April 06, 2006

Holy Week 2007

Hard to Look

Mark 15:33-41

Mark 15:33-41 ³³At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

    ³⁵When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."

    ³⁶One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.

    ³⁷With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

    ³⁸The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

    ⁴⁰Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. ⁴¹In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

In 1962, Victor and Mildred Goertzel published a revealing study of 413 "famous and exceptionally gifted people" called Cradles of Eminence. They spent years attempting to understand what produced greatness, what common thread might run through all of these outstanding people's lives. Surprisingly, the most outstanding fact was that virtually all of them, 392, had to overcome very difficult obstacles in order to become who they were. Maybe that is Jesus’ story?

This evening we are in fifteenth chapter of Mark. Jesus is hanging on the cross. It is the one time you my not want to use your sanctified imagine. The Master is in pain. It is hard to look. However, it is in this section we find Jesus asking a question. It would be his final question. Why has thou forsaken me? Jesus is actually quoting the twenty-second Psalm. The twenty-second Psalm was written by David. In those sacred words it is David who is questioning God. He wants to know why good people have to suffer. Have you ever wondered why good people have to suffer? Have you ever wondered if God has forgotten you in your time of need?

This evening, as Jesus hangs on the cross, I want to talk about three words. These three words will help us understand Jesus’ question. Why has thou forsaken me? Each one of these words relate to your life and begins with the letter T. So if you are ready for these three words say, “Amen!”

Word Number One: Tragedy

The first word is the word tragedy. This evening we remember one of the great tragedies in the history of the world. Jesus, God incarnate, died! He never committed a single sin yet he was executed for the sins of the world. He did not just die. He died a horrible death. The Romans were masters at making people die in horrible ways. Jesus hung on the cross for six hours. In that period of time he really died in his own body fluid. Jesus death was truly a tragedy. No wonder Jesus asks the question, why has thou forsaken me? As Jesus hung there he felt forgotten by God.

Jesus was not the first or the last to feel forgotten by God. The Old Testament is filled with people who are going through some difficult times and wonder why God doesn’t do something? That is the story of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. That is the story of Moses. That is the story of Joshua, David and the prophets. From time to time, they all felt forgotten by God. Why has thou forsaken me?

The early church asked the question. Why has thou forsaken me? It has been said that the blood of the martyrs was the seeds of the early church. There was much suffering in the early church. Did you know At the Nicene Council, in the 4^th century, there were 318 delegates. Less then 12 of those 318 delegates had not lost an eye or lost a hand or did not limp on a leg lamed by torture for their Christian faith.

There is no lack of suffering in our time. There is no lack of suffering in our church. Everyone one of us knows someone who is suffering. The suffering may be emotional. The suffering may be medical. The suffering may be financial. They may be suffering from a lack of hope. There is no shortage of suffering in this world. There is no shortage of tragedies in our lives. Someone asked C.S. Lewis, “Why do the righteous suffer?” “Why not?” he replied. “They’re the only ones who can take it.” Jesus asked the question that we have all asked from time to time. Why has thou forsaken me? Have you ever felt forgotten by God? If you have ever felt abandoned in this world say, “Amen!” Do feel guilty about that fact. Even Jesus felt that way. The first word is tragedy.

Word Number Two: Touch

The second word is the word touch. As Jesus hung on the cross he was untouchable. He was surrounded by all kinds of people. Some of those people loved him. Their hearts were breaking. Others in the crowd hated him. He couldn’t die fast enough. The crowd was different but the crowd was the same. No one could touch him. Mark 15:36 says a man filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick and offered it to Jesus. Why the stick? Because, Jesus was too high to be touch. When you are going through some difficult times don’t you feel better when someone touches you? A sincere touch expresses more then words. Does anyone here this evening need a hug?

We reserve a touch for life’s very best and worst. I have seen it a million times. How many wedding have I officiated at? The wedding takes months to plan but only minutes to live out. After the bride walks down the aisle with dad, after the special music, after the exchanging of the rings and the vows, the couple forms the receiving line. Everyone files by to express their best wishes. Most people shake the grooms hand and give the bride a hug.

I have stood by your hospital bed. You have told me the details of your story and the coming surgery. I will look at you before I leave and say, “Why don’t we pray?” Without any instructions hands begin to reach for other hands. When the end of the prayer comes what do we do? We squeeze those hands as if to say I am there for you. We squeeze those hands to express something we would never say, “I love you.” We need to be touched during life’s best and worst experiences.

Jesus could not be touched on the cross. He was too high. He had to go through that experience alone. No wonder he asked the question. Why has thou forsaken me? The second word is the word touch.

Word Number Three: Trust

The third word is the word trust. Jesus knew that God had a plan. Jesus knew he was going to die. Jesus knew how he was going to die. Jesus must have seen other people die on the cross. It was a common form of Roman execution. Jesus knew the pain he would experience but he trusted God. In those moments before the cross he must of thought about the cross and asked why has thou forsaken me?

Preceding the 1988 Winter Olympics a television show featured blind skiers being trained for slalom skiing, impossible as that sounds. Paired with sighted skiers, the blind skiers were taught on the flats how to make right and left turns. When that was mastered, they were taken to the slalom slope, where their sighted partners skied beside them shouting, "Left!" and "Right!" As they obeyed the commands, they were able to negotiate the course and cross the finish line, depending solely on the sighted skiers' word. It was either complete trust or catastrophe. Jesus trusted God! Do you trust God during life most difficult experiences? The third word is trust. Let me end with this story.

When Lincoln's body was brought from Washington DC to Illinois, it passed through Albany and it was carried through the streets. They say a black woman stood upon the curb and lifted her little son as far as she could reach above the heads of the crowd and was heard to say to him, "Take a long look, baby. He died for you". I know it is hard to look at the cross. Jesus is in such great pain. However, take a long look, he died for you. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”