True Stories

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas on Sunday March 29, 2009, the 5th Sunday in Lent.

Jeremiah 31:31-34
Psalm 51:1-12
Hebrews 5:5-10
John 12:20-33

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Next week we celebrate Palm Sunday. So this is the time of year when we break out the DVD’s of “The Passion of the Christ,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and “Godspell.” Marie agrees with this statement so strongly that she is singing “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord” to herself right now. That’s fine with me; any of you who wish to sing along with her are welcome to go right ahead. Of the three, “Godspell” is my favorite film of the Passion genre. In their own way, each of these movies is a recreation of the final day of life of Jesus on earth. Well, let’s just say it’s the first-last day. We’ll get to that in a couple of weeks.

The scene in our gospel reading comes immediately after the events we will celebrate next week, Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Jesus came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. This isn’t the first celebration of the Passover in John’s gospel. John 2 contains the earliest account of Jesus at the Passover festival. John 5 has Jesus coming to Jerusalem for a festival, but it could have been First Fruits or Tabernacles or Passover. Jesus made other trips for other festivals during his life too.

The point here is that Jesus knew his way around the temple and since he would teach while he was there, the temple knew him too. But this time, something different is going on, there is a charge in the air like before a storm. There is a feeling that something new is about to happen, and it begins with the arrival of some Greeks. The Greeks who had come to see the festival were also there to see Jesus. So they sought Philip and Andrew, the Apostles with Greek names, to make the introduction.

What’s so important about the arrival of the Greeks? The Greeks were travelers, not just tourists. The cosmopolitan Greeks would come, learn, and take the cultures they encounter with them. This is how the most important transcripts of the New Testament came to be written in Greek. According to a reference on Greece, “Not only is the New Testament a Greek book, but all Christian literature down to the early third century, even in Rome and the West, and to this day in the East, is in Greek.”[1]

Greek was the language of art and culture. This is how so many of the works of Ancient Greece have survived when so many works of other cultures have been lost to antiquity. The Greeks were the travelers and philosophers of the day, constantly moving from place to place drinking in the culture of the world.

So when Jesus gets the news that the Greeks had arrived from Philip and Andrew, Jesus knew that his time, his hour, had come. Where in every prior instance in the gospel Jesus had kept the “messianic secret,” now there was no need. His time had come; he is to be lifted up.

Jesus told everyone who was around him “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” He used a story with an agricultural base to show them explosive growth. He told them when a single seed dies in the proper way and time it produces much fruit. He lets them know this death is necessary.

He tells them that people who love their life will lose it and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Such a twisted statement would be confusing but it is ultimately comforting. It is joyful when we realize what is gained by eternal life; a life of plenty to be lived today, life where those who serve the Lord will be honored by the Father.

Then Jesus tells us a story that doesn’t seem quite right coming from the mouth of the Son of Man, his soul is troubled. Yes, the Lord our Savior is disturbed by what he knows is to come. God Incarnate is in personal turmoil over what will follow oh so soon. But he knows that it is for this reason that he has come to this very hour.

Jesus knows his own story. Jesus knows what is to come and what is to follow. He knows of the pain and the mocking and the torture and the death. He knows what is to come, what is to follow. He knows he will be betrayed by one of his followers, his Apostle Judas Iscariot.

It is this scene the betrayal that I find the most touching in “Godspell.” Jesus has just finished teaching his disciples the final lessons. There is a sense of hurry. Jesus is rushed, but not panicked. Then Judas arrives with the garrison. Judas comes to give the kiss that will separate Jesus from everyone else.

When Judas stands before the messiah, he cannot do it. He cannot betray Jesus with a holy kiss. Jesus stands before Judas and says, “Do what you have come to do.” Judas balks. Maybe Judas is even reconsidering the whole plan; maybe he can’t betray Jesus after all. Jesus says “Do what you have come to do.” Judas is frozen. So Jesus suddenly and quickly leans in and kisses Judas… and smiles. Then the chaos of the arrest begins.

Jesus knows his story. He knows what has to happen. He knows his destiny and he both dreads and embraces it. To me, this is the glory of the scene from “Godspell.” Jesus knows what has to happen and when the scene’s other principal cannot bring himself to do it, Jesus does. Jesus knows his own story so well that when others don’t follow the script, Jesus takes over and ensures that what must happen happens.

There are very few movie scenes that make me cry, but that one does it every time.

Jesus came to glorify the Father and the Father glorifies the Son. This is affirmed by the voice of God who says for all with ears to hear “I have glorified my name and I will glorify it again.” Jesus tells the people what they heard was for their sake, not his own. Jesus doesn’t need to hear the story, he knows it well enough. We need to know the story. We need the affirmation of the Word of God, so we hear it for our sake. We hear it to affirm the story of faith in the world.

We have our stories too. Take a moment out of this busy day and ask God to remind you of an important story in your life with God. Let me share this example from the beginning of my life in this part of the body of Christ.

Four years ago in Conway, Arkansas, I was examined by the Committee on Preparation for Ministry at a meeting of the Presbytery. I had preached a sermon. I was questioned by the committee. When it was finished, as is the tradition in this Presbytery, I left the sanctuary as the Presbytery discussed the issue. When it was over, Marie and I reentered the assembly to applause and rejoicing. The moderator then asked members of the Berryville congregation to stand and be recognized. Wayne and Janet were there standing, so was Shelly. Carolyn was with her.

I smiled with the love of God coursing in my very being. It was a glorious moment. I went over to the corner of the sanctuary where Shelly and Carolyn were. Carolyn was beginning to tire, it had been a long day, and she and Shelly were getting ready to return home.

I leaned over and hugged Carolyn. She said, “I love you.” And I said “I love you too.” By the grace and love of God, at that moment, I became her pastor. At that moment I began to love her as a pastor loves every member of the church, with the love God calls all of us to share with one another. In that moment, I went from being a candidate for ministry to being a minister, her minister. It was a wonderful moment, and it came only by the love and grace of God.

Jesus had a story to tell and an audience to take it with them. And when they left Palestine, after the Passover, after the crucifixion, after the resurrection; the Greeks would take word of Jesus with them.

We too have stories to tell, stories of how the Lord has lifted our lives. Take a moment here and now, and consider the question. Ask God to remind you of an important story in your life with God. Our lives in God are filled with wonderful stories, stories of peace, mercy, and joy; stories of power and might, stories of sorrow and redemption. Be reminded of these stories and do yourself a favor, share them at lunch today. Share the stories of God as you break bread. Then you will taste and see that the Lord is good.

Take a couple of minutes to contemplate your story.

Amen

[1] The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, “Greece,” part 9, Age of Hellenism.