Sunday, May 5, 2002
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| THE ELDER I was an elder at the synagogue when the Nazarene started his ministry. I was well respected and held a place of honor on the local council. It was to my advantage to serve in the synagogue. I had long ago abandoned my faith. (Pause) Faith! What does that mean? Stumbling blindly through life, refusing to see reality. And the work of having to make up excuses for your God when your prayers don’t get answered. Nevertheless, in spite of myself, I was fascinated by the Nazarene. Perhaps he sparked a last ember of hope in me that all this religion ... that life may mean something. His ministry didn’t last long - he was soon arrested for something or other, and was to be crucified. I went to Golgotha that afternoon, out of curiosity, and to stand smugly with others on the council, looking on as we defended our religion by ridding it of heretics like this self-proclaimed God. I had meant only to observe. MARY, THE MOTHER OF JAMES I hadn’t seen my son James for quite some time. He had been trailing after Jesus of Nazareth. He believed Jesus was the Messiah. He wanted so desperately to be involved with the Messiah. When he was younger, James sat on my grandfather’s knee and listened to stories of Abraham and Isaac. When James asked a question my grandfather felt he should figure out for himself, Granddad would just wink at him and say, “You tell me-later.” I was thinking on these things one dark afternoon when James ran to the house, saying I must hide him-that Jesus had been arrested and was to be crucified, and they were looking for his followers. I, of course, hid my son and waited anxiously for the crucifixion to be over, and the safety of Passover to begin. THE ELDER Some of the elders with me began to mock him with his own words and prophecies, laughing at his impotence. “He saved others, but he can’t save himself!” But something happened to me. As I looked on his sad face, my heart began to race inside me. I felt that last ember of hope flicker deep within me. Was there a possibility that this was the Christ? Yes, I felt myself answer, there is that possibility. But if he is, does that mean there is a God? And if there is a God, why has he kept himself silent from me? I recalled my longing when I first became an elder, my longing to have some sort of word from God that I wasn’t just fooling myself. I needed some sort of sign - anything - just to let me know he was there and worth believing in. I lay awake one night - all night - waiting for a voice or a vision. (Pause) No sign ever came, and my calling to become an elder became a career. But there I was, before the Nazarene and feeling all those desires rise up again. I tried to cry out with my friends - some abuse, some mockery to show my callousness: “How do you plan to rebuild the temple now, King of the Jews?” But instead, it was my very heart that cried out pitifully from within me. I had meant it to sound snide, in control, but it had not been a jeer. It was my last desperate request for God to prove himself to me. “He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. MARY, THE MOTHER OF JAMES I began to think on what I had heard Jesus say. Some were saying that it was ridiculous to crucify a man for preaching love and peace. But neighborly love and courteous peace were not what Jesus was preaching. His words were dangerous. He spoke of Yahweh as his Father. He spoke of a commitment to love beyond brotherly bonds. He was not claiming to deliver us from Rome ... but from Satan. We create many earthly neighbors and enemies ... we decide who is for us or against us by their color, their political stand and the way they treat us. But he said that our enemy is anyone who follows the father of lies and our brother is anyone who follows him - Jesus. Dangerous words. Exciting words. THE FATHER I dreamt of having a son my whole life. Even when I was just a kid myself. I had never known my father and, instead of bitterness, that loss filled me with an intense desire to be a father. I married my high school sweetheart, Diana. She was incredible then and she’s unbelievable now! She wanted kids as much as I did, and by the end of the year we had our first child - a beautiful baby girl, Ellen. She’s twelve now and is thinking about dating. Two years after Ellen, we were blessed with the birth of Sarah. She’s the troublemaker, and I wouldn’t have her any other way. In our sixth year of marriage, Diana gave birth to twins! Identical little girls, Miranda and Kaitlin. We had four gorgeous daughters, and although I couldn’t imagine a day without any one of them I still longed for a son. A son I would guide into manhood. SERVANT GIRL I had waited all my life for him ... the Messiah. One of Jesus’ followers, the one He called Simon Peter claimed Jesus was the Messiah. One day Jesus was asking his followers what people were saying about him - who they were saying he was. They told him, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” When Jesus asked, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” Story has it that Peter answered: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said, “On this rock I will build my church.” They said this Peter would do anything for him. CATHERINE I became a Christian about six months ago. It happened at a small prayer meeting that a close friend of mine invited me to attend. I had been investigating Christianity for quite some time, and I was so ... relieved and grateful when I felt this mystery come alive - inside my own heart! Jesus Christ is my Savior! The Creator of the universe came into my heart to redeem me and give me eternal life! It’s ... it’s overwhelming that he loves me ,.. loves us! He wants all of us to prepare for his kingdom. SERVANT GIRL When Jesus was arrested Peter took out a knife and cut off the ear of my relative. I was in the high priest’s courtyard when the guards brought Jesus to Annas. A man followed closely. When he came to the door of the courtyard I asked him, “You are not one of the disciples, are you?” He replied, “I am not!” There were a few people hanging around by the guards. I thought I would wait till morning to see what they would do with him. CATHERINE I guess it somehow got around at work that I had started going to church. One of the guys, Chris, asked me about it. A few others heard his question and they gathered around my desk. They weren’t what you’d call close friends, but I had partied with them a few times, and I knew what they believed in - promotions, money, the good life. Chris asked his question again, “So, do you believe all that religious stuff?” SERVANT GIRL I noticed the man I questioned was warming himself by the fire with us. He was trying not to draw attention to his Galilean accent. CATHERINE I heard one of the girls giggle. “I’ve just been exploring ... uh spirituality,’ I said. You could almost feel the tension in the office when Chris asked, “So, is Jesus Lord?” SERVANT GIRL I cried out in a loud voice, “Hey, I thought I saw you following that Jesus! Aren’t you one of his disciples?” He yelled SERVANT GIRL AND CATHERINE I don’t know him! THE FATHER Diana said she wanted one more baby. I was thrilled, yet I tried to give my intense desire for a son over to the Lord. She started having problems in the second trimester. Her blood tests revealed an abnormality and the doctor wanted a sonogram immediately. It was a boy! Diana was carrying our son! The boy of my dreams since childhood. The boy I had loved before he ever existed. At last, I was going to be able to shower him with this incredible love. We watched the rest of her pregnancy zealously. The last four weeks she spent entirely in bed. I wouldn’t even let her up to go to the bathroom. Cleaning the bedpan became a chore of love, of a promised son. The night she went into labor, I held her hand and would not let go. After hours and hours of hard labor, the doctor called me aside. “The situation is serious, Philip,” he said. He explained in medical terms what was happening, but I couldn’t grasp it, we had been through this successfully three times ... what could be wrong? I heard nothing he was saying until he finally said, “It’s either the child’s life or your wife’s. You need to make a choice .7’ MARY MAGDALENE I loved him with all that I was. Some people would say that was because he had driven seven demons out of me ... but that wasn’t why I loved him; that was just howl became able to love him. His gentle face and the love in his eyes became my reason to exist. Before I met him, my life was pointless. But with him, I had a purpose - to love him and to do things for him. He began to talk more and more of his approaching suffering and death. I couldn’t understand why he would wish that on himself. How could he think of leaving us ... of leaving me? MARY, THE MOTHER OF JAMES Suddenly, the sky screamed as its very elements seemed to shatter. The ground heaved in pain and anticipation, and the veil in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, as if by God’s very own hand. I fell to my knees and waited for death. I don’t know how long I lay there, but something urged me to finally look up. I saw my dead grandfather walking up to greet me. He looked so beautiful. Radiant. Alive. “No, I am not a vision,” he said as if he read my mind. “I have come simply to tell you to believe. He was, he is, and he is to come.” I gulped my air, trying to make sense and then he winked at me. And left. I ran to tell James, but he was gone and I rejoiced that he had gone to join the other disciples, to continue to follow the one that is to come. For I knew in my heart that Jesus is the Messiah. THE FATHER I had picked out a name for my son: Matt. It means “gift of God.” I won’t lie-I considered, for a moment, my daughters growing up without a mother. Then I thought of my wife, Diana. I followed the doctor down the corridor and nodded to him as he went inside alone. “Good-bye. Matt!” I cried. “Good-bye, my son!” I broke down and sobbed-tears that my son would never know I cried for him. I thought of my God who had gone through such an agonizing time himself, forsaking his Son - willingly - for the lives of others. And I knew my son would rise to be with God also. I went home to collect the girls so they would be with their mother when she woke up. THE ELDER Things at the synagogue continue as always. We don’t talk much about Passover. There is no need to. He didn’t come down. MARY MAGDALENE I ran to the tomb that morning and saw that his body was missing. I was sure it had been stolen. He was gone. Completely. He had been removed from me in every way possible - how was I to go on? Why? Why bother to go on? I was crazy with despair. I had nothing. A man in the garden saw me crying and asked me what was wrong. I guessed he was the gardener and I begged him to give me any information he could on where Jesus’ body had been taken. And then he spoke my name: ‘Mary.” Everything rushed back into me-my spirit, my life-as I heard his voice. “Rabbi!” I rushed to him and he rebuked me softly. Why is it that a rebuke from Christ is still more comforting than an outpouring of love from a man? He told me not to cling to him in the way I had known him, as my Jesus, but to know him now as my Christ, one with Jehovah. My Jesus, whose love on earth brought me healing and acceptance, was now my Savior and he wanted to make me one with the Father, as he is one. My past love for him seemed so small. Because now I knew that having seen Jesus, I have seen the Father.
What more must God
do before you
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Easter Voices performed
by
Kristen Devine, Linda Jones,
Diana Kardos, Elana Kircher,
Bill Osman, & Reverend Weyer.
Reverend Richard Hayes Weyer
Drink From Our Cup
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The Hymn Playing is...
"Leaning On the Everlasting Arms"
