Sermon Title: Love One Another Deeply From the Heart
He stood there watching the crowd come toward him. He knew why they were coming. Every fiber in his human nature warned him to run. Or to fight. They were coming to arrest him, and he knew they would stack evidence against him. He knew they would eventually find him guilty, and he knew they would call for his death. Human nature rode him hard. Take off. Hide. Go where they cannot find you. There are others who would shelter you and keep you safe. Fight. Use every bit of your power that you have. Call your followers. Have them rise up. They will follow you to victory. But something else was also operating. Something else overrode those voices of fight or flight. He stood there watching the crowd come for him. And he didn’t run. He didn’t fight. He allowed himself to be arrested.
He stood there watching the trial around him. People came forward to accuse him. Much of what they said was false testimony. They could not even get two witnesses to agree on any details. They were sloppy. Anyone with half a brain could see he was innocent of the charges being brought forth. The human force of anger started welling within him. All he needed to do was open his mouth and speak. He could shatter these lies with a word. He could destroy their so called evidence by defending himself. He could make them look foolish, incompetent and weak. He could make all the people lose faith in these so called leaders. Folks listened to him. He could give into his anger and end this trial very quickly. But something else stayed his voice. Something deep within his heart continued to move him to silence. There was more he needed to accomplish, and only his silence would permit it to happen. He kept his mouth shut, and he was found guilty.
He stood there on that hill overlooking the city. For a few moments he had been relieved of his heavy burden. But it was a moment of calm before he knew he would experience excruciating pain. Every fiber in his body was already struck with pain and agony. They had beaten him. They had flogged him. Bruised and bloody with a crown of thorns pressing into his skull, he awaited the final blow. They laid him down. A hand pressed his forearm to the hard wood. He felt the coldness of steel. The pain in his arm was so intense he didn’t even hear the sound of the hammer. He couldn’t help it. He screamed. He had never, ever known such pain. Excruciating, horrible pain. And this was only the first nail. There were still two more to go.
He looked down at those gathering before him. His head hung limply as each time he breathed the pain shot through his arms, his legs, and his lungs. Would he ever know relief? Those below began hurling insults. Not only were they killing his body, they were trying to kill his spirit. They made fun of his teachings. They made fun of his healings. They made fun of his power and now his seeming powerlessness. Once again, that human trait of anger began to surface. How dare they kick a man at his weakest at his moment of greatest pain. He could fight back. He could raise his own voice and insult them back. He could call curses from God down upon them. But something deep within him stopped him from doing so. Something from his heart led him down a different path. Garnering his strength, he looked at his enemies at the foot of the cross, and then he looked heavenward. "Father," he said, "forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
He died there on that hill. Seemingly rejected and alone. Something within him kept him from acting as we as humans act. He didn’t run. He didn’t fight. He didn’t argue or call for revenge. Something in his heart didn’t allow him to go down those paths.
God the Father looked down on the scene outside Jerusalem. He dried His eyes as He watched His Son’s body being taken down from the cross. He almost couldn’t bear the ordeal. He couldn’t stand watching His Son’s pain; His Son’s agony. He wanted to do something, anything to prevent this. But the facts were, He had tried. He had tried to reconcile humankind unto Himself. He had tried to show them the way. He had tried to tell them what it meant to live in accord with Him and with one another. But nothing had worked. He had cajoled them. He had punished them. He had sent them into exile, but nothing worked. He could have given up on them. He could have walked away from His creation, but He had made a promise. And He would never, ever walk away from a promise. He could once again offer punishment for those who had killed His Son. He could send down fire and flood and famine. But He knew it was time to do something different. He knew it was time to offer a different path–to show another way. He would act and act decisively.
He watched them carry His Son’s body to a tomb. He watched them lay it down and seal the grave. He watched them walk away in grief. He saw the guards posted, and He settled down to wait for the right moment.
And we know when that moment arrived. We know what happened when the ground shook, when the stone was rolled away, and when Jesus walked out of that darkness and shined a light that will never be extinguished. We know the Father acted in a new and glorious way to give salvation and hope to all. And we know why He did it. We know why He sent Jesus. We know why Jesus didn’t run. We know why Jesus didn’t fight. We know why Jesus didn’t defend himself in anger. And we know why Jesus offered forgiveness.
He loved us from His heart.
His love for us consumed his entire being to the point where He was able to overcome the natural tendencies and desires to fight, to run, to anger, and to hold a grudge. And now, He has poured out that love for you and for me.
Peter writes in our second lesson today, "18You know that you were
ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things
like silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without
defect or blemish. 20He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was
revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21Through him you have come to trust in
God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are
set on God. 22Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so
that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart."
Love as Jesus loved.
Forgive as Jesus forgave.
Hope as Jesus hoped.
For this love changed the world forever those 2000 years ago. This love became a force to be reckoned with–a force for good, a force for justice, a force for peace that the world had not seen before. It continues to be bound up in God’s strong Word which comes to us in the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection. And that Word now resides in our hearts as Children of God. And how should we respond to this Word? How should we conduct ourselves knowing what Christ has done for us? Just this, love one another deeply from the heart. Amen.
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