To dream is to be human. Some folks dream really big. And at
the heart of the human experience there has always been the big dream. This is
the dream that has motivated all the idealists the world has ever known. It is
the collective dream of humanity. This is the dream of world peace, of
abundance for all, of justice, of equality, of healing for all those afflicted
with disease. This is the dream of victory, of ultimate victory against all of those dark forces which
oppose life. This dream has motivated all of those idealists we remember—those
people who strive for a new and
better world. This dream motivated Dr Salk as he searched and discovered a cure
for polio. This dream motivated Dr Martin Luther King jr in his quest for
racial equality in the United States. This dream motivated Terry Fox as he
embarked upon his pain-staking journey across this nation. This dream has
motivated nations to lay down arms, and to form organizations dedicated to
world peace. It has motivated art
and literature for centuries. John Lennon’s classic hit, “Imagine” captures
well this basic human hunger for a better reality.
Cynics
call this dream world Utopian, which means a place that can never exist, but I
think we can safely conclude that
only the darkest of hearts are not in one way or another plugged into this
dream. We know that when we hear the outcry against injustice, or the way folks
can rally for a good cause. We know that when people donate their money and
time and blood., they are
following an aspect of this dream. Just imagine, imagine, waking up to a world
where humanity’s greatest dream were realized. Imagine waking up to a news
report that said cancer had been cured, there was no crime to report, the
people of the poorest nations had been fed, lonliness was eradicated, world
peace was achieved, and all human beings sung in perfect harmony, just like in
that Coca Cola add which aired over thirty years ago.
If
that type of world emerged overnight, there would be very little doubt that
someone or something was behind it all. There would be very little doubt that a
loving God was large and in charge. With a world filled with nothing but truth
and goodness, there would be no doubt about it: God exists.
This
is the cruel irony of the cross. Jesus Christ came into the world to satisfy
the hungry human heart. He was the answer to humanity’s greatest hope—the means
by which that great and glorious dream would be realized. How did humanity
respond? By murdering him, by hanging him on a cross.
Just think about it for a second—God arrives in your neighbourhood, and
the neighbours respond by getting together and killing him. And let’s revisit exactly what the
cross was. The cross was a cruel instrument of torture and method of execution
used by the Romans. Not only was
it physically cruel, it also had tremendous symbolic power. Those hung up on
crosses were subjected to incredible humiliation. No one in Greco Roman society
would be considered lower than those who were crucified. To the Romans, the
cross would be the last place you would ever find a god worthy of the name. The
last place you would find divinity manifested is in a suffering human being.
The last person a Roman would see God is in the person of a suffering Itinerant
Jewish teacher, rejected by the leaders of his won people.
But
the crucifixtion never would have happened had they known who Jesus truly was.
Bu they didn’t expect a god like Jesus. They expected someone mighty, powerful,
who would make their world better in an instant, someone who would help them
make their biggest dreams come true,--on their terms. Kind of sounds a lot like
the kind of God most people in this world expect. Ask people what they envision
God to be like, and a man beaten
bloody and utterly shamed hanging from a piece of wood won’t be the first image
that comes to mind—at least not if we’re honest with ourselves. The last place we would look for God is
in the cancer ward, the food-bank line, the hospital, the poorest nations of
the world. People want a god who is powerful yet loving, a god who gets things
done the way want to see things done,
and also a god who gets out of the way when we have better ideas.
But
why would God do it? Why would God allow his only begotten Son to suffer such a
horrible fate? Paul tells us
clearly in today’s Epistle reading: to destroy the wisdom of the wise. In other
words, to destroy human constructions of God. For thousands of years humans have been constructing idold,
whether they be physical or intellectual. Through the cross, God has smashed
all of humanity’s idols. Through the cross, God turned humanity’s expectations
on its head. God was crucified. God’s ultimate power was expressed through
weakness and vulnerability. It sounded like foolishness then, sounds like
foolishness now.
But
if Jesus were left on the cross, the story of God’s entry into the world would
be a tragedy. The cross was a means, the resurrection was the end. And here
lies the ultimate irony of the cross: through this strange instrument of torture and death God gave the great
and glorious gift of eternal life.
Through death and pain emerged ultimate life.
But
unless you look at the cross through the eyes of faith, all you will see is
torture and death and humiliating and shameful defeat. Unless you see the cross
through the truth of the gospel, all you will come away with is foolishness. I recall a scene from a movie some of
you might be familiar with called, Saturday night Fever. The John Travolta
charcter has a brother, who is a priest, who confesses to his brother that he
has lost his faith—that all he sees in the crucifix is a dying man hanging on a
cross.
Faith indeed is an incredible gift. Faith allows us to see what is hidden
to the world. And what is hidden to the world is God’s glorious victory in what
appears to be defeat. Faith gives us vision to see God’s glorious plan. You see
faith, to us a poor analogy is kind of like 3D glasses. Without them, the screen
will appear dull and fuzzy. But with the glasses, the picture comes alive and
jumps out at us. Faith gives us the vision to see things as they truly are.
Faith allows us to see what the wisdom of the world is incapable of
apprehending of taking in. Faith allows us to see life where the world only
sees death.
Nothing
has changed since Paul spoke about the cross to the Corinthians. The world
wants nothing to do with what is weak, low, and despised. Over the last forty
years the self help movement has become a billion dollar industry, and a whole
host of new age gurus have emerged. One such speaker is Wayne Dyer. Wayne Dyer
preaches a different message than the cross. In all of his teaching, the corss
is avoided in favour of a doctrine of unlimited self improvement. In fact,
Dyer, like many other new agers, preach that if you find the right method you
can manifest your destiny and achieve divinity. If you find the right method
you can become who you want to be and achieve what you want to achieve. Robert
Schuller has proclaimed a message of possibility thinking for a long time.
Anthony Robbins is a millionare several times over. People are eager to hear their message. When Wayne Dyer came
to town not long ango he sold out the Orpheum theatre, as he has sold out
venues across the continent.
Why
is that? Why do people like Anthony Robbins, Wyane Dyer, and Deepak Chopra sell
books by the millions and fill theatres, while churches which proclaim Christ
crucified struggle? Why is it that people will pay over $200 a ticket to hear
Wayne Dyer, yet wouldn’t even consider stepping through the doors of this
church? Simple.The world does not want to hear the message of the
cross. Even within Christian churches , a doctrine, a line of preaching has
emerged, which leaves the cross out, and says that if you simply believe in
Jesus you will be healthy, wealthy, wise, and prosperous. Just give me a
method, people cry, just give me a method to improve my life.
But
the cross tells us something different. The cross repudiates all human methods.
The cross deconstructs the human
concept of divinity.The cross tells us that God will not be used as a vehicle
to achieve our dreams, so that we
may boast. The cross reorients us to God’s plan. The cross reorients our vision
so that we can see God’s promise in and beyond the
suffering of the world. The cross gives us the ability to see life,
where the world only sees death.
The cross
allows us to read the words of Jesus, and hear what they are truly saying.
Because when we read the beatitudes, the statements of blessedness, through
worldly eyes they sound like complete and utter foolishness. How could the
states of being described ever be thought of as blessed? Blesed are the poor,
blessed are the mounrers, blessed are the meek, blessed are the persecuted?
From the world’s perspective that doesn’t make sense. But when we read that
through the eyes and reality of resurrection, they make total sense. The word “blessed” as used is translated from the Greek word
“Makarios.” This describes a state of joy, which exists regardless of the
circumstances. Happiness comes and goes, but blessednews endures.. Blessedness
is rooted in God’s promise for the future. But it’s not just about the future,
it is the joy of living in the
kingdom of heaven in the present. But remember, this kingdom is hidden to those
who do not see reality through the eyes of faith. To the world, the kingdom
which stands under the cross is a kingdom of fools. And just think about all of
that foolishness for a moment. Praying aloud, eating bread and drinking wine,
believing that its God. Giving money away which could be better spent
elsewhere. Giving up a Sunday morning, whib could be spent playin golf or
jogging. Add it all up and to many it’s just a bunch of foolish nonsense—and it
is, when viewed only through the eyes of the world. But there are those moments
when the viel comes off and what is hidden is revealed.
This
happens when the cross smashes to
pieces the illusions of humanity—illusions
of power, of success, of divinity.
The last thing people in this world want to hear is that they are not
gods, not ultimately in control of their destiny, that they will not live
forever, that they are not self sufficient—little gods incharge of their own
lives.
I
have been blessed to have participated in hospital ministry. Many people can’t
satnd walking into a hospital or exended care, precisely because it brings them
face to face with their own powerlessness, vulnerability and mortalisty. And
this apprehension is understandable—medical facilities are places of suffering,
places where people die. I have often been asked how I can do, how I can walk
into a hospital or extended care—that it must be difficult and unpleasant. This
is true, it is. But within this setting, God has shown me life and life in
abundance life and to see it in abundance, because God uses the weak to shame
the strong.
But
the truth of the matter is that we are all weak—weak in some way. And there is
nothing, not anything we could do on our own to please God. But here again lies
the irony of the cross. Here again God has acted in a way that defies all human
logic and expectation. God has chosen sinners, those who defy him again and
again and again, to be his people. This again makes no sense—it cuts against
the grain of how we expect a god to behave. We want a God who gives us points
for being good, and certainly a god who punished the bad people. When we think of sainthood we naturally
think of someone who has made an outstanding humanitarian achievement. We look
to people like Mother Thearessa and Terry Fox and say, yes that looks like a
saint to me. So to say that you are saint, that you are justified before the
eyes of God, not on the basis of anything you have done just sounds like pure
foolishness. People want to claim the victory for themselves. But no such victory can be claimed. The
cross stands inconveniently in the way of all human effort, of all human
striving.
When
we proclaim Christ crucified, we will offend people, offend people because the cross puts to shame all human
effort at climbing the mountain to enlightenment. When we proclaim Christ
crucified, we proclaim the love of God come into the world in the most
unexpected way. When we proclaim Christ crucified we proclaim that humanity’s
greatest dream has been realized, but it is hidden. When we proclaim Christ
crucified we proclaim the smashing of all gods manufactured by humans—so that
the work of the one true God can be seen.
Today
we have gathered to proclaim Christ crucified. The pews aren’t overflowing,
folks aren’t lined up to hear this message. By human standards this
congregation is not a strong and thriving organization. Being few in number the
world would tend to look down on us. At best they might feel sorry for us. But
what the world doesn’t see is the power in our gathering, which is the power of
the resurrection, the power of the truth.
It is us who should feel sorry for those who scoff and laugh, and are
utterly disinterested. They are the ones we should be praying for. And if the
world hates us for our proclamation, we should as our Lord tells us, rejoice
and be glad. Being small, we are well aware of our vulnerability, and utter
dependency on God. This is the
best position to be in—the best position to be in because if we are going to do
any boasting, it will be boasting
in the Lord, upon whose mercy and trust we are utterly and totally dependent. Let us go forth today trusting in the God who has made all
things new. The God who has defeated death, the God who has given us our
greatest dream and has made it a reality for the future, and has blessed us in
the present. Now, may the peace which surpases all understanding guard your
hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Amen.
