Good Friday 2007

When God decided to get our attention again, God came as flesh and blood, starting life like the rest of us, as a tiny, helpless and fragile baby. God came into this world to live like the rest of us, surrounded by violence, greed, selfishness. God came into this world to feel like the rest of us, hunger, grief, frustration.

Jesus is born into violent society. The Roman’s were vicious rulers, crucifying anyone who might even look like an insurgent. The Government was keeping people in control through fear. They were using the religious system to keep people down through rituals and hierarchy. They were using society to keep people down through shame and expectations.

Jesus grew up in this atmosphere of fear. The lower classes kept their eyes down and eeked out a simple living. The upper classes courted the foreign rulers to keep their status. The religious elite controlled the faithful with ever more complicated sacrifices and demands.

The religious system had slowly been corrupted until it wasn’t about God’s gracious abundance, but human being’s scarcity. When there is not enough for all, the price goes up! The demand increases! It becomes a division of haves and have-nots even when it comes to God.

Jesus comes to upset the whole thing! In today’s reading we get a glimpse of the layers of people that are trying to stop Jesus from gaining even more popularity.

The government officials are threatened by Jesus popularity.

The religious officials are threatened by Jesus questioning their system.

The leaders of society are upset that Jesus eats with outcasts and sinners.

So how do you maintain control over a troubled society? How do you keep relative peace in a volatile system? How do you make sure you stay in power?

Easy…you focus all your problems on another person or country. You scapegoat them. You make someone else the root of all evil, the reason for a recession, the single problem that will solve all others.

And then you kill them. And unite your country in revenge, creating temporary calm.

So Jesus is the target here. Jesus, who is drawing crowds, preaching against both the secular and sacred established order. Jesus, who is suggesting that God loves all people, will forgive all people, will have enough mercy for all people.

With Jesus out of the way, things will return to normal, the money changers will be back in the temple, the Romans will regain control, and the crowds will go quietly home.

Or, there is an outside chance that killing Jesus will cause more violence. Maybe his followers will revolt…this explains the heavy security detail at this particular crucifixion.

And so Jesus dies. God is a victim of human greed, fear, and projection.

It is a dark night. A night when the hopes of the disciples die, the grief of Mary is inconsolable, and the crowds have scattered into the darkness.

And what happens next? Does God shoot fire out of the sky? Strike down those who have killed God? Plot to overthrow the principalities and rulers?

No. That would be our first instinct, wouldn’t it? That would be why we love those cop and lawyer shows. Revenge. Getting even. The cycle of violence continues even in our children’s popular TV cartoons.

The superhero beats back evil with stronger and better violence.

But God, God doesn’t take the bait. God doesn’t return evil for evil.

Instead, after the darkness of this night a new community begins, starting even at the cross when the disciple John is charge with caring for Jesus’ mother Mary.

A counter-community that, after the resurrection, struggles to live out Christ’s teaching of mercy, peace, and love.

Tonight, we gather at the foot of the cross. We gather to remember Jesus but also all victims of the world’s violence. We see our own actions and denials that make others suffer…. We acknowledge our role in maintaining a social order that can scapegoat other individuals and other nations.

And we pray, yes we pray, for mercy. For forgiveness, for resurrection, for peace.