Year C Easter Week WED 2025 The Eyes of Faith

 Year C Easter Week WEDNESDAY, 23 April 2025

St James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“The Eyes of our Faith”

Collect: O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Acts 3:1-10

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o'clock in the afternoon. And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, "I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk." And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Luke 24:13-35

Now on that same day, the first day of the week, two of the disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him." Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

This morning we have only two readings because it is Easter Week. And in our two stories in John and Acts, we are given tales of Wonder and Amazement. The first, chronologically, is our Gospel reading from Easter evening, when we walk with the followers on the road to Emmaus. Does it surprise you that Jesus took the time to do an in depth Bible Study in his first few hours back alive?

Maybe it was because they were going somewhere, unlike the disciples whom we will see this Sunday cowering in their room. But as they were walking and talking, they were enlightened, but still in the dark. They still could not see Jesus until he broke the bread.

There is head knowledge and heart knowledge. We can only know so far with our 

heads. It takes our whole selves to truly know. It takes our hearts to truly see. Or as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's said in "The Little Prince": “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

It was a big for the church to have this understanding, especially as the capstone for that first Easter. Jesus opened their eyes in the way that we see him most clearly, our sacraments and the living out of our faith “on the way.”

The second tale is no different. Peter and John going to the Temple to pray, and Peter decides to move into the camp of Jesus’ promises, that idea that we would do just as much as Jesus, if not more.

And Peter looks at a man born without the use of his legs, and the man begs from them. Peter gives him what he needs instead of what he wants. A lot like Jesus, if you ask me. But the man sees a potential coin, and he gets his full self from them. More than he asked for, and more than he could dream of.

In our collect this morning, it talks about the eyes of our faith. They need to be opened up. And Jesus can and will do it. 

In the Eucharist, it is not me up there, it is Jesus who guides us all. Me, too.

In our service of others, it is Jesus who receives our gifts. And maybe the recipients get to see Jesus, too.

The eyes of faith can see miracles in the ordinary, if we let them. The most humble thing can show God if we look close enough. We never know when and where we will see God. Moses did not expect the burning bush. Abraham did not expect the ram in the bush. Isaiah did not expect to see God in the Temple. Let God be God, and let us open our eyes of faith.

My prayer is that as we go through this Easter season, we will see Christ more clearly, follow him more nearly, and love him more dearly, day by day. Amen

Year C Easter Morning 2025 Goodness, Love, Light, and Life

 Year C Easter Morning, 20 April 2025

St James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Goodness, Love, Light, & Life”

Collect: Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

John 20:1-18

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, `I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Good morning, Church Family! The Lord is Risen! The Lord is Risen Indeed!

This is Easter morning, and we have so much to be thankful for. We have been given another day to love and serve the Lord. The sun is shining. The day is glorious. And we gather together to celebrate the crux of our faith, that Jesus Christ is Risen. Just as he promised. Just as the prophets foretold. Just as it was established from the beginning of time. Hallelujah!

The gift of the Resurrection reminds of four key things, things that we so often need to reminded of, especially when times are dark and division is rampant. Hold onto these:

The First Lesson of the Resurrection: Goodness is stronger than Evil.

Jesus repeatedly showed Goodness. When the self-righteous leaders were ready to stone the woman caught in adultery, Jesus showed her Grace. When the disciples cut off the Chief Priest’s servant’s ear, Jesus ordered them to stop and he healed him, even in the midst of his own arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. When the disciples were too busy to be bothered with them, Jesus let the little children come unto him. When the hated tax collector Zaccheus was up a tree to just catch a glimpse of Jesus and avoid those who despised him, Jesus made a grand production of saying he sided with Zaccheus and went into his home and supped with him. Repeatedly, throughout his life, Jesus showed that Goodness was the way to go.

In the resurrection, good conquers evil. While evil may be the easy road, and the way to quick wins, some battles may be lost, but the war will be won by Goodness. Blood, toil, sweat, and tears, all will be shed. That is the nature of war. But Goodness will win out. 

I was deeply moved the other day when I saw a video. In a town in Mexico, Monclova, there was a re-enactment of the Way of the Cross back in 2018. There was an actor portraying Jesus, and there were actors playing soldiers pretending to whip him along the Via Dolorosa, Jesus’ Way of Suffering. A young man with Down’s Syndrome named Juan Pablo saw the spectacle and ran out and protected Jesus. The soldier actors did not know what to do. The Jesus actor kept carrying his cross. And the young man, the good young man modeled for everyone the true nature of Christianity that Goodness is stronger than Evil. Even in pretending, Juan Pablo knew what was right and what was wrong. He may not have understood that it was make-believe, but he knew he could make a difference. (Source)

It is a lesson for us all. When in doubt choose the good. When you see those in need, side with them. Jesus always did. Goodness is stronger than Evil.

The Second Lesson is Love is stronger than Hate.

That may seem simplistic. But hate is so sneaky. It creeps into our heart imperceptibly at times. It was as true back in Jesus’ day as it is today. It comes out in so many ways. Many of them are unconscious, rooted so deeply from our raising and experience. 

And sometimes it is more obvious. We are unabashed in what we hate. And like a bad apple, it can spoil the whole barrel. Letting hate in can ruin our heart, mind, and soul. Like when we char the dinner when cooking, it pervades throughout and it cannot go away.

So often Jesus confronted hate. The hate of the religious leaders, the Scribes and Pharisees, who made walls to keep people out, so their purity as they understood it would not be tainted. They made an idol of their righteousness and they missed the boat. Over and over again, trying to trick Jesus with gotcha questions to make him look bad. Their contempt for him is obvious, and their justification of their contempt they saw as a religious duty. If asked if they hated, most might be surprised by the question. It does not make it less true. 

And Jesus was expected to hate. The longstanding blood feud between the Jewish folks that had been taken off to Babylon in the Captivity (approximately 597 BCE to 538 BCE) and the remaining Samaritans that had intermarried and maintained the old religious practices was assumed of all the Jewish people. The woman at the well in Samaria was surprised when Jesus talked with her, and even more so when he asked her for water. But in her shame, he showed her Love when she expected Hate. And through that, she and many in her town came to faith, like a spring that never stopped flowing with living water. Love has a way of doing that, breaking down dams of isolation and resentment built up and calcified over so long.

And even on the Cross, when people had mocked him and scorned him, had beaten, flogged, and nailed him to a cross, Jesus prayed for their forgiveness. “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Love is stronger than Hate.

And the Hate that nailed Jesus to the Cross was defeated in his Resurrection. He had the scars in his hands and feet and the hole in his side, but his Love brought him back. Love conquers all.

The Third Lesson is Light is stronger than Darkness.

Many times some of you have heard me speak about my younger days when I had a better back and better knees and would go spelunking down into caves. You don’t know dark until you are meters and meters underground. Absolute black.

But when you experience darkness, true, black, and deep darkness there is something surprising about light. Even the faintest light has a way of spreading. Often I had to tell people to not just turn off their flashlights, but to cover their watches. Even that faint glow could ruin the experience for everyone. 

You might remember when you were a child perhaps, and you were snuggled in your bed before the world awoke, and then slowly the hue softened and the first rays broke through. Maybe it was a crack under the door, or a slit in the curtains, but a beam breaks through and it does not stay a single beam, it refracts and broadens. It stretches out and fills the room. It may be a soft glow, but what was impossible to see can be seen. What was imperceptible slowly becomes colors. A single beam becomes a hope and reminder that all will be okay.

The Resurrection is that single beam, the Resurrection brings us hope. In the 2,000 years since the empty tomb there have been many dark days, many of them caused by those who claim to be followers of this simple rabbi from Nazareth like we are. But even then, EVEN THEN, the Resurrection shone forth in the darkness, even darkness that was self-imposed. Thanks be to God! Christ’s light is stronger than any darkness. 

The fourth and final lesson is that Life is stronger than death.

The other morning I had the joy of taking Stephanie out to breakfast. A rare treat. We went to Cafe 54 here in town for the first time. And as we were sitting there watching the sun rise over the tracks I noticed in the newly bricked outdoor area, between the pavers, a few plants were coming through the cracks. While many may think that some herbicide is what is needed, I was reminded of a line from Jurassic Park, “Life finds a way.” The little weeds, whatever they were, took root and squeezed their way into existence. They could not help it. Life finds a way.

In the Resurrection, the author of Life boldly declares, “My Life will always find a way.” All these themes, Goodness, Love, Light, and Life were part of an early hymn of the Church which John used to open his Gospel account. Over the decades between the Resurrection and the writing of the fourth Gospel people had had time to ponder and reflect on Jesus’ teachings, both spoken and experienced, and they declared this truth.

In the beginning was the Word, 

and the Word was with God, 

and the Word was fully God.

The Word was with God in the beginning. 

All things were created by him, 

and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 

In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. 

And the light shines on in the darkness, 

but the darkness has not mastered it.  [John 1:1-5, New English Translation]

I have heard it shared as a motivation for people, “What would you do if you knew you could not lose?” We might make bold choices our need for safety or our timidity might preclude. But what of Jesus? We cannot know the nature of what Jesus knew and did not know. None of the Gospels were written by him. The inner monologue is lost. But he prophesied that he would be crucified and would return, more than once. And though he said on the Cross, “My God, my God, why have your forsaken me?”, the opening verse of Psalm 22, if you continue reading that Psalm it speaks to God’s triumph and how the Victory will be won. 

To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;

    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,

    and I shall live for him.

Posterity will serve him;

    future generations will be told about the Lord

and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,

    saying that he has done it.

Were these the final thoughts, the final prayer of Jesus on the cross before he declared, “It is finished!”? We have no way of knowing, but I like to think so. I like to think he modeled the faith he calls us to, to die to self and to live for him. This morning we are reminded of so much, and I will share where I got my lessons from the Resurrection. Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote a prayer for his An African Prayer Book.

This man who modeled a different path when most of the world expected a bloodbath in the post-Apartheid South Africa. This fellow Anglican archbishop showed the world a middle way, a via media, between two entrenched sides. This man, who in the name of Jesus Christ, led his government for an unbelievable season in a policy of forgiveness, truth, and reconciliation through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He modeled what he prays. He modeled what Jesus showed us in his life, in his death, and in his resurrection. May we model it in our lives as well. His prayer: 

Goodness is stronger than evil. 

Love is stronger than hate. 

Light is stronger than darkness. 

Life is stronger than death. 

Victory is ours through Him who loves us. Amen.

These simple yet most important truths are the ones we need to hold onto. On this Easter, remember and live the Resurrection because Victory is ours through him who loves us! Amen

 

Year C Holy Saturday 2025 Applesauce

 Year C Holy Saturday, 19 April 2025

St James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Applesauce”

Collect: O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Matthew 27:57-66

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, `After three days I will rise again.' Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, `He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception would be worse than the first." Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can." So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

I had the opportunity this week to spend some time in the Critical Care Hospital at VCU’s MCV. Hospitals can be loud, confusing, impersonal, uncomfortable, and painful all at once. While I waited for the family, it seemed like a strange limbo. The hospitalized person was confused and I could not tell if they knew who I was or not. I had to wear a mask, which did not help any. And in our time together, there was that strange waiting game, where all I could say was that the family were on their way. Though only a few minutes, the wait seemed forever.

Waiting does not come easy for most of us, and when we are waiting for things we are unsure about it is even harder.

The disciples were waiting. In fear. They could be next. Or they could get away. This one they had thought to be the long-awaited Messiah was dead. Their hope was gone. The grief, the terror, the regret of what things could have done differently. So much turmoil and worry while they sat in a stuffy room in the dark.

While I waited, the person in the hospital whispered, “Some applesauce” and waved their arm. I was so much thinking about what to do or what to say to help the person so confused that I missed the obvious. It is always a good time to do something good. Especially when we are stuck in our heads or in our worry.

So I took the cup of applesauce and I fed them spoon by spoon. Worrying about my discomfort about not knowing what to do or say left. The waiting left. Only one spoon at a time became our focus. And we got to a better place. I grabbed the cup with the straw so they could get a drink. And I was reminded that this was what Jesus wants from us. The prayers were important. Taking time to visit and be with them and the family was important. But Jesus told us when we share a cup in his name, it is as if we did it unto him.

It is so easy, especially when we are hurting and caught up in ourselves and our own situations to lose track of what is most important, caring for and loving one another.

I trust, alone and afraid in the dark, that the disciples looked out for and cared for one another, and maybe their fears were lessened and the dark became a bit more light. And it is what Jesus would want anyway.

We wait, yes, but he told us the outcome, and we await light, and love, and life. It may feel dark, but Sunday is coming. Amen

Year C Passion Sunday 2025 Passio

 Year C Passion Sunday, 13 April 2025

St James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Passio”

Collect

Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Luke 22:14-23:56

When the hour for the Passover meal came, Jesus took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!" Then they began to ask one another, which one of them it could be who would do this.

A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. But he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

"You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

"Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." And he said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!" Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me."

He said to them, "When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?" They said, "No, not a thing." He said to them, "But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, `And he was counted among the lawless'; and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled." They said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." He replied, "It is enough."

He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, "Pray that you may not come into the time of trial." Then he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done." Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial."

While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, "Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?" When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, "Lord, should we strike with the sword?" Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, "No more of this!" And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, "Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!"

Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house. But Peter was following at a distance. When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, "This man also was with him." But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him." A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, "You also are one of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!" Then about an hour later still another kept insisting, "Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean." But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about!" At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.

Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; they also blindfolded him and kept asking him, "Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?" They kept heaping many other insults on him.

When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council. They said, "If you are the Messiah, tell us." He replied, "If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I question you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God." All of them asked, "Are you, then, the Son of God?" He said to them, "You say that I am." Then they said, "What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!"

Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king." Then Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He answered, "You say so." Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no basis for an accusation against this man." But they were insistent and said, "He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place."

When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.

Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. I will therefore have him flogged and release him."

Then they all shouted out together, "Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!" (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; but they kept shouting, "Crucify, crucify him!" A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him." But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.

As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us'; and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus… 

READ AS THE RECESSION HAPPENS

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesusthere with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, "Certainly this man was innocent." And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

We have arrived. Our Lenten journey of almost 40 days and six Sundays has led us to this most Holy Week. This week when we remember how much Jesus loved each and every one of us, despite ourselves. We have had a season of being reminded of our flawed humanity, while God is whispering if not bellowing that we are made in the image of the divine.

The events in today’s readings run the gamut. Promises of utmost devotion and assurances of denial. Arguments over one’s own greatness and how many weapons are enough to live up to expectations of being a brigand. Heartache and heartbreak, and what wondrous love. Oh my soul, oh my soul.

We entered triumphantly today, shouting praise, and we will exit in silence with the sting of death still reverberating deep within us. We entered Lent with the reminder that we are dust, and to dust all of us will return. Even Jesus. Born of a woman, he was doomed to die. Even Jesus.

People are often surprised that we call this the Passion. So often that word is used for romance and deeply felt longings of the heart. But its root is from the Latin verb, passio, which means to suffer. It is more appropriate here than the way we normally use it. While new love may be overwhelming to the point of suffering, we see in this week suffering pointing toward a love which is beyond words or comprehension.  What wondrous love is this? Oh my soul. Oh my soul. 

In our world we have so many ways to do good or to do bad. But the things that take their toll are so often not the huge actions but the many, many microaggressions that create the death of 1,000 cuts. I think of the things, both big and small that Jesus endured from Thursday’s dinner till his death on Friday afternoon. So let us not count Judas’ kiss, or the Sannhedrin’s verdict, the 39 lashes he received, or the nailing of his hands and feet to the hard wood of the cross. Those are blatant and plain. But the little things, that sting in the wound they make. The apostles promising to be with him in prayer who drift to sleep. The violence of his followers whom he taught to live by love against the servant of the high priest, whom he then had to heal. Again and again, mocked and scorned. Accused and belittled. When lifted high on the cross of shame and death, he looked around and those who swore devotion were for the most part gone. They broke his heart before they broke his body.

But we trust he was reminded of the Scripture that he had quoted, that there was another side to the sea he was about to cross. And one day they would come and remember how he loved them, and how even this simplest things, the bread, the wine, ubiquitous on tables every evening were reminders. Reminders of his love. Reminders of him. Remembrances that he will always be with them, even to the end of time.

And so we say it again, because can we ever truly hear it enough? You are loved. You are loved. All the barriers we build, all the boundaries we set, all the sin we commit are nothing in comparison to the love he modeled this most Holy Week.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we will meander through the details, plodding through the Triduum, the Three Days. The Thursday of the New Commandment starts our journey. Jesus told us a Maundatum Novum, a new commandment that we should love one another as he loved us. (Hence the name Maundy.) And he established a way for us to connect with him across the ages at his table. Good Friday comes, and the name is ironic and honest. Goodness came through tragedy, love shone through even death because it is stronger than death. Holy Saturday when we reside and wrestle in our doubts, for holy means to set apart, and this day when we recognize that God loves us to death cannot be ignored. And then the story ends in Triumph. At the Vigil, we do not bury Jesus but celebrate the empty Tomb. Grace won, and always will.

Friends, I hope you will join in our pilgrimage this week. It will be a blessing.

Our story is not over. Christ has arrived at Golgotha, and in our leaving today, we will conclude with Jesus’ supposed conclusion. It is not in our nature to sit in discomfort, but we extend this holy invitation. Ponder the depths. Explore the dark. Sit with it. And remember, it may feel cold in the dark. But the promise made is that light will shine in our darkness, and it will never be overcome. Blessings on our Passion remembering his. God is with us, even here. Amen

Year C Lent 5 2025 Aroma

 Year C Lent 5, 6 April 2025

St James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Aroma”

Collect: Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

John 12:1-8

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."

We are in the final days of our going “up to Jerusalem” with Jesus. And one of the most controversial moments in our Lord and Savior’s story. In the Matthew, Mark, and Luke versions of this story, the woman is not named, but Jesus promises that wherever his story is told her gift and sacrifice will be remembered.

The aroma of her action will linger. Even across the millenia. And this morning we prove that true. But in John’s version, we have a name and story to connect to this act of love and devotion.

We come back to Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, three siblings in Bethany who were devoted followers and friends of Jesus. Mary and Martha are a story unto themselves looking at busy-ness and devotion, and Lazarus, the greatest miracle of Jesus as told in John in his resurrection. And we see another moment when Martha is serving and Mary is showing her devotion to Jesus.

In our collect this morning we speak of our desire to please God, and Mary’s act falls into that here. We prayed, “Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found.”

Her devotion led Mary to prepare our Lord for his coming death, little did she realize it, I imagine. For her it was an act of love, a flamboyant gift beyond measure as a way of showing what Jesus meant to her. A year’s wage for a working person, poured out so that the aroma filled the whole house.

This is one of a handful of stories that the 4 canonical Gospels made sure that they included. (Jesus’ baptism, Peter’s confession of him as the Messiah, and the Feeding of the 5,000 being the other three.) But this story, like the smell of nard in the air, stayed with the early church and lifted up Jesus and the role he can play in our life, a place of honor and glory, a place of worship and abiding devotion. 

When we show our love of Jesus, it can be in hidden and quiet ways, and other days it can be out and loud. There are times and places for both. Jesus instructs us when we fast to not look to draw public attention to it, but to present ourselves in our normal day in and out way. (Matthew 5) In our prayers, do it in a closet, not on a street corner. But then there are more public displays, ashes on our forehead on Ash Wednesday, or when we baptize or confirm folks in their faith. Both are ways to help us explore “where true joys are found” as we prayed in our collect.

Our sense of smell, our ability to process the chemical information in our settings, is one of our greatest gifts. While in the human brain, most of our brain connected to sensory input is used for the sense of sight, our sense of smell is crucial in how we process our world.

Most of us know that dogs process their understanding of the world differently, and their sense of smell is vastly superior compared to ours, where we have about 5 million olfactory receptors compared to their 100 to 300 million. We are like a toddler talking with a PhD.

But despite our lack of ability, it still makes up a huge part of how we move about in our world. Think on this.

• The part of the brain that processes smell, the olfactory bulb, sends the signals to the limbic system (responsible for emotions and memory) and the cerebral cortex (responsible for conscious perception and thought). We immediately are taken back to feelings and times when we smelled that smell before. Good or bad. It happens so fast we don’t really think about it, but more triggered to another time and place.

• It affects our Survival and Safety. The sense of smell helps us detect spoiled food, smoke, and other dangers, which is crucial for survival.

• It is a major part of our Taste and Flavor. Smell and taste work hand in glove to create our perception of flavor, so a loss of smell can significantly impact our enjoyment of food. If you remember back to when COVID symptoms were on the front burner of our minds, losing your sense of taste was a key component for many as to whether they had COVID or not.

• We often don’t consider it, but it also deeply affects our Social Behavior. Both the things we consciously do, or the things we unconsciously do. 

• Smell plays a role in social interactions, including recognizing people and assessing social cues. People have an odor. Sometimes their smell and pheromones attract or repel us, and our level of trust can be in how we respond to how their chemical balance affects us. Mostly not in conscious minds. We call it our gut instinct, but it may very well start in our nose before it shifts into our gut. In preparing for today, it struck how often the signs of protest at marches in the recent days brought up how someone smells. When we want to insult someone, so often the language we use is tied to odor. It says a lot.

So that this act of love (or horrible waste, depending on one’s perspective) had a deep impact on all those who were there. Sumptuous. Rich. Gorgeous. Extravagant. All could have come to mind.

And then Judas proves we see what we are looking for. We hear what we expect to hear.

Judas said more about himself in his comment than it said something about Jesus or Mary. John says as much:

"Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)”

He wanted to see waste and he found it. He wanted to see the negative and there it was. I mentioned how we are triggered by our smell memories, and this holds true for our perceptions and judgements as well. Often we are blinded by preconceived notions.

Mary wanted to shower on Jesus an extravagant gift. She wanted to do something that he would not, would never do, for himself, especially owning nothing but the robe on his back. She wanted to overwhelm him with the love she felt. Her desire was singular, to let her love of him as her brother’s savior, as her teacher and rabbi, be known.

That smell would linger, this aroma of her devotion. And being just six days before the Passover, as we are told, when Jesus was at his most stressful and heartbreaking moments of his Passion, did he catch wafts of the perfume still? Did he go back to that dinner and remember that he was loved and had friends? Did the smell trigger thoughts for him while in those dark and scary moments? I hope so, I truly do.

As we finish our time in this season of Lent, how have you given to Jesus? How have you shown the love you have in what you do or how you have changed your routine? How have you shifted to love what he commanded and to desire what he promised?

It’s not too late. There is still some time to make it happen. There is still opportunity to relish and bathe in God’s grace, and to give it away. Amen