| Rector’s
Sermon
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| Cut off hands. Cut off feet. Torn out eyes. Were you listening? Did you have an image of what that might be like? What flashed through my mind were those pictures of thieves in countries where they still practice these kinds of things—thieves with their hands cut off—a kind of ancient form of justice or retribution to insure they won’t pick anyone else’s pocket any time soon. It reminded me of when I had my passport and 300 Euros stolen on a bus in Rome five years ago by a 10-year-old boy. I had fantasies of finding that boy and breaking his arm. Are the 10-year-olds in the choir listening? The Rector is usually a pretty nice guy, but don’t steal his passport and 300 Euros! But all these images come to mind because of this description in the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark from the mouth of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, sweet Jesus, what a friend we have in Jesus. It’s disturbing. In some academic circles the question is raised whether or not the “real” Jesus, the “historical” Jesus actually said all those “nice” things attributed to him elsewhere in the Bible. If in fact Jesus was more concerned about the inbreaking of God’s kingdom, perhaps dire warnings are more apt to get your attention. We’ll never fully know the answer to that question, but for this Sunday’s reading it is truly a dire message. The question I have in my mind is whether or not these sorts of images are motivating, at least for me today. Those of you who study Christian art or have an appreciation for Renaissance art in particular would probably conclude that these images of judgment and hell are pretty realistic and were intended to be motivating. Devils and lakes of fire and a horrible end abound in paintings with a Christian theme. For many centuries the Church used its enormous political power to threaten rebellious princes or reformers with the fires of hell and God’s wrath. Of course, the reformers then called the Pope “Antichrist” and everyone becomes excommunicated in one way or another, damned by a god each side claims to represent. In more recent centuries the devil and pictures of hell have become domesticated. Rarely except in the most fundamentalist circles do we hear a good old-fashioned “Hellfire and brimstone” sermon. We much prefer the verse of Scripture that reads, “God is love. And those who abide in love abide in God and God in them.” Or as the Beatles used to sing, “All you need is love.” I must admit I’ve always had a question about exactly what the tipping point is in this business of heaven and hell. I was never quite convinced that hell was just something dreamed up by my parents to threaten me into being good. The motto of the school I attended was from one of the psalms, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” No mind that the word for “fear” is probably better translated “awe,” the awe of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fear is a more visceral word for motivational purposes. I’ve come to learn that even the best of us have a variety of motives for those things we do. I remember the phrase about keeping doors locked in order to “keep an honest person honest,” as if an honest person could truly find occasions when dishonesty or unlawful actions are a viable option. The truth is, at least for me, that being responsible, doing those things that have the effect of building up the community, some higher good for the social order in which I find myself, is not always what I want to do, and in fact sometimes find myself incapable of being that person or doing those things. And I know I’m not alone. Even though the consequences of particular forms of behavior are well known to be detrimental to myself or to others, there are times when we can find ourselves unable to effect the good we know to be what God would want and even we would want. Addiction has that quality of making us powerless over those things we might say and think are harmful, powerless over conditions in which we find ourselves trapped and in danger. Whether it’s alcohol or nicotine or food or gambling, or drugs, or anything else that turns from a relaxing social or pleasurable habit into a need that controls us, threats of the consequences are not motivating. They only add to the guilt that we already feel and the shame we already experience for being so morally weak in the minds of others and in our own minds. Returning to the picture of this morning’s gospel, it is ironic that the one who talked about cutting off your hand and foot was himself hanged hand and foot from the cross. Jesus who was himself sinless hangs from the cross as a consequence of humanity’s sin, dying for our sakes in such a gruesome manner. But I believe it is God’s deepest desire that none of us be cut off from God by virtue of that which we cannot attain by ourselves or even for ourselves. Christ’s death and then even more powerfully Christ’s resurrection were a kind of intervention, a way of breaking the pattern of hopelessness or helplessness in which we find ourselves, in which our world finds itself, in order to know that God will go to any extent to bring us safely home. There is healing for us. There is peace for us. There is community for us. There is communion for us. Jesus has provided that and thank God almighty we are welcome to enjoy it. |
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