Sunday Musings – March 31, 2024
For Christians today is celebrated as Easter, the resurrection of Jesus, following his death on the cross and his burial. In some parts of the world, it is also spring, a time when there are many reminders of the miracle of rebirth. Trees which appeared dead are filled with sap and new leaves. Grass, flowers, and other vegetation appear from apparent dead places. Everywhere one looks there is resurrection. In nature we can easily see that death and resurrection are an ongoing process and not a one-time event. Yet, in our religious services today, we might be tempted to view the crucifixion and the resurrection as one times events. Many will recite a creed which proclaims that He arose and now sits on the right hand of God.
In Matthew 25, beginning with verse 35, Jesus is reported to have said: “For when you saw me hungry, you fed me. When you found me thirsty, you gave me drink. When I had no place to stay you invited me in. When I was poorly clothed, you covered me. When I was sick, you tenderly cared for me, and when I was in prison you visited me. Then the godly will answer him. ‘Lord when did we see you hungry and thirsty and give you food and something to drink? When did we see you with no place to stay and invite you in? When did you see you poorly clothed and cover you? When did we see you sick and tenderly care for you, or in prison and visit you. And the King will answer them, ‘Don’t you know? When you cared for one of the least of these, my little ones, my true brothers, and sisters, you demonstrated love for me.”
If we take these and other alleged teachings of Jesus seriously, we cannot claim to have taken Jesus off the cross, washed, wrapped, and buried him. If we did not remove him from the cross, washed, wrapped, and buried him there was no resurrection.
Today in the United States we jail the mentally ill and treat them as criminals. We see the homeless as a nuisance who at best we assign space for a homeless camp while warning them to be good or we will rescind the permit. We criminalize parents who are too sick to care for their children. We expect private groups to care for the least of these. We withhold childcare and in other ways refuse to treat childcare as a sacred community responsivity. We act as if terrorist arise out of vacuums. We take no responsivity for the consequences of mistreating others. We judge the spec in the eye of our brother or sister while leaving the log in our own eye. We create economic systems which assure that 1% have most of the resources. We create laws to deny the reality of racism. sexism, gender disparity, the transexual, and those who love someone of the same gender while in private live out the reality of those we deny.
If we are leaving the least of us on the cross and if Jesus says that we cannot separate treatment of Him and the least of these then there can be no bathing, wrapping and burial. Without a burial there can be no resurrection.
The cross, burial and resurrection is a daily process. Easter is not today if it is not every day for everyone.
This is the challenge which Jesus offers. This is opportunity which Jesus offers. It is not performed in our Sunday best. It is not often accompanied by beautiful music, rich robes, or silver chalices. It often requires hard, dirty, unattractive work which invites all of us to gently lower the cross, remove the nails, tenderly wash the naked wounds, bury the corpse, and witness the resurrection.
Written March 31, 2024
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
For Christians today is celebrated as Easter, the resurrection of Jesus, following his death on the cross and his burial. In some parts of the world, it is also spring, a time when there are many reminders of the miracle of rebirth. Trees which appeared dead are filled with sap and new leaves. Grass, flowers, and other vegetation appear from apparent dead places. Everywhere one looks there is resurrection. In nature we can easily see that death and resurrection are an ongoing process and not a one-time event. Yet, in our religious services today, we might be tempted to view the crucifixion and the resurrection as one times events. Many will recite a creed which proclaims that He arose and now sits on the right hand of God.
In Matthew 25, beginning with verse 35, Jesus is reported to have said: “For when you saw me hungry, you fed me. When you found me thirsty, you gave me drink. When I had no place to stay you invited me in. When I was poorly clothed, you covered me. When I was sick, you tenderly cared for me, and when I was in prison you visited me. Then the godly will answer him. ‘Lord when did we see you hungry and thirsty and give you food and something to drink? When did we see you with no place to stay and invite you in? When did you see you poorly clothed and cover you? When did we see you sick and tenderly care for you, or in prison and visit you. And the King will answer them, ‘Don’t you know? When you cared for one of the least of these, my little ones, my true brothers, and sisters, you demonstrated love for me.”
If we take these and other alleged teachings of Jesus seriously, we cannot claim to have taken Jesus off the cross, washed, wrapped, and buried him. If we did not remove him from the cross, washed, wrapped, and buried him there was no resurrection.
Today in the United States we jail the mentally ill and treat them as criminals. We see the homeless as a nuisance who at best we assign space for a homeless camp while warning them to be good or we will rescind the permit. We criminalize parents who are too sick to care for their children. We expect private groups to care for the least of these. We withhold childcare and in other ways refuse to treat childcare as a sacred community responsivity. We act as if terrorist arise out of vacuums. We take no responsivity for the consequences of mistreating others. We judge the spec in the eye of our brother or sister while leaving the log in our own eye. We create economic systems which assure that 1% have most of the resources. We create laws to deny the reality of racism. sexism, gender disparity, the transexual, and those who love someone of the same gender while in private live out the reality of those we deny.
If we are leaving the least of us on the cross and if Jesus says that we cannot separate treatment of Him and the least of these then there can be no bathing, wrapping and burial. Without a burial there can be no resurrection.
The cross, burial and resurrection is a daily process. Easter is not today if it is not every day for everyone.
This is the challenge which Jesus offers. This is opportunity which Jesus offers. It is not performed in our Sunday best. It is not often accompanied by beautiful music, rich robes, or silver chalices. It often requires hard, dirty, unattractive work which invites all of us to gently lower the cross, remove the nails, tenderly wash the naked wounds, bury the corpse, and witness the resurrection.
Written March 31, 2024
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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