Loading...Sermon April 14, 2017
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, LSW
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen, Newport, PA
Audio
When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30
Please be seated.
Acceptance is a difficult thing for me, especially when it comes to experiencing pain or illness. I have a virus that emerges occasionally. Usually I am able to keep it at bay, but if I get really run down, out it comes.
I’ve been so happy, because the fall emergence of this virus, which usually manifests itself as a cold with me losing my voice, didn’t happen. Yet, when I was with my daughter recently, by the end of a week living in the hospital, out it came!
And I kept denying it. I felt really awful and tried to block the symptoms with over the counter medications, but nothing really helped. It just has to take its course. Yet, I just kept going and going, trying to push through and deny how awful I felt. I knew I was going to the doctor in another week anyway, I reasoned.
During this time, I saw my spiritual director and she could hear my weak voice and see the tiredness on my face. She kept trying to tell me that when I got home, I really needed to rest up the week before Holy Week. I really didn’t want to hear that. I had too much to catch up on.
I am terrible at accepting the realities of my body.
As we’ve journeyed through this Holy Week once again, one lesson we learn from Jesus is what happens when we accept the realities of our lives. Throughout all of the accounts of Jesus’ last week of life here on earth with us, we hear how he knew what was coming. While he did pray that for things to be different, he still said he’d do God’s Will. He accepted the inevitability of his suffering and crucifixion.
He wasn’t happy or pleased about it, but he did accept it and did not try to change it. As a result of his acceptance, I believe, he was able to see what needed to be done for the very people who killed him and the very people he loved.
Just in the Gospel of John, look what we find.
When the men come looking to arrest Jesus. He knew this was going to happen, so he immediately identified himself to them and then told them to let his disciples go. He didn’t back away or try to hide who he was. He accepted what was going to happen and because of that acceptance, he protected his disciples that he loved and that he knew would be the teachers of many others.
When he was being questioned by the High Priest, he answered truthfully. He did not try to back off of his teachings, but owned them and continued to stand by them. A soldier slapped him, but he did not back down, but continued to say that his teachings and practice were the truth.
Even before Pilate, Jesus accepted what was going to happen and was able to stand in the truth of his teachings. Even when Pilate told Jesus he could be released if only he’d answer Pilate’s questions, Jesus remained silent. He did nothing to stop the pain that had already been inflicted upon him and the pain that was coming.
As Jesus is hanging on the cross in what must have been terrible agony, because of his acceptance, he was able to attend to those he loved. He saw John standing at the foot of the cross with his mother Mary, May’s sister and Mary Magdalene. Knowing how hard it would be for his mother to lose her son, Jesus tells John to look after Mary as if she were his mother. He tells Mary that she can rely upon John like a son.
Jesus acceptance of what was going to happen allowed him to take care of himself, to prepare himself for the inevitable, allowed him to emphasize and remain true to his teachings and allowed him to take care of the people closest to him.
May we, like Jesus, live in acceptance.
Amen
