Peace Lutheran Church
Posts Tagged "Lent Midweek"
Fifth Sunday in Lent Midweek
March 20, 2024
A sacrifice beyond our thought
Why God’s own Son should now be brought
Before a judge whose only care
Is washing ‘way the guilt he bears
O Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts, be acceptable in Your Sight, O Lord our Rock and our Redeemer.
In Shakespeare’s McBeth, he illustrates a scene that mirrors the one that Pilate enacted many years ago. Lady McBeth is walking and talking in her sleep about the assassination of King Duncan, in which she is implicated. Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have been unable to sleep since they murdered Duncan, but when she does manage to fall asleep she is plagued with a nightmare about the murder and the blood they have shed. In this episode she is observed by a serving woman and a doctor who are overhearing her confession of the regicide she has committed.
As she walks she rubs her hands as though washing them, trying to get rid of the blood. The spot she’s referring to is a spot of blood on her hand. She’s rubbing it, trying to erase it, but cannot. “Here’s yet a spot,” she cries, desperately rubbing. “Here’s the small of blood still.”
Shakespear is drawing on a historical event for his scene. That of Pilate at the trial of our Lord. The people are clamoring for Jesus’ blood. They are so bloodthirsty for Jesus’ blood that they ask for Barabbas, a known murderer, criminal, and rioter to be freed instead of Jesus. Pilate needs to think of something to do, and quick.
Pilate cannot allow a riot to happen. Pilate needs to maintain the good graces of the Emperor, lest he lose his job, or worse, his head. Pilate is already close to losing the Emperor’s favor. He has multiple opponents already bringing two serious grievances against him for what is often called the standards affair.
When Pilate first became governor of Judea. He did what most Romans would have done. He had a pair of gilded shields inscribed with the name of the Roman Emperor Tiberius into King Herod’s former palace in Jerusalem, in violation of Jewish customs. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus told a similar tale that Pilate permitted troops carrying military standards bearing the likeness of the emperor into Jerusalem, although Jewish law forbade images in the city. A great crowd traveled to the Judean capital of Caesarea in protest and lay prostrate around Pilate’s palace for five days until he relented. since in their view, Pilate was breaking the second commandment by not only making a graven image but also putting them up where temple worshipers could see them, as well as having coins minted with the Emperor’s image on them. The Samaritans also accused Pilate before Vitellius, legate of Syria, after he attacked them on Mount Gerizim (36 ce) killing hundreds.
One, two, three strikes you are out. Now Pilate is in dangerous waters. The religious leaders have brough him Jesus, claiming that he is calling Himself a King, committing treason under Roman law, a crime punishable by death. Pilate is close to having a riot on his hands. He needs to do something to calm the crowds. His own wife has told him to have nothing to do with this man because of a dream she had. So Pilate literally washes his hands of the matter. He has a bowl brought out, washes his hands, and says he is innocent of Jesus’ death. He basically says, Fine, I am innocent. Jesus is your problem now.’ The crowd takes responsibility, replying His blood be upon us and our children.
So Pilate delivers Jesus over to be crucified. He is mocked, beaten, and dies a painful and agonizing death. Thus the plan of God is fulfilled. His own Son is offered up as a grand sacrifice on our behalf. Upon Jesus all the wrath of God is laid that we might not have to bear it because of our sins. He bears our sins and punishment on our behalf.
Thanks be to God, that He does not wash His hands of us because of our sins. Rather He washes us clean in the waters of Holy Baptism for the forgiveness of our sins and the salvation of our souls. God used Pilate to accomplish His plan of salvation.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Second Sunday in Lent Midweek
February 28, 2024
We sit with Jesus and partake
A meal as one and celebrate;
But one among us will betray
The Son of God on the very next day.
O Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight O Lord our Rock and our Redeemer.
Imagine you are sitting with Jesus, gathered around His Word, dipping bread in the same bowl, listening to every word that comes from His mouth. That is something that all of us would enjoy, it is something that we look forward to in some sense every day, or every week. Every time we read the Bible, we are sitting with Jesus, gathered around His Word, and feasting on the good gifts that He gives.
Jesus is gathered with His disciples for one final meal, one He has long desired to eat with them. One final time to talk, to pass on His last will and testament, to give one last command. That command, to love one another as I have loved you. That is why we remember this night as Manday, from the Latin Mandatum, Command Thursday
Yet, even as they gather in the upper room, not everything is sunshine and roses. Sitting at meal with our Lord is the one that will betray Him. Judas Iscariot. As Matthew records in chapter twenty-six, “When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.[b] 21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.” Judas is going to betray Jesus, yet Jesus still shows mercy. He sits with all His disciples, including the betrayer, for one final meal. Jesus shows that one last act of service as He washes their feet.
Similar with us, we do not deserve to sit with Jesus at table. We do not deserve to gather around His Word and Sacraments. We often ask, ‘Is it I Lord?’ realizing that we are undeserving of feasting with our Lord. If we are being honest with ourselves, as beautiful and as joyous as gathering for this meal is, we are not very good at this. Our lives get busy, the pressures of the world, family, and various activities fight for our attention. Whether they be sports, entertainment, or a wide variety of other things. We give into the various temptations, putting them above the Word of God. Our sinful nature despises worship and gathering around the Word of God. There are thousands of other things it would rather do in the time that we have. The temptation of the world and Satan is clear, saying things like, ‘Surely, it is better to sleep in. You have to get the housework done, when else are you going to do it? The roads are a bit snowy, are you sure you want to go out? If you do not go to your son or daughters’ game, that will wreck them forever. ‘It is too early, go ahead and sleep in.’ ‘it is too late. It is too dark outside; you still have to make dinner. You still have to put the kids down for bedtime, wait until next week’ All these excuses. What do they do? We allow our devotional life to suffer, feasting on the things of this world rather than on the living Word of God. We avoid being in worship on Wednesday Evenings or on Sunday mornings. It means that we are no longer sitting with Jesus. We are sitting off by ourselves eating ice rather than the bounty of the feast.
Yet, Jesus shows us continual mercy. He goes as is foretold of Him. He is betrayed into the hands of sinful men. He suffers, bleeds, and dies to forgive every single one of your sins, including those of disregarding His Word. He reconciles you to God forever that where He is, you may be also. He gives you of His Holy Spirit so that by His power working in you, you can join Him in this great feast. You can join in the great celebration as we gather with all the host of heaven to celebrate a foretaste of the marriage feast of the Lamb as we take eat, take drink, this is my body, this is my blood. We do so to your souls benefit rather than harm. You read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest His Word. You hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it. You rejoice in the fellowship of believers, gathered around Word and Sacrament for the mutual strengthening of one another.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.