Good Friday 2009
Homily #2: Peter’s Denial (John 18:12-27)
I see so many relationships
in this part of the Passion story.
The soldiers and the Jewish
police making an unlikely team dragging Jesus from place to place.
Annas and Caiaphas,
father-in-law and son-in-law, both with this tradition of being high priests.
This other, unnamed disciple
who is known to the high priest, who is in that crowd somehow.
And one of the slaves of the
high priest who is warming himself by the fire is a relative of the man who had
his ear cut off by Peter in the garden.
Jesus, Peter, the other
disciple, the soldiers, the slaves, the Jewish police.
The woman who is guarding the
gate.
It’s a story about who you
know.
The other disciple got past
the woman guarding the gate because the high priest knew him.
Peter was stuck outside the
courtyard until the other disciple talked the woman into letting him in.
She brought Peter in but not
before she asked him this:
You are not also one of this man’s disciple’s, are
you?
Once Peter is inside he just
hangs out by the fire warming himself.
But he did answer her: I am not, he said.
I’m assuming that there was
quite a buzz that night.
Even without CNN the word
about Jesus had spread and people knew something big was happening.
I can picture the courtyard
with that fire in one corner surrounded by the slaves and servants and police.
And in some other corner of
the courtyard is Jesus bound up and being drug in front of the high priest.
Annas asks Jesus about his
teaching and his disciples.
I think it was that kind of
questioning parents do sometimes.
Where you actually know
something but you just want to hear what they’ll come up with when you ask.
Jesus answers pretty simply.
I’ve always spoken openly to
the Jews.
I have no secrets…ask my
followers…they know me.
One of those police warming
himself by the fire with Peter doesn’t like his tone and hits Jesus in the
face.
So they drag Jesus, still
bound, to another corner of the courtyard so that Caiaphas can question him.
Peter is close enough to see
it all and hear it all.
When Jesus is being dragged
to that other corner of the courtyard in front of Caiaphas…
Peter gets asked again.
You are not also one of his disciples, are you?
I am not.
He could see Jesus over there…hear
the questioning continue.
He could hear Jesus’ answers.
Peter could see the ropes
binding Jesus and he could feel the tension and anger in the air.
He looked across the fire and
saw a familiar face.
Did his heart pound at the
thought of being found out?
Peter, who was so upset about
the way Judas had betrayed Jesus in the garden that he had cut off a man’s
ear…were his hands shaking, did he try to hide his face?
Because this man at the fire
had seen him use that sword in the garden.
This man across the fire from
him was a relative of that injured man and had seen it.
He looked right at Peter and
asked, “Didn’t I just see you in the garden with Jesus?”
Peter lies, he flat out lies,
even though he knows that this man saw him.
No, I wasn’t there in the
garden…I don’t know this Jesus.
And the cock crowed.
I don’t know Jesus, Peter
said.
I wasn’t with him.
Did his heart beat even
faster then?
He didn’t betray him, he
didn’t call out crucify him…
All Peter did was say…I don’t know him.
But when that cock crowed,
then he remembered that Jesus had told him that he would deny Jesus three
times.
Peter remembered that how
ridiculous he thought that was at the time.
How could he ever deny
knowing the one who he loved so much, that he wanted to follow to the end of
his days?
Peter knew that he loved
Jesus.
Peter knew in his heart that
he wanted only one thing and that was to follow Jesus.
What happened in those
moments in the courtyard over that smoky fire?
How did those words come out
of his mouth?
Do you know Jesus?
Do you love Jesus?
Do you?
Homily #4: The Crucifixion (John
19:17-37)
Today we’re watching someone
die.
We’re there for the whole
thing.
Right to the end.
Today we can’t escape it, we
shouldn’t escape it.
In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And in the end…Jesus simply
said…
It is finished.
Jesus really lived.
Jesus really was God, the
love of God in the flesh.
Jesus really died.
They really beat him and made
fun of him and nailed him to the wood
and they took his clothes home with them.
When they stuck a spear in
his side, blood and water really came out.
This isn’t the dying full of
grace and dignity, without suffering or pain.
This isn’t the kind of death that
we all want for ourselves and for our loved ones.
This was grim.
It’s so tempting to jump
ahead a day.
To see past this bloody,
painful scene to something clean and full of light.
Try not to…Try to be here in
this moment with Jesus.
Why would he do this, why
would he die like this?
Is he a king or not?
Is he in control or not?
Why did it have to come to
this?
Couldn’t God have come up
with some other, less awful plan?
Do you ever ask yourself
questions like that?
We know that the world is
messed up, that humans are messed up.
But how is getting killed the
answer to all of that?
How is getting killed the
plan to fix everything?
It is in fact just what
Part of us rejects that it
makes sense because it’s so horrible.
And yet, here we are.
Staring again up at the
lifeless body of the one who was without sin.
Jesus is the love of God in
human form.
That is what we see nailed on
the cross.
Perfect love, offered freely
and willingly.
In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jesus hangs on the cross,
lays down his life, simply because he loves us more than life itself.
Jesus comes here to save us
because he loves us.
It really is almost beyond
comprehension.
The love of Jesus is not a
feeling.
The love of Jesus is this
very action.
Don’t run away hoping for the
empty tomb.
Stay here at the foot of the
cross and be amazed that you are loved like this.
Hear these words and be
amazed that it’s enough.
It is finished.
It is finished.