Preacher: Pastor Liz Miller
Date: March 28, 2021
Text: John 12:1-19
Beth got her first COVID-19 vaccine this week which was great news in our household. It was not without some trepidation as she has a lifelong fear of needles and would rather do anything than voluntarily get a shot. But when the health department said it was her turn, she made an appointment. She drove herself to the MSU pavilion, and when a member of the National Guard approached her car, she stuck her arm out and proclaimed her mantra of courage, “I AM ADULTING SO HARD! THIS IS FOR THE GREATER GOOD!”
I was so proud of Beth when she told me this story. Not only because she faced her fear, but because she was able to name why it was important for her to do something scary – for the greater good. That why is what helped her go from scared to courageous.
Today is Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week. Every year during this week we tell the same stories. We reenact them with our processions and rituals and songs. We bring them to life and pass them on to the next generation. As we do this, it is not enough to go through the motions or dutifully recite Scripture, we are called to remember and to name the why. Why was Jesus’ processional into Jerusalem so important? Why did Jesus gather his disciples for one last meal together and why do we tell a story that involves betrayal, a public lynching, and a violent death? Why do we tell a story of an empty tomb?
The major themes of our shared faith can be traced throughout this week – love, hope, peace, justice, and courage. We don’t always name courage as a core theme in our faith, but it runs through so much of what we are called to do – courage to stand up for justice, courage to come out on the side of love, courage to wait for the sun to rise after the darkest of nights, courage to be a peace maker, courage to live in community when it is so much easier to do things our own way. We could go on and on.
Courage is when we live out or speak into our faith – when we do something that goes against the status quo or point toward something that might be controversial or unpopular but we know is grounded in faithfulness to God and is necessary for the building of God’s kin-dom here on earth. Courage is listening to the voice is inside of us calling us to move, to change, to stick our necks out, to do something scary for the greater good.
The courage found in holy week begins the day before Jesus’ Jerusalem processional over a meal with the disciples, Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary. The sisters had been witnesses to the miracle of Jesus raising their brother from the dead. I often wonder what would have been racing through their minds as Jesus sat with them that evening.
Mary does not speak with her voice in this telling of the story, but her actions are loud. She takes expensive oils and anoints Jesus’ feet. This is her way of offering a blessing to Jesus – of showing her gratitude, her love, and her faith in him. This action would have drawn attention to her in the crowd of men, and as soon as she does it criticism is thrown at her by Judas. Jesus points out Judas’ hypocrisy and defends Mary’s actions. Mary’s act of anointing Jesus is affirmed when Jesus explains to the others why she was doing this – to remain devoted to Jesus even in the face of his death, to pour out an abundance of love so there is no question where her loyalties and gratitude lie. When Mary was moved to anoint her savior’s feet, Jesus received her
gift as courageous love in action.
The next day, what we know as Palm Sunday, there was a processional in Jerusalem. Jesus’ followers gathered to ceremonially welcome him into the city, to make his presence known to folks who worshipped him as well as to the authorities and people who feared and loathed him. When we reenact this procession, we do so with joy. We wave palms and shout Hosanna with big smiles on our faces. But the joy that day would have been the joy you feel when you are defiantly courageous – when you know you are doing the dangerous but right thing when you know there might be consequences for your actions and you are prepared to face them. Their processional was a protest – a proclamation that their message of love and justice would not be silenced in the face of threats.
“Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God!” Is the people shouting their why – it is a their mantra to remind each other and any onlookers what they stand for and who Jesus is. This holy week, may we use the lens of courage to explore why so many generations later we continue to follow Jesus from parade to cross to empty tomb, why we continue to practice extravagant love, why we speak up or do hard things when it would be easier to stay silent. What are we shouting out for all to hear? What actions are we taking with great courage?
Twice in the last week I have heard from Edgewood folks who feel compelled to speak up and out about issues of justice. Our Racial Justice Team is exploring how our congregation might speak out as East Lansing grapples with the over policing of people of color and as a committee prepares to make a recommendation to City Council about police oversight. How can our church speak out in our community? What message will we proclaim to our neighbors? What will we risk in order to be heard on a topic most folks would rather ignore or remain silent on knowing it is controversial, knowing it upsets the status quo?
A few days after that conversation someone else approached me and asked how Edgewood might have a role in advocating for gun reform. With two mass shootings in as many weeks, this topic has risen to our consciousness once more. What does acting with courage look like in this situation? Who might the church partner with to make an impact in the state legislation?
Too often we hold back the label of “courageous” for people we hear about in the news or people who are leading our movements. What if each one of us is called to live lives of great courage however that looks for us, whether it is facing your fear of shots to protect the greater good or speaking out when someone tells a sexist joke or showing up for someone you love even when you’re not sure what the outcome will be?
In every season of life, in every difficulty, tension, and uncertainty, we are called to courage. May we find the courage to act out our faith even when it leads to criticism. May we find the words to name our why. May we find strength with our siblings who will act and speak with us, uniting our voices as one in the name of love and justice and Christ. May it be so. Amen
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