Hopeless

Hopeless – What do you think it was like for the disciples on Friday and Saturday? On Thursday night we had our annual Maundy Thursday service. For those of you have never been, well, first, you are missing out on a truly awesome and meaningful service, but that is not the point of this short writing.
The service ends with no benediction, no Gloria, no I Am a Child of God chorus. There is nothing really to celebrate. Yet, we know Easter is coming. We can pretend all we want, that we recognize the way the disciples felt, that we know our part in the betrayal and the sadness, but we know Easter’s coming.

To bring up something that may hit a little too close to home, think back to the time you had to walk out of the hospital and leave a loved one behind. I’m sorry, I know that hurt, but think of it. For the disciples, it was all over. Jesus was done. The coming Kingdom of God was a failure. There was no one to sit on his right or his left because there would be no golden thrones for any of them. In fact, they were busy hiding out from the Romans and the priests themselves.

Now imagine taking it a step further. Imagine that you didn’t stay until the bitter end. In fact, imagine that you ran out because you didn’t want to face the end, because you couldn’t deal with it. When I was a youth pastor, I was amazed at the number of young people who were absolutely terrified of hospitals and nursing homes. If they were out with me and I suggested going by to see a patient or resident, they would sit in the car and wait on me.

OK, now if it’s possible, take it one more notch. Imagine the doctors came to you and said, “We can save your loved one! All we need is a pint of your blood, or a bone marrow transplant!” Now imagine saying “No” because you are one of those people who are scared of needles, or knives, or hospitals. Imagine, not only running out on the one you claimed such affection for, but actually failing to be there for them in their time of need, a need that really would have meant so much and cost you or I so little.

That’s what Jesus did for you and me, and that is what we did to and for him. We were Peter in the Judgment Hall. We were the group asleep when we should have been watching with our troubled friend. We were the ones who stayed away from the execution because of our fear. We might have even been the one who turned him over to his executioners. Yet, we are the ones on Sunday morning that Jesus, the Risen Jesus, comes to find, the ones he send messages to and lets us know he is fine and that he loves us. Can you imagine that! HE LOVES US!

Pastor Craig