Received very strong positive feedback on this short meditation for our Maundy Thursday service.

“Who?”
Mark 14
Richard M. Wright
University Baptist Church / Church of the Nations
Maundy Thursday April 21, 2011

Great pizza last Saturday evening. After we enjoy celebrating Mary’s sixteenth birthday at Schlitz and Giggles. Driving home a friend of hers who came with us. Listening to music on the radio. New song by Avil Lavigne. Then somehow we are talking about new song by Lady Gaga the one that has so many people angry.

Judas. Judas? Who is Judas? Oh right. One of the twelve disciples. The one who betrays Jesus.

Let me say that again. Who is the one who betrays Jesus?

Read the story carefully. This is how the gospel of Mark tells the story.

When evening comes Jesus arrives with the Twelve. While they are lying down at the table eating he says, I tell you the truth one of you will betray me – one who is eating with me. They are sad and one by one they say to him, Surely not I? Jesus replies, It is one of the Twelve one who dips bread into the bowl with me. While they are eating Jesus takes bread gives thanks and breaks it and gives it to his disciples.

In the short story “Silver Blaze” Gregory of the Scotland Yard asks the famous detective Sherlock Holmes:

“Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?”
“To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.”
“The dog did nothing in the night-time.”
“That was the curious incident,” remarked Sherlock Holmes.

The curious incident during the last meal is that the story does not say specifically that Judas is the one who will betray Jesus.

One of you will. One who is eating with me. Surely not I? All of them eat with Jesus. All of them dip bread into the bowl with him.

Next scene Mount of Olives. You will all fall away. Peter declares, Even if all fall away I will not. Jesus replies, Tonight you will deny me three times. Peters insists, Even if I have to die with you I will not. All the others say the same.

Garden of Gesthemane. Sit here while I pray. Stay here and keep watch. Three times Jesus finds his three closest friends sleeping. Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. Enough! The hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Here comes my betrayer.

The arrest is a little different although we have to be careful how we translate the story. Judas one of the Twelve appears. The betrayer had arranged a signal. He (the name Judas is not in the Greek text here) he goes to Jesus says Rabbi and kisses him. Then everyone deserts Jesus and flees. A young man wearing only a cloth is following Jesus he runs away naked and leaves his cloth behind.

The trial. Notice the structure of the story which is typical of the book of Mark. Start telling one thing – then stop and tell another – then go back and finish the first thing. They take Jesus to the high priest – all the religious leaders come together. Peter follows him at a distance. Then the trial against Jesus. Then back to Peter. While Peter is below in the courtyard. Three times someone asks and three times Peter says I do not know what you are talking about / am not one of his followers / do not know this man.

Who betrays Jesus? Judas? Well yes but the story in the book of Mark almost never mentions his name. Instead we get one of you will betray / one who is eating with me / you will all fall away / you will deny me three times / can you not stay awake one hour? everyone abandons him and runs away / Peter follows but three times says he does not know Jesus.

One of my favorite painters is Rembrandt van Rijn. He took fifteen years to produce seven paintings that tell the story of the passion of Jesus. Rembrandt painted himself into two of them. The Raising of the Cross and The Descent from the Cross. As if Rembrandt himself was there. Rembrandt saw himself as part of the story of the suffering and death of Jesus.

We read these stories and think oh those silly disciples oh Peter oh Judas. But in many ways the book of Mark is like a mirror. That invites us to ask where are we in this story? How are we like the disciples like Peter even like Judas? In what ways do we not understand do we betray do we not follow do we not stay awake and pray for just one hour do we deny that we even know Jesus?

The point is not to hate ourselves or to be sad and miserable or to lose hope. Not to wear shirts with a big letter B for Betrayer! The point is we can be honest with ourselves and honest with Jesus our Lord. So that we will not trust in our own greatness but rather in the mercy of God our Father. So that by the presence and working of the Holy Spirit within us our primary prayer will always be, Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner.

Because if the question is who? who betrays Jesus? the answer is us – we do. In different ways some big and obvious some small and unexpected. But also who does Jesus call to follow him on the way of the cross? with whom does Jesus eat? with whom does Jesus pray? for whom does Jesus give himself complete on the cross? who does Jesus send? again and every time the answer is us – that is who. Christ calls us. Eats with us. Prays with us. Gives himself for us. Sends us. Loves us.

“Our Primary Prayer”
Mark 10
Richard M. Wright
Church of the Nations with University Baptist Church
21st Sunday of Pentecost (B)

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What do you see? Young woman or older woman?

Can you see the deer?

Which direction are the birds flying?

Where are the elephant’s feet?

Sometimes we look at the same thing but see different things. Sometimes there is a difference between what we see with our eyes – and what he behold? perceive? discern? with our mind. Perhaps even our heart.

Then they come to Jericho. Jesus and his disciples – along with a large crowd – are leaving the city. A blind man – Bartimaeus (which means Son of Wisdom) is sitting begging along the way. When he hears that it is Jesus of Nazareth he begins to shout “Son of David – Jesus – have mercy on me!” People tell him to be quiet but he shouts all the more “Son of David – have mercy on me!” Jesus asks him “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man says to him “Master – that I will see”. And Jesus says to him “Go – your faith has saved you”. And immediately he sees again and follows Jesus on the way.

This week as I am doing research on this Bible reading I was surprised by how little Bible scholars have to say about this story. Even though it is short – only seven verses – it has a very important place in the book of Mark. It is the last healing story. It is the last story before we enter the Passion of Jesus – the last week when Jesus enters the city of Jerusalem / is arrested / is put to death on the cross.

This story also comes at the end of three chapters – chapters eight nine and ten – that focus on discipleship. For three chapters Jesus has been teaching the Twelve – his closest followers – teaching them concerning the way of Jesus. And for three chapter for the most part his closest followers do not understand. There is a sense in which this story is the last chance the book of Mark has to show us what discipleship looks like. To show us someone who does understand. “This is what it means to trust in Jesus Christ the Son of God and to follow him on his way. Pay attention! Can you see?”

And what does the book of Mark want us to see? How does this person cry out to Jesus?

<Huie Dawid Iesou – eleeson me> “Son of David – Jesus – have mercy on me”.

And when those who are with Jesus tell him to be quiet again he shouts even more loudly.

<Huie Dawid – eleeson me> “Son of David – have mercy on me”.

Have mercy on me.

One of my favorite prayers of the Christian church is the Great Litany – also called the Litany of Peace. Many Christian traditions use the Great Litany as part of their regular worship. The one who leads says:
“In peace let us pray to the Lord”. And the people respond: “Lord have mercy”. “For the peace from above and for the salvation of our souls let us pray to the Lord”. Lord have mercy. “For the peace of the whole world for the holy churches of God and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord”. Lord have mercy. And so on – the Litany of Peace continues to mention every need every situation that you can imagine.

Several weeks ago I read a scholar who writes that all these things that the Litany of Peace mentions – “for those who travel by land by sea and by air… for the sick and the suffering” – there are not the prayer. The actual prayer that repeats itself throughout the Great Litany is “Lord have mercy”.

During the last few months in Church of the Nations we have talked about how prayer is the peculiar power of the Christian church. How the primary vocation – the primary task or responsibility – of the Christian church is prayer. Last Sunday both in the morning and the evening we talked about the priest-hood of the believer. And one of our most important responsibilities as priests to and for and with each other is to pray.

Peculiar power… primary vocation… priests who pray… Brothers and sisters – I submit that our primary prayer is what this man shouts when he encounters Jesus along the way. Lord have mercy.

That may sound strange. Perhaps for us to pray “Lord have mercy” sounds like we hate ourselves or that we are constantly saying that we are sinners who have done terrible things. But look at the story. The story does not mention sin. Does not say Bartimaeus is a bad person. Does not say he somehow deserves to be blind. Do not misunderstand me – Bartimaeus is a human being and all human beings have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. All of us need forgiveness.

But the story does not mention that. Only that Bartimaeus is a person in need who cries out to Jesus “Son of David – have mercy”. Whatever our need or the need of the person for whom we pray. Sickness. Grief. Confusion. Loss. Looking for a job. Broken relationship. Even hurt or disappointed by what someone else has done to us. The central prayer of the Christian life is “Lord have mercy”.

In his book Wounded by Love the Elder Porphyrios writes:

“Pray for those who make accusations against you. Say, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me’, not ‘have mercy on him’, and your accuser will be embraced in this prayer. Does someone say something to you that upsets you? God knows it. What you have to do is open your arms and say, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me’, and make your accuser one with yourself. And God knows what is torturing your accuser deep inside of him and, seeing your love, he hastens to help. God searches the desires of hearts”. Lord have mercy.

And when Bartimaeus cries this prayer, Jesus answers. He asks Bartimaeus the desire of his heart. “What do you want me to do for you?” Unlike James and John earlier in the book of Mark when Jesus asks this question he does not ask for power and position. Bartimaeus says to him “Master – that I will see again”. One of my teachers in seminary Glenn Hinson once wrote that the first prayer of the Christian is “Lord – help me to see”. Not only physical sight but to see spiritually in new ways. That our visual perception will match what is true and right and holy. That when we pray, we pray to see through God’s eyes. When we worship we are able To see who Jesus is. When we read the Bible we are led by the Spirit To see what God wants us to do and where to go. When we are hurt by others or are hurting for others we are able to see ourselves and other people as God sees us. So that when the world sees us, the church, the people of God, they see people of mercy, truth, and light. And then they will cry with us:

Lord have mercy. Help me to see.

our-primary-prayer

The senior pastor and about half the ministerial staff are at Kid’s Camp so I was asked to speak to Evensong last Sunday night. The senior pastor let me know that the theme for the last few weeks has been repentance. I find it helpful to “fit” into whatever the congregation has been hearing/listening/discussing.

These are my “notes”.

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Mark 1:14-15.

We have met Jesus – baptism and temptation / but has not spoken yet. After his formative(?) experience of baptism and temptation (time in the wilderness – 40 days) these are his first words.

Similar to John the baptizer – baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins yet also different.

Is this his thesis? That everything after this represents / works out / interprets / embodies it is the right time… kingdom of God has come near… *repent and believe* the good news. Jesus does not begin with repent (and believe) but it is the verb imperative verb. Here is the situation. This is the response.

Repent = (Greek) metanoéo literally change-of-mind (or to be more precise change-of-nous). (Because nous might not mean “mind” the way we normally think. Early teachers of the Christian church did not understand it that way. The nous is closer to what we call the heart. What we call the mind is not the nous but is broken. Lives in a perpetual state of fear and desire – so Meletios Webber.)

I pay attention to other Christian traditions. And I wanted to share some thoughts from other Christian traditions on repentance for us to consider – grist for our theological meal.

The early Christian teacher Evagrius said “the beginning of repentance is to condemn oneself”. Sounds harsh. Perhaps a way to understand/interpret this? An elegant paragraph from a book by Kallistos Ware who now is the Metropolitan of London. Immediately after he quotes Evagrius he writes:

Repentance marks the starting-point of our journey. Correctly understood repentance is not negative but positive. It means not self-pity or remorse but conversion [we will come back to that] the re-centering of our whole life upon the Trinity. It is not to look backward with regret but forward with hope. Not downwards at our shortcomings but upwards at God’s love. It is to see not what we have failed to be but what by divine grace we can now become.

Let us pause there for a moment. Repentance as positive – hope looking up what by the grace of God we can become.

Sometimes repent is translated as “turn away from your sins” – such as in the Good News Bible. Perhaps not best translation. Perhaps “turn toward God and his transforming work in your life”.

Anglican Church in North America met for the first time. (Explain briefly.) Head of Orthodox Church in America Metropolitan Jonah came and spoke – Orthodox Church wants to encourage and have a relationship with new group.

During his talk – “this is not about using the same prayer book or having neat rituals” – that is not what Anglicanism or Orthodoxy are about. But “our surrender is that spiritual quest – is to be transformed by the Spirit. It is a quest of repentance. And of renewal of our mind [RW - and a renewal of our mind? what he said is unclear here]. When you read the preaching of Jesus and Paul and the apostles. Repent.

Adds that “repentance does not mean feel guilty and beat yourself up. Repentance means by transformed in the renewal of your mind. [transform(ed)]. What we are called to is a radical spiritual transformation by the grace of the Holy Spirit.”

Positive. Transformation (by the grace of the Holy Spirit). One more thing.

Isaias of Sketis said: “God requires us to go on repenting until our last breath”. Traditional Baptist understanding of repent as “sorry for my sins thank you Jesus now I am done – I am converted”? Properly understood – lifelong process even the greatest saints in Christian history had to repent (be always repenting).

Kallistos Ware:

Repentance is not just a single act, an initial step, but a continuing state, an attitude of heart and will that needs to be ceaselessly renewed up to the end of life.

Repentance as positive. As transformation. And as ongoing process.

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We had some time for reflection and conversation. Most was positive and appreciative. One wonderful member of the congregation (who last week found out she has cancer) pushed back a little bit and said “but we do ‘turn away (from our sins)’ when we repent. Just as an alcoholic turns away from alcohol”.

I understand the point which is not a bad one but I would suggest that human beings cannot effectively turn away from sin and addiction. (Except by the grace of God through the work of the Spirit.) I enjoy my sins and addictions. I have no desire or intention to turn away from them.

But – when we turn towards God… we also happen to turn away from <fill in the blank>. Does the alcoholic ever truly become free of the addiction? or does the addict develop a taste for – perhaps we can say the addict turns toward – sobriety? I am much more drawn to holiness than I am repulsed by my own sins and addictions. Repentance is more “that is how I want to be – God grant me the grace to turn that way” than “I am sick of these sins – I must turn from them”. I am not sure our prayer is so much “God give me the strength to stop sinning” as “Lord have mercy”.

When I turn on a road to head towards New Orleans I am not “turning away” from Lafayette. It is true that I am heading away from Lafayette – but that is a consequence and a result.

I could be wrong. But I appreciated the “push back” and the discussion. (And yes there are plenty of places in Holy Scripture where the imperative phrase is “stop sinning”.)

Lord have mercy.