish.

God is the judge of our behavior and yet God offers to each one of us the opportunity for repentance. Attending to our relationship to God is a matter of most urgent business – the most urgent business we have. God is patient and merciful with a fig tree that has yet to bear fruit, but we cannot take God’s patience for granted. While God is long-suffering, God is still the judge of all. We must avoid self-assurance or self-righteousness in our dealings with God. For the standard of judgment God uses is not the standard we use.

Jesus did more than shovel manure for us. He died on the cross for our sins. It was God’s mercy, demonstrated on the cross that gave us another chance. God expects that the forgiveness we receive – over and over again, will result in changed behaviors. Repentance involves more than a radical renunciation of sin in hope of forgiveness. It is a complete rejection of our former way of life. The message of Jesus’ teaching and the parable of the fig tree that follows are relatively simple: “I tell you; but unless you repent” is a call to change. At the very root, repentance means a conversion of the heart and mind. It doesn’t mean being filled and tormented by guilt. Instead, it means being ready to admit our responsibility for our actions and our need for forgiveness, and have a firm desire to change our life: to turn away from ourselves in prayer and in love. Repentance means, above all, a constant, patient, growing in love. It means our willingness to open ourselves to the work of the Spirit in us and to embrace fully the gift of our salvation.⁶ It means to bear fruit for God’s kingdom. 

The parable of the fruitless fig tree is symbolic. God’s expectations are that His people will be fruitful and productive. Fruitful through right living; fruitful through our loving and forgiving of others; fruitful living in our witness; fruitful living through our acts; fruitful living in how we spend our time and our resources. Fruitful living is using the gifts God has given us to be his light in our lives, in our community, and in the world. We all have to be willing to bear kingdom fruit otherwise the end – and its implied judgment, will overtake us unaware – as it did the Galileans and the people upon whom the tower fell.

Disaster can happen to anyone of us at anytime. Few of us know when our life here on earth will end. However and whenever our own life ends, it is the end of our opportunity to bear fruit for God’s kingdom and the time when our finished life is laid open before the Judge’s eyes. He will divide those whose minds were centered on the things of this life from all whose treasure was in heaven. This future coming is both certain and final. From the judgment of that day there will be no appeal. Unspoken but implied in this parable is the urgent appeal to heed the lessons of the Gospel. There lies ahead – for every single person – a final encounter with Jesus the judge. We must come to seek God in penitence and emptiness and God will then come to meet us in salvation and blessing.

Terrible things happen, and you are not always to blame. We don’t have that much power over the universe! But don’t let that stop you from doing what you are doing. That torn place your fear has opened up inside of you is a holy place. Look around while you are there. Pay attention to what you feel. It may hurt you to stay there and it may hurt you to see, but it is not the kind of hurt that leads to death. It is the kind of hurt that leads to life. We can trust God’s presence with us even though the ground is moving and collapsing around us, even when we feel so overwhelmed it seems as though we are drowning. God’s loving presence leads us through the darkest days and nights, “even when there are no answers.”

What would you do if you had only one year left to live, only a short time in which to make up for wrongs done and opportunities missed? How important that year would be! Who would you apologize to? What relationships would you heal? How would you express your love or spend your time or spend your money? The lesson of the fig tree is a challenge to live each day as a gift from God; each day as if it’s your last and each day as if you are about to be judged for the final time.

Live each day in such a way that you will have no fear of giving an account for how you have used God’s gifts. Each day, ask yourself, “How is God calling me to live right now? What fruit am I bearing for God’s kingdom?” You have but a short time to prepare for the judgment by heeding the teachings of Jesus. If you do not use the time that remains to be fruitful, you may be cut down like the fig tree. Will we heed these lessons or not? This is the question. This is the judgment.

Let us pray: Gracious and Loving God, Your forgiveness is unshakable. Thank you for never seeking to find fault in us, yet always going before us and getting our attention with your gracious way. Thank you for forgiving us when we humble ourselves before you and turn our attention to your good purposes. God, you are good all the time. Help us to use our repentance and your forgiveness to produce good fruit in our lives, in our church, and in your kingdom. In your Son’s holy name we pray. Amen.

1http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/02/13/at-least-44-school-shootings-since-newtown-new-analysis/

2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_370

3http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/01/world/with-schoolgirls-still-missing-fragile-us-nigeria-ties-falter.html?_r=0

4Wikipedia.

5 700 Club, January 13, 2010 at 10:55 a.m.

6 Irma Zaleski. The Way of Repentance 1999

“Final Answer?”

Rev. Debbie Cato

Isaiah 53 & Mark 8:27-38

The Way of the Cross –Week 2

Peace Presbyterian Church

March 1, 2015

“Final Answer?”

How many of you are familiar with the TV Game Show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” I’m not sure if it’s still on or not but it first aired in August 1999 with Regis Philbin as the host. The contestants sit in a chair and answer one question after another, and each time the money gets bigger and bigger. You can stop and take home the money at any point or move on and risk losing it all. For most contestants, the gamble to win more money is often more enticing than the risk of losing it all, so they continue to play. When they give their answer, Regis gives them one more chance to change their mind – “Is this your final answer?” he asks. “Final answer,” the contestant says.

Imagine that we are watching “Who wants to be a millionaire?” and Jesus is the host and the contestant, Peter sits across from him. Peter answers question after question and now he’s at the million dollar question. Answer this one right – he wins it all. Answer wrong – he loses everything.

“For one million dollars, Peter,” Jesus says, “Who do people say that I am?” I can see Peter, all excited… shaking in his seat… grinning from ear to ear. “I know this one, Jesus,” Peter says, “You are the Messiah.” “Final answer?” Jesus asks. “Final answer.” says Peter.

Final answer. (pause) What does it mean to believe that Jesus is the Messiah? That Jesus is the Christ? What does it mean to be a disciple – a follower of Christ the Messiah? Peter knew the answer but he certainly did not understand.

Mark’s Gospel naturally breaks into two halves. The first 7 ½ chapters are filled with accounts of Jesus’ healings, his miracles, exorcisms of demons, and his teachings and parables to the crowds and his disciples. Throughout Jesus’ ministry we see example after example of his authority. People wonder, “Who is this man that teaches with such authority?” Some call him rabbi; some think he is John the Baptist, some Elijah the great prophet. People speculate…

but Jesus keeps his true identity quiet.

The second half of the Gospel of Mark begins at chapter 8 verse 27; our text for today. For the first time, Jesus begins to speak boldly about his purpose and his mission. From here through the end of chapter 15, Jesus is traveling to Jerusalem. He has completed his ministry in Galilee and is traveling toward his ultimate mission. It is in these chapters that Jesus acknowledges who he is and he tries to teach his disciples what that means – for him; and for them. It is in these chapters that we learn that Jesus must suffer and die. While Jesus and his disciples journey toward Jerusalem, He prepares his disciples for suffering; He continues his ministry in Jerusalem; and when the time is right, Jesus is arrested, tortured, crucified, and buried. And then; after the suffering, after the pain and anguish, after the shock and fear, after it seems everything is over; is the grand finale. Mark ends his Gospel in chapter 16 with the good news that Jesus is risen from the dead!

Hints about Jesus’ identity build up throughout the first half of Mark’s Gospel. All these hints culminate with Peter’s confession that Jesus is THE Messiah. Peter’s confession separate what the disciples know about Jesus from the common views about him. Jesus acknowledges that He is the Christ and yet, Jesus still does not fully claim the title of Messiah.

You see, the Son of Man did not come only to exercise authority on earth. He came to suffer. Although Peter and the others appear to have reached the correct insight that Jesus is Messiah, that confession is misunderstood if suffering is not the central truth about Jesus’ identity. Jesus will not claim the title of Messiah until His mission is complete. He will not claim the title of Messiah until he has suffered; until He has been crucified; until He has risen from the dead. It is through his resurrection that Jesus truly is the Messiah – a title achieved only through the cross.

Jesus explanation results in bewilderment and dismay, not only because of its implications for His Messiah-ship, but equally because of its implications for discipleship. Since the disciples participate in the ministry of Jesus, they must also learn to share the suffering of the Son of Man.

When Peter gives the final answer – “You are the Messiah.” – he has a different definition of what that means. He doesn’t like the talk about suffering. He doesn’t like the talk about dying. How can Jesus say this? You’re wrong, Jesus! The Messiah can’t suffer! You can't die!

Jesus’ uses their journey toward Jerusalem as an opportunity to take on the difficult task of teaching his disciples the true meaning of Messiah-ship. And, it’s not what they expected.

Jesus is not the expected messianic teacher who will explain and re-institute the Torah in Jewish life; rather, he teaches in puzzling and probing parables about the surprising in-breaking of God’s kingdom and the nearness of his love and forgiveness of sinners. Nor does Jesus exhibit stereotypical messianic authority, such as royal control, reestablishing and purifying the temple cult and above all expelling Gentiles from Jewish life; rather his authority is rooted in who he is. As God’s Son, he reinterprets God’s commandments, presumes to forgive sins, has power over nature, and speaks for and as God.

Not only does Jesus not fit the messianic stereotype, He defines his mission in scandalous contrast to it. The meaning of his life and mission is not about victory and success, but about rejection, suffering, and death. When Jesus finally speaks to the issue of his identity and mission it is summed up in “The Son of Man must suffer many things.” The way to Jerusalem and the bitter end that awaits Jesus are affirmed as God’s ordained way for him: he must suffer.

It is natural and understandable that Peter should feel obliged to correct Jesus. In trying to avert Jesus from suffering, Peter, in a way he cannot know, opposes a deep mystery of God. Suffering is the only way to destroy the stronghold of Satan, which is Jesus’ declared purpose from early in the Gospel. For Peter, the indication that the Son of Man will die is unthinkable. For Jesus, it is inevitable.

The danger of a wrong view of messiah-ship is that it leads to a wrong view of discipleship. The disciples have participated in Jesus’ ministry of preaching and healing. Now they discover that they must also participate in the ministry of suffering. Following Christ in self-denial and even in suffering is a necessary means of salvation. One cannot follow Jesus except “on the way” of self-denial. On the way to the cross.

Modern culture is exposed to the symbol of the cross primarily in jewelry or figures of speech. Bearing a cross is putting up with an inconvenience or a hardship of some kind. But, the symbol of the cross in the first century was vastly different! An image of extreme repugnance, the cross was an instrument of cruelty, pain, dehumanization, and shame. The cross symbolized hated Roman oppression and was reserved for the lowest social classes. It was the most visible aspect of Rome’s terror apparatus, designed especially to punish criminals and quash slave rebellions. In 71 BC the Roman general Crassus defeated the slave-rebel Spartacus and crucified him and six thousand of his followers. A century later in Mark’s day, Nero would crucify and burn Christians who were falsely accused of setting fire to Rome. The image of the cross for Mark’s community suffering adversity under Nero was not a sign of God’s abandonment but rather of their identification with and faithfulness to the way of Jesus himself. The image of the cross signifies a total claim on the disciple’s allegiance and the total relinquishment of their life to Jesus.

The church continues to be a martyr throughout the world. In our day Christians who work to bring justice and peace to suffering peoples around the world are often victims of the violence they are trying to end. Sometimes death squads single out religious leaders and missionaries for particularly brutal execution in the hope of frightening the people.

We need to consider whether there are situations in which public pressure may lead us to deny our faith. We know that our Christian faith is not always welcome in the workplace, so we learn to cloak our Christian identity when morally questionable practices seem to be the order of the day. When we go to the polls, we forget the gospel teachings of justice and love of neighbor and vote in ways that benefit ourselves and hurt those without a voice. We spend our money on things we think we need, while people all around us are hungry and homeless. We would rather deny others than deny ourselves.

Jesus warns Peter and the disciples - and us, that attempts to preserve our physical life from self-denial and suffering may jeopardize our very soul; whereas the willingness to lose even our physical life for the sake of the gospel will guarantee our eternal being. To lose our life is one thing but to lose our soul has eternal consequences. When the way of Jesus is more important than our own existence, we will secure our eternal being; but when our own existence is more important than Jesus, we will lose both Jesus and our existence into eternity.

Confronted with the necessity of suffering, most people react exactly like Peter. In a “pain-killer” culture, a balanced understanding of suffering is difficult to achieve. Jesus sets out the challenge for us to think as God thinks, not as human beings. Jesus’ healing miracles and his compassion for the crowds at the feeding miracles make it clear that God does not delight in human suffering. The disciples were sent out to heal as well as to preach the good news. Yet danger lies in concluding that suffering and self-sacrifice are always undesirable. Despite everything the Bible tells us about the suffering of truly righteous people, Christians frequently think that if we pray hard enough, God will remove all the trials from our lives. When a loved one is diagnosed with a dreaded illness, we tend to pray for miraculous healing rather than pray for strength and courage and wisdom in dealing with the bad news. Somehow, we have grasped the Jesus of the miracles but have ignored the way of the cross. Prayer is important in healing, but prayer is opening ourselves up to what God wills; not an exercise in forcing God to do our will. “Your will be done.”

When confronted by the call to discipleship, disciples do not have a “both…and” choice – both Christ and our own lives. We stand before an “either… or” decision. The claim of Jesus is a total and exclusive one. It does not allow a convenient compartmentalization of natural life and religious life, of secular and sacred. The whole person stands under Christ’s claim. The issue is who is in charge. To say “Christ” is to give up the right to define what “Christ” means; it is to acknowledge His authority to define the terms and with it the meaning of the confession.

This text has great significance for us. By leading to a clear understanding of the correct answer to the question “Who is Jesus?” this text points to a clear under-standing of the question, “Who am I?” I am a disciple: a learner who follows Jesus: a follower who learns from him.

So imagine you are the contestant and Jesus is sitting across from you. He smiles and says, “Who do YOU say I am?” A lot is at stake. Your answer has eternal consequences. What is your final answer?