Friday, April 10, 2009

Good Friday B - 10 April 2009

Good Friday B - 10 April 2009
Isaiah 51:13-53:12; Hebrews 10:16-25; John 18:1-19:37
James V. Stockton
Pilate’s remark, maybe a question, maybe sarcasm, maybe resignation to a self-serving belief that truth is just for naïve do-gooders and political dupes: Pilate’s remark: ‘What is truth?’ It shows up on the one of the oldest fragments of scriptural texts ever found.

In fact the discovery of this little bit of ancient writing, small enough to hide in the palm of your hand, overturned the long-held assumption among biblical scholars that John’s gospel must surely have been composed much later in history than the other three. Its sophistication, its appreciation for mystery, it all seemed to generations of scholars that John’s gospel must have been written in the very late second century or early third. Then this bit of papyrus, this fragment of a piece of a page of a gospel, comes along, and challenges their assumption. And like good scholars, they ask, without sarcasm or resignation, what is the truth? Because the truth matters.


And though we can state it categorically, truth matters, yet, as Jesus knows, in the practical world of human beings the truth does not in fact matter to everyone. It does not matter to Judas that Jesus is the Savior sent from God, indeed is God incarnate among us. What matters is only that Jesus has failed to help Judas realize his own dreams. What matters is that Judas has played along with Jesus and his noble -sounding idealistic ways, in order to get in on whatever coup Jesus was going to accomplish.

And now the truth is that Jesus has failed to live up to what Judas wanted in a Savior, and the truth is Judas is going to make him pay. It doesn’t matter to Peter that Jesus has taught his followers to turn the other cheek, to go the extra mile, to give away not only the jacket but the shirt that goes along with it. The truth is, Peter does not understand, and the truth is, Peter has resisted at every turn Jesus’ efforts to help him; the truth is, Peter does not want to understand. The truth is, Peter will take up the sword even if Jesus will not.

It doesn’t matter to the high priests, to those who should know better than anyone else, that Jesus really is the Savior; it doesn’t matter to them that they do, in fact, some of them, know that Jesus is the Christ of God. The truth is, their truth, Pilate’s truth, is that the power they wield over public opinion is the closest they really ever hope for anymore to get to heaven.

It does not matter to the crowds that Jesus is innocent of any offense. The truth is they much prefer to be told what to say, when to say it, when to be quiet, and even what to think. The truth is, the crowds find it easier this way, because, the truth is, a lot of the people have simply given up hope that real truth, God’s truth, will ever really matter at all.

It does matter, though. It matters to Jesus that he speak the truth to ears and hearts that seek it. And that he respond with only silence to those hearts and ears that have already turned away. It matters to Jesus to speak to the truth of his love to his mother, to his close friend, to those whose hearts are breaking for him, so that some day soon, they’ll be open to his love come to them again. It matters to Jesus to give up himself to God.

For there is no more left to give to the world; he has given all of himself; there is no more. the truth of God’s Love matters to Jesus, to God’s Love made flesh, made person, made hands to hold, voice to hear, eyes to be seen by, heart to be loved by.

The truth of God is the love of God. And though this matters even to no one, it matters to God. God’s Love given by God becomes now God’s Love receive by God. And when resignation to sarcasm, to cynicism, resignation and surrender to whatever is lowest about any of us human beings, has slinked away to whimper and die, yet the truth is - and this matters - the Love of God continues to cry out, as it does from the cross, as it does also from heaven, as it does also from your life and from mine, from those around us whom God touches through your hand or mine holding theirs, through your eyes looking for them, my eyes seeing them, my heart aching for them, your heart breaking for them, God’s Love cries out; and the truth is, it gives itself up to you and to me.
Amen.
© 2009, James V. Stockton

No comments:

Post a Comment