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Sermons & Writings |
Loree Penner
Saint James, Monkton
April 6, 2007
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We live in a time when heroism has been redefined. A few years ago, in the spectre of ground zero, it was easier to remember what a hero looked like. Now, the images have faded, and as people talk of hero-worship, it often applies to one in the sports or entertainment field whose self-sacrifice might be merely extended self-discipline. In fact, some people find it difficult to distinguish the hero from the celebrity. We don't hear much about those who follow the ancient meaning of the hero - one who, through self-sacrifice, chooses to work for the greater good, often to his or her own demise. I wonder sometimes if our society has lost the understanding of heroism. Have we forgotten what it is to aspire to make necessary sacrifice for the greater good? In his Office of the Passion, St. Francis of Assisi cast Jesus in the role of the epic Hero, the one who at the cost of great personal loss overcame the Enemy for all. And tonight in the gospel of John's account of the passion, we are confronted with another portrait of Jesus the Hero. Here was the One willing to lay aside everything, in order to accomplish the greatest good of all time: - salvation for this broken world. In John's gospel, from his prayer with his disciples, to the identification of his betrayer, through his trial, and on the cross, Jesus was clearly in charge. He reminded Pilate that the power he had over Jesus' life had been set in motion by God. He carried the cross alone, with no help from Simon of Cyrene. He gave direction to his mother, and to John, caring for them even in his last moments. He knew exactly what he was doing, and why, to the point that as he gave up his life, he proclaimed the end of his work: "It is finished."
Tonight's reading from Hebrews reminds us that Christ's sacrifice removed sin from us,
In the horrific death of Christ we are given the eternal Lamb of God. By the Hero's death, the enemy is conquered. As we contemplate the sacrifice of Christ on this saddest of days, let us consider the free gift of grace that has been given us through this sacrifice. As we ponder the blood shed for us, let us be touched by the flow of forgiveness which comes from the wounds of Christ, and allow it to flow over and through us to others. And let us consider the willingness of this eternal Hero - willing to say, for the greater good, "here am I, send me." |
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