April 7, 2009
(Tuesday in Holy Week)
Demanding Signs or Desiring Servanthood?
By
The Very Rev. Terry White,
Dean
Isaiah 49:1-7 - Psalm 71:1-14 - 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 - John
12:20-36
(From
The Lectionary Page)
“Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
And Jesus responds by telling them where he will be found, how he will be known after he has been lifted up from the earth. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
Yesterday Mary of Bethany proved that she was beginning to grasp Jesus’ teachings, as she anointed his feet. As one loves lavishly, Jesus is found. Judas with his words betrayed how little he understood. Today the Greek Gentiles are told that by dying to self, one sees Jesus. Through unselfish service, the Christ is known. “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also.”
“For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified...” We, too, often demand signs and desire wisdom more than we desire the life of servanthood and sacrifice which the Crucified Lord places before us. The cross is the power of God. It is not the power the world seeks, and too often it is not the power the Church seeks. As Jesus’ last week of earthly life unfolded, his disciples, in the words of a hymn, did not know what we know now. And though we, too, forget Jesus’ example and often display how little we understand, by grace it only takes a single moment, a conscious choice, for us to fully embrace the mystery of the Passion and truly see Jesus. The glory of the cross which is the means of life is within our grasp. Unless a grain of wheat dies ...
Hymn 170 (click here for music and text)
Let us pray. O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
