Who Cares?
Isaiah 50:4-9a (& Matthew 21:1-11/27:11-56)
Randy L Quinn
[In between the scripture and the sermon, there will be a choral
anthem and the ‘Passion’ scripture (Mt. 27:11-56). That reading will
leave a somber feeling in the air as I begin the sermon. My first
comments will respond to that text before reading again the Old
Testament lesson within the framework of the sermon.]
After hearing the somber reality of the death of Jesus, I wonder: Who
in the story that we just read cares what happened to Jesus?
Pilate is frustrated by the situation, but I’m not sure he really
cares (Mt. 27:18).
The bystanders watch and wait for a miracle, but I’m not sure they
care about Jesus, either (Mt. 27:49).
The soldiers are doing their job, a dirty job, but I suspect they long
ago gave up caring what happened to any particular criminal. Even when
they make the amazing statement that this was the Son of God, I hear
it as a statement of fact, not a statement of concern nor of guilt
(Mt. 27:54).
The only ones who seem to care remain “off stage” while the drama
unfolds. Among them are the women that Matthew mentions at the close
of the passage, the women who stand and watch from a distance (Mt.
27:55-56).
The other, more important “off stage” observer, however, is God.
Throughout Lent, we’ve been considering stories and situations in
which people made a trade.
Adam and Eve traded paradise for instant gratification (March 13).
Abram and Sarai traded the comforts of home for a land unseen (March
20).
Under the leadership of Moses, the people of Israel traded their trust
in Pharaoh for a trust in God (March 27).
Samuel helped the people trade a form of government that relied upon
God in exchange for a secular system that relied upon a King (April
3).
Last week we heard about Ezekiel inviting the people of Israel to
trade their despair and despondency into a life of hope and promise
(April 10).
Today, God is the one making the trade. God comes to us in the form of
Jesus and trades his life for ours. In that sense, Jesus is very much
like the servant Isaiah portrays when he says, “I gave my back to
those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard”
(Is. 50:6). John Wesley viewed this as evidence of God’s love, a love
that enables us to love and trust God, assured that we are indeed
children of God.1
From Japan, we hear daily updates concerning the Daiichi nuclear power
plant. What isn’t as clear in most of those news reports is the fate
of the workers who are trying to prevent further damage and
destruction. Some of them have been working at the site every day
since the earthquake and tsunami struck.
These workers know the consequence of their actions. They know they
are being exposed to enormously high amounts of radiation, a lethal
dose that will lead to their ultimate deaths. But they are willing to
work day in and day out in order to protect the lives of others.
They are trading their lives for the future of their nation, for the
future of the global community. They may not call it love, but it
clearly is an act of love, just as clearly as the love of God is
reflected in the sacrifice of Jesus.
And who cares? I’m sure their families care; but most of the world has
overlooked the incredible sacrifices they are making. There is another
observer, however, who is standing in the shadows, and who also cares:
God. Listen again to how Isaiah portrays that concern through the life
of God’s servant:
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how
to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens –
wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. The Lord GOD has
opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I
gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled
out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. The
Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I
have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to
shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us
stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is
the Lord GOD who helps me; who will declare me guilty?
Is. 50:4-9a
In the darkest times of our lives, we can find comfort in God’s
abiding presence (Is. 50:8). We can step into the most difficult of
situations with our heads held high because we know that God will help
us.
I do not suggest that it will be easy, however. My own experience has
been that it is difficult, sometimes extremely difficult. But trusting
in the “very present help” in a time of trial is both an act of faith
and an act of love (Ps. 46:1).
It is an act of love in that we are reflecting the presence of Christ
in the midst of our turmoil. It is an act of love when we “turn the
other cheek” and continue walking forward rather than seeking
retaliation or revenge (Mt. 5:11-12, 39). Our tendency may be to
protect ourselves, to give a rebuttal to those who falsely accuse us;
but the model of Jesus and the portrait of the servant in Isaiah
suggest the right action is to hold our heads high and let our actions
speak of our trust in God.
Some of you may remember that Friday was the 99th anniversary of the
sinking of the Titanic. You may not know that among the musicians that
continued to play while the ship met its demise were men of faith who
believed death was not the end of the story, so they continued to
play.2
As we come to the end of Lent, we hear again the story of the death of
Jesus, knowing that it is not the end of the story.
Like the musicians on the Titanic, or the workers at the Daiichi
plant, his is a sacrificial love. The closest most of us come to that
kind of sacrificial love is when we as parents give our time and our
energies to our children, when we lose sleep to comfort them when they
are sick or forgo a luxury so that our children will have new clothes
for school.
Call to Discipleship:
My question to you today is: what trade can you make to convey love to
someone who does not know God’s love? In what ways have you emptied
your life so that Christ may be seen in you? In what ways have you
given your life so that the glory of Easter may be revealed through
you?
In today’s texts we have seen the trade God was willing to make.
Our last Call to Discipleship is really the same as our first Call to
Discipleship. You may not remember it, but in my sermon on March 13, I
invited you to “listen for God to speak about changes that may need to
be made in your life. During Lent, [I suggested] you could try an
experiment and change one part of your life. What is one thing you
could trade in an effort to more accurately align your life with the
will of God?”
If you have not made that trade yet, there are still opportunities to
make a commitment. In silence today, I invite you to examine your own
life and evaluate the trades you have made and whether or not you need
to make a change in your life.
I’ll be available after our service to discuss any specific way you
want to respond other than the ones we’ve offered to you throughout
the season of Lent.
Let us pray together, in silence.
_________________________________
Selected Bibliography
Butler, Joey. “Titanic Musicians were Methodist.” United Methodist
News Service, April 15, 2011.
Dykes, Brett Michael. “Japanese Nuclear Plant Workers Emerging as
Heroic Figures in Tragedy.” Yahoo News. March 15, 2011.
