On the Way to Wonder

Today we meet another nameless person whose deed of kindness is recorded and memorialized! Mark 15:34-36 shares that about 3 p.m. of Good Friday, after three hours of total darkness, Jesus cries out, revealing he is praying Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  One of the bystanders, a nameless man, hears the cry, hears the crowd murmuring that perhaps Elijah will come to rescue Jesus, but instead of speculating, responds to Jesus’ cry with kindness.  He runs for a sponge of vinegar that he can put on a reed and press against Jesus’ lips.  Not much but it is something.  Helpful?  We do not know.

         Sometimes in the face of tragedy we are immobilized by the enormity of the problem and our help seems so little and inconsequential in comparison.  We face problems like that today.  Is wearing a mask truly going to stop a pandemic?  Will my act of kindness curb the wave of racism?”  What difference will my dollar make in the plague of starvation facing places in the world?  We feel so small and the problem looms so big.

         Moses, leading the people of Israel into the Promised Land, is told by God to send out twelve spies, one from each tribe.  The men return impressed with the fruitfulness of the land, a land flowing with milk and honey, BUT are terrified by the size of the people.  “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them. (Numbers 13: 33b)  Modern communications makes it possible to bring news from all over the world and reports of the problems occurring.  We feel like grasshoppers.

         The man at the foot of the cross did not wait to talk it over with a friend.  He did not wait to see if the problem would resolve.  He did not look to the guards, government, to provide a fix.  He did not interview the man on the cross to see if he was worthy of help.  He ran.  He got that which was available at the moment and acted to alleviate the suffering of another.  It may be just that easy.  The whole problem is in God’s hand and wisdom but the sponge is in our hands.   It was not much but it was what was at hand and he acted.  History remembers. We are not grasshoppers.  We are people with hearts and hands that can reach out to relieve suffering.

         Joshua and Caleb, the two spies that believed God could take their little and do something entered the Promised Land but the others did not.  May we offer our little and not see ourselves as grasshoppers! 

Noon of Good Friday comes and the sky turns black.  Mark 15:33-34 shares that it is total darkness that can be felt like the plague in Egypt, total darkness for three hours.  This is not an eclipse that can be very scary if unexpected but it is darkness deeper and longer.  After three hours Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  He is praying Psalm 22:

¹My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
  Why so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?
 ²My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer;
  by night, but I find no rest.
 ³Yet you are the Holy One,
  enthroned on the praises of Israel.
 ⁴Our ancestors put their trust in you,
  they trusted, and you rescued them.

¹¹Be not far from me, for trouble is near,
  and there is no one to help.

It is possible to feel totally abandon by family and friends and life can feel like a dark sink-hole with no bottom and no end.  That is the feeling of  abandonment, of despair, and of depression – the feeling of being totally alone to carry the weight of your world.

         The psalmist, though, goes on to describe not the feeling but the reality:

²⁴For the Lord does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty;

neither is the Lord‘s face hidden from them;
  but when they cry out, the Lord hears them.

         During our darkest hours is when our souls need the truth of Scripture. We are in the midst of our agony, despairing in prayer, our soul crying out to God, and our world seems cloaked in darkness.  Often our feelings cannot access God’s love and we need Scripture, prayer, music to remind us that God is there carrying us and holding us.  Even as Jesus cried out on the cross, so we are free to cry out our despair to God. 

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 5:3         

When we face situations that drive us to despair and make us feel abandoned, forsaken, may we cry to God for he does not despise us nor abhor us but is there with us in the silence, listening.  Thank you, Lord.

Yesterday we saw the soldiers at the foot of the cross, casting dice to see who would get Jesus’ clothes.  They were just “passing time.”  Today, in the next verse in Mark 15:29-31, the author comments on “the passers by.”  They see Jesus and “deride” him for not doing one more miracle to prove himself – come down from the cross!  Even the chief priests “mock” – save yourself like you saved others!  The two robbers hanging next to him “”revile Jesus.  Passers by deride, revile and mock.  In 2 Corinthians 5:21, Paul says, “For our sake he (God) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  Jesus became sin.  He was not an innocent person crucified for our sins.  He became sin.  Guilty as charged.

         When I think of “passing by,” I think of the parable of the Good Samaritan.  A man is beaten up and robbed on the road to Jericho and left to die.  A priest sees him and passes by on the other side of the road.  A Levite sees him and passes by.  But a Samaritan, a foreigner, stops and cares for the man, carrying him on his donkey to safety.  Many debate what causes people to pass by others in need.  Too busy?  Might get sick?  Don’t speak their language?  No time right now!  There is a definite sense of superiority when we deride, revile or mock.  Jesus asks  then and now, and us, who is the true neighbor?  The one who has compassion is the conclusion and we are charged to go and do likewise.

         As we “pass by” others between now and Easter, let us pray for eyes that see their struggle and how we can help.  May we have ears that can take time to listen to the other with an open heart, not focusing on our watches.  And if necessary, Lord give us the wisdom for when we can lend a helping hand.  May we not be guilty of looking for one more miracle, one more good deed by the other so that the person deserves our compassion.  May we give freely as we have freely received.

After Jesus’ epitaph, “They crucified him,” Mark pulls back in Mark15:24-28. He starts to describe the scene. The soldiers are neither longer mocking nor actively carrying out their duty.  They are casting lots to divide Jesus’ clothes.  They are passing time. Mark notes that Jesus is being crucified between two robbers, two common thieves.  The one interesting thing he notes is the plague on the cross, “The King of the Jews.”

         This year, we too are passing time as we wait for Good Friday and the crucifixion.  For many there will only be the waving of the palms of their hands and not palm branches because of the pandemic this Sunday.  Easter celebrations will probably be curtailed. No sunrise pancake breakfast by the youth.  Many churches will not celebrate Maundy Thursday or Good Friday together but possibly by zoom meetings or streaming.  There is a certain flatness, a feeling of just passing time.

         How do we “pass time”?  Some put on DVDs.  Visiting friends and family is not as automatic now.  Even shopping is not whipped into a furry yet.  The heaviness of the Passion story matches some of the heaviness in the air.  We are hoping that the vaccine will do the trick and yet some are talking of a third wave.  Some have received stimulus checks and others will claim rebates on their income tax.  And yet again April 15 is postponed.

         In the midst of all the serious thinking, though, I can look outside.  The baby ibises are walking through the yard and their original brown plumage is beginning to turn white.  The weather is warming up and some flowers are coloring the landscape here in Florida.  The grass was even mowed today.  Water skiers are beginning to be on the lake and crews of rowers are warming up.  Bicyclers stream by, exercising their muscles.  Life goes on.

         Today is day 30 of the 40 days of Lent and we are ¾ of the way through Lent.  How will you pass the remaining time?  Instead of casting lots to win a prize like the soldiers, why not think of a gift you could give someone? It need not cost money.  Who might appreciate a surprise hug or a phone call?  Homemade “thinking of you” cards are usually appreciated.  Smiles are always a good bet. May we pass time not wanting to win a “used garment” but giving a surprise. We know that “The King of the Jews” while written by Pilate as mocking, was true and we know that King lives and cares about all the things that weigh us down!  God is not passing time but active in our world today.  Let us “pass time” encouraging others!

Mark 15: 24a, “And they crucified him.”  Jesus was led to Golgotha by the soldiers. He refused wine offered to dull the pain. Then we read this four-word sentence. “And they crucified him.” Mark does not go into the gory details that often are depicted in movies.  Some things are too painful to describe. 

         In the movie, “Australia” when someone died the news was shared, “We can’t say her name anymore.”  It was the same in Kenya.  Witnesses at an accident often have difficulty relating details and often contradict each other, grief.  My sister and I have had more than one conversation around when our grandmother died as we each tie it to a different event in our high school years.  Death is hard for many to talk about.

         I have heard the advice that one of the best ways to face death, and life, is to write your epitaph.  People do not object to Jesus being called a great teacher, a good shepherd, or a healer.  The epitaph, “Christ was crucified for my sins,” is the memorial that causes people to stumble.  It is the central truth of the life of Jesus that causes divisions.  Crucifixion could have ended his story but it didn’t.  It became the central truth that defines Christianity for many. It becomes his epitaph.

         As we journey through Lent, as we read about Jesus’ crucifixion, we ponder too the meaning and value of our lives.  Will I be a name that is never spoken again or what is the epitaph I want to leave?  The soldiers did not know about the resurrection. They observed a crucifixion. People grieved.  They didn’t know they were only half way through.

         Perhaps you are not grieving a death of a dear person today but there are other things that bring grief – political arguments, marriage misunderstandings, broken relationships with children or parents, economic burdens, misrepresentations.  Healthy grieving is important.  Naming it – he was crucified – is the first step.  Spend five minutes pondering what griefs your soul carries and seek to understand what is the root of that grief.  Maybe you handle it by not talking about it but writing in a journal, writing an apology letter, or making a difficult phone call are all ways to heal breaches before it is too late.  Honest prayer can also be helpful.  We know this is not the end of the story of Jesus.  I pray as you look at what grieves you, you can also celebrate what was so precious about the relationship.  Relationships are gifts and worth grieving when separation occurs and worth repairing when broken.  Grieving is ok.  Thank you Lord.

As a child, my most favorite hymn and actually the most popular Christian hymn for close to 100 years was “The Old Rugged Cross” written in 1912.  George Bennard who was a Methodist Episcopal evangelist was ridiculed at one of his meetings.  When Bennard preached, he loved to talk about John 3:16, “For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believed in him, should not perish but have eternal life,” and often would have a vision of the cross. But he struggled to tie down words forming in his mind for a hymn.  After being ridiculed, he went home and was able to write this favorite hymn.

         Our Lenten verses for today come from Mark 15:22-23.  Jesus is being nailed to the cross.  He is offered wine to ease the pain but he refuses.  He accepts the cross experiencing the full pain, and as we now know and will hear again tomorrow in service, it is in this humiliating experience that God is glorified.  The mocking of Bennard gave him voice for a hymn that has touched and formed many lives, even mine.  It seems an appropriate hymn to focus on today as we continue to ponder the depths of God’s love for us.

Mark 15: 20c-21 leaves the Praetorium, Pilate’s palace, and heads to Golgatha.  The “they” probably includes Jesus and the soldiers who mocked him.  The crowds are no longer in focus.  The disciples are not mentioned.  The two thieves are not mentioned.  Who is mentioned?  Who does the author remember?  Simon of Cyrene, a passer-by coming in from the country, a father of Alexander and Rufus, is enlisted to help carry Jesus’ cross to Golgatha.

         Cyrene was a Greek city in northern Lybia and home to about 100,000 Jews who had been displaced there around 300 BC.  These Jews had their own synagogue in Jerusalem and traveled to Jerusalem for feast days, the Passover for example.  But actually we know little about Simon, whether he was Jewish or not, and whether his sons were early missionaries of Christianity.  Gnostics present the idea that Simon was actually crucified by mistake instead of Jesus because God could never die.  All these are tales through the centuries.  Simon is honored in the fifth or seventh Stages of the Cross celebrated during Holy Week.  What we do know for sure is that Simon was a passer-by and a father.  We also know the man’s name!

         The woman who anointed Jesus for his death has no name.  The man who shared his upper room has no name.  The owner of the donkey has no name.  But Simon and his sons are named.  I sit at the window in the sunroom of my house and watch the cars racing to where and back from where every hour.  I do not know their name nor they mine.  I marvel that God knows my name and knows about my life, even if history does not.  The Good Shepherd knows his sheep!  Simon is named and remembered as helping Jesus in his hour of need.  God sees and remembers us even if others don’t.

         This little scenario mentioned by three gospel writers, raises an interesting point.  We think of God as all-powerful, omnipotent, but we see in this scene, a creator who accepts assistance from his creation.  We see humility.  So often we wish and even pray that God would use his power and zap away our suffering – but he doesn’t.  We are tempted to lament that God does not answer prayer, is not listening, or even wonder if he might not care.  Simon, a passer-by, who was not wrapped up in the events that are unfolding, helps carry Jesus’ cross. 

         Perhaps today we will be delayed from our “plan” and be asked to help someone who is struggling.  These interruptions to our schedule can be irritating but let us remember as we are tempted to grumble, Simon of Cyrene, and may we never forget that God knows our agenda and might choose to use our help for someone he knows needs it.  It is an honor.

Mark 15: 16-20 is the scene of Jesus being led away for punishment, crucifixion.  Jesus has been flogged so his back is bleeding but Mark shares how the soldiers, the guards, still have a little “fun” mocking their charge.  He’s covered with a purple robe, crowned with a crown woven together from thorn branches, given a reed for a scepter and spat on while they chant, “Hail, King of the Jews!”  Somehow life is all upside down.  Jesus is the King but his kingdom is not of this world.  Sometimes life feels for us upside down.  We hear the words that God is love and yet we hear the diagnosis: Cancer, Covid, operation.  We watch the news reports and it certainly seems that the innocent are the victim of cruelty.  Our candidate is not elected and we are convinced there has been hanky-panky, foreign interference is what we talk about now. 

         Spiritually we sometimes talk about “the dark night of the soul.”  St John of the Cross wrote a poem about days that seem meaningless as the person is journeying spiritually to God.  For people who struggle with depression, mental illness, or perhaps even prisoners of war, this scene is comforting.  We would like to think of God as all powerful in glory but the scene today presents a God, Jesus, who is powerful enough to walk through the depths of humiliation, rejection, and mockery.  We see a God who knows what it means to be at the bottom of the food chain, who has experienced police brutality and injustice.  I don’t often think of God as having walked those paths because I want to think of God as understanding “my path.”

         After the soldiers have their fun, they return Jesus to his own clothes and lead him away to be crucified.  “Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,” shares Psalm 23, “for thou art with me.  Thy rod and thy staff comfort me.”  When we are forced to walk through the shadows of life, we know that our God is with us and has gone before us and allows us to draw strength from him.  It is not a pretty picture but bad times are not pretty.  Our God understands.

Mark 15:15, “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.”  What a sad verse.  Let us look a bit closer.  The chief priests and scribes arrested Jesus in the middle of the night, at the Garden, while praying, because they feared the “tumult of the people.”  They were afraid of the crowd.  Pilate is afraid of the crowd and wants to “satisfy” it.  But how did Jesus see the crowd?

         John 10:11, one of the seven “I AM…” recorded in the Gospel of John, records Jesus saying, “I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep so when he see the wolf coming he abandons the sheep and runs away…I am the good shepherd.  I know my sheep and my sheep know me.  Just as the Father knows me, I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.”  Jesus does not see the people as a “crowd” but as sheep of his creation.  He does not abandon them to be controlled by anger and hate and jealousy.  He does not appease them but allows the anger to take its course, absorbing it into himself.  Perhaps you have had the experience of an encounter with an irate child or neighbor or stranger like in a car accident.  There is no point in talking while the other rants and raves about what has happened.  Often little can be done until anger runs its course, facts are sorted out, and the larger picture can be seen more clearly.  Sometimes for the child’s own good, they must be refused something they want very much and words fly.  Sometimes a child must be protected, restrained, from doing something they want to do because they could get hurt.  We’ve all seen the child having a temper tantrum in the grocery or toy store, yelling while mother watches.  The crowd’s screaming scares the religious leaders and is used by them, bullies Pilate and is appeased by him, but for Jesus who knows his sheep, he walks through the rejection to a better future.

         How comforting to know that when we are out of control, being driven by forces we do not understand or when we have lost sight of the big picture, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows our name, knows we are but dust, and is willing to go to the cross for us.  He walks with us through those times when we are our ugliest.  We can only bow our head in gratitude and worship him.