Monday, March 25, 2013

From Palms to Passion...

Holy Week... this is not something I do regularly, but I think how I feel about where this week leads I sum up to some extent in the sermon I preached this Palm Sunday evening. Through Holy Week, St Columba's, Cambridge and Fulbourn URC, my two placement churches, are walking in through the seven phrases Jesus' spoke from the cross, starting last night with "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23.34). Here are my thoughts on those words... 

It is the day of the triumphal entry, but rather than lingering on the streets with our palm branches, we are heading straight for the cross. We’ve heard the words of praise and adoration but are not remaining there; instead we are going straight to the words of mockery and scorn, words to which Jesus prayerful responds: “Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing”.

This is a phrase that some of us will know by heart, one we’ve heard repeatedly at Easter, and ‘Father forgive them’ seems pivotal in understanding Christ’s actions on the cross. However, it is one of those phrases we tend to remove from its context. Although it tends to remain within the context of Christ’s Passion, how often do we consider it in the context of Luke’s narrative? What was Luke trying to tell his readers, and us, by placing these words of Jesus at this point in his account?

Well for starters this phrase doesn’t really seem to belong where we find it. It makes the passage slightly awkward to read, what comes before doesn’t naturally lead in and what comes after it doesn’t naturally follow on. It has the feeling that it should belong somewhere else; that whoever was copying out Luke’s words got distracted and accidently copied out this phrase from another point. Or maybe it is in the right place, but the scribe was so carried away with what they were reading that they missed copying out a sentence or two. However, although there are textual variations in the Greek where this phrase is left out completely, it is there and it does have importance.

So what is happening? Why put this, the first of the two prayers Jesus utters from the cross in Luke, here? Is Luke trying to highlight Jesus’ death as martyrdom? Jesus innocent of any crime alongside two who were not innocent, but being treated the same way. The words Jesus utters don’t really reflect this, so this seems to be a more far fetched interpretation of the event. Luke is however credited with the authorship of the Book of Acts, in fact it is the sequel to the gospel of Luke, in which the narrative of Stephen’s martyrdom includes Stephen speaking very similar words to those spoken here by Jesus—“Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7.60, NRSV). Is Stephen’s martyrdom demonstrative of Jesus’ martyrdom and vice versa? Possibly, but there is a slight difference in emphasis in Stephen’s words to those of Jesus, for in Jesus’ words there is a level of ignorance implied. So although there are parallels and Luke seems to textual tie the events together, the difference in emphasis signifies that Jesus’ death was not just a straightforward martyrdom, but something more. For Jesus didn’t just die for what he believed in, his death was part of his challenge to what others believed. Jesus’ death was part of the reworking of humanity’s understanding of God.

So if Jesus’ death is more than martyrdom, what are his words saying? “Father forgive them”—forgive who? The two criminals and the Roman soldiers who find themselves either side of this phrase? Or is Jesus asking forgiveness for the Roman and Jewish Ruling Elite who have sent him to the place they call the Skull? Or maybe the disciples who now seem to be nowhere to be seen? And what about us? Plenty of unknowns there then! So does what he say next help? “For they know not what they are doing”. Forgiveness for those who don’t understand the meaning of their actions? Well this might make sense if Jesus saw the letter of the law of Moses to be the be all and end all, for in Leviticus 4 (4.2) and Numbers 15 (15.25-29) atonement—reconciliation with God—can be sought and will be given to anyone who has unintentionally sinned. But the criminals knew what they had done, and the Romans and the Jewish leaders knew what they were doing, and I expected even the disciples had some clue. I would even think we most probably know when we’ve done something that isn’t right before God. So if that is the case, Jesus’ words with respect to the law of the Old Testament make very little sense. So why does Jesus ask forgiveness on our behalf when he knows we can’t be forgiven? Well to begin with Jesus wasn’t bound to the law of Moses—he came to break it open. Secondly, maybe its not ignorant sin that Jesus is asking forgiveness for, maybe it’s for known sin which contains a lack of understanding and lack of faith that Jesus asks forgiveness. The Romans and the Jewish leaders didn’t entirely grasp who Jesus was, and I think if we are honest we sometimes struggle to grasp who Jesus is. The disciples ran because of fear and ultimately a lack of faith—the step of trust required to stand by Jesus at the point of his death was for some a step to far to take. And I’m pretty sure most of us can relate to that one, sometimes it is easier to run away from what God is calling us to do than to take it on. 

The image of Jesus portrayed in Luke is one of compassion and obedience. Characteristics which are demonstrated in just this one phrase—obedience to the father, compassion towards those who are mocking and abusing him. Obedience and compassion are therefore why what can be ultimately said about Jesus from the words he speaks at this point in Luke’s narrative, is that Jesus is signifying his position as the supreme intercessor. With his words he intercedes for the criminals, the Roman soldiers, the Roman and Jewish Ruling Elite, the disciples, God’s people and us. By taking on human form, Jesus entered into humanity and at one level became one of us—using the words of the prophet Isaiah, he became numbered with the transgressors—from which point he could intercede for the transgressors, for everyone then and now. The role of intercessor is not solely the responsibility of Jesus; we too can be the suffering servant in Isaiah 53 as we are numbered with the transgressors and so are also in the place where we can make intercessions for them. However, the location of these words set Jesus’ status as intercessor apart. For here is Jesus in the hardest of places, at life’s lowest, most desperate point, and he still intercedes. He still prays for those who had got it wrong, who had missed the point, who had deserted him. He prays a prayer that many of us struggle to pray even when everything is going well. Therefore, Jesus as the ultimate example can be summarised in one brief speech—“Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing”. Jesus breaking open humanity’s understanding of God and living out what each of us can do for each other in our relationship with God.