INTIMATE FAITH
We are coming close to Palm Sunday and with it, the fulfillment
of Jesus' earthly ministry. Today's gospel is set in Bethany,
just a couple of miles from Jerusalem. The story of Jesus'
anointing is told, with some variation in setting and detail, by all
the gospel writers.
It seems especially fitting that the lections for this Sunday all speak
of hope, of promise, and yet do so with a shadow lying across the vista
of a soon-to-be-realized fulfillment. Faith with guarantees
requires little in the way of commitment faith with assurance in the
face of trial is somewhat harder to come by but faith in life when
death is at hand is deep faith; it is faith in the face of the reality
of life as we live it.
Isaiah prophetically reminds those about to go into captivity of God's
deliverance from a former exile and in doing so, creates a hopeful
image to cling to for the future. He offers the hopeful image of
God restoring and making old things new, of making a way in the
wilderness, rivers in the desert.
The psalmist meanwhile, speaking on the other side of the Babylonian
exile, captures the joy and thankfulness of those who are returning to
the land of promise. This psalm expresses the feelings of exiles
who return from Babylon to a homeland that most knew only in their
imaginations. After seventy years in Babylon, they are coming
home, home to the land of their parents and grandparents, home to
the land of their God ,the land of promise. There is a line,
Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy, that speaks
to the scene in Bethany and brings meaning and insight.
Tears can be very intimate, very personal. There are basal tears
we have constantly they wash our eye as we blink, lubricating,
cleaning, and serving to prevent bacterial growth. Then there
are reflex tears we shed when an irritant a stray particle or
chemical as in onion juice attacks the eye. But the kind of
tear that appears so often in the Bible from Genesis through to the
Revelation are known as psychic tears and have a different chemistry
than the others. They are protein rich and contain a significant amount
of a natural pain killer.
A fascinating study could be done on tears in the bible read the
Jewish midrash on Rachel's tears and how they affected God's dealings
with Israel. But today I want to offer a single story from
midrash to help highlight the role of tears in Psalm 126. Offered
perhaps long, long ago as an answer to the question of why we weep, the
story is called The First Tear.
After Adam and Eve had been banished from the
Garden of Eden, God saw they were penitent and took their fall very
much to heart. And as He is a Compassionate Father, He said to
them gently:
"Unfortunate children! I have punished you for
your sin and have driven you out of the Garden of Eden where you were
living without care and in great well-being. Now you are about to
enter into a world of sorrow and trouble, the like of which staggers
the imagination. However, I want you to know that my benevolence
and my love for you will never end. I know you will meet with
much tribulation in the world and that it will embitter your
lives. For this, I give you, out of My heavenly treasure, this
priceless pearl. Look! It is a tear! When grief
overtakes you and your heart aches so that you are not able to endure
it, and great anguish grips your soul, then there will fall from your
eyes this tiny tear. Your burden will grow lighter then."
When Adam and Eve heard these words sorrow overcame
them. Tears welled up in their eyes, rolled down their cheeks and
fell to earth. It was these tears of anguish that first moistened
the earth. Adam and Eve left them as a precious inheritance to
their children. Since then, whenever a human being is in great
trouble and his heart aches and his spirit is oppressed, tears begin to
flow from his eyes and lo, the gloom is lifted.
Trouble, heartache, oppression, fear reminders of real
life as we stand on the threshold of Holy Week, anticipating Jesus'
Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.
Play imagine with me for a minute let's join the party at the
Bethany home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha only a couple of miles east
of the big city, Jerusalem.
Jesus seems determined to go into the city while the Passover crowds
are gathering; maybe if he just keeps a low profile we can get in and
out without creating trouble. We wouldn't want to stir up anger
in folks at this holy season!
The room is getting a little crowded now. Martha is out in the
kitchen and, as usual when she's in charge of the cooking, the smells
from there are so good! Lazarus and Jesus are already reclining
at the table, chatting, and the twelve are standing around in little
groups. Over there are Peter and James and John huddled together
they still talk about something strange that happened on that
mountain. Judas keeps looking out the doorway as if he's
expecting someone else; he's been so up-tight lately. Maybe its
the season for strange things but ever since we left Galilee and
crossed the Jordan, anxiety seems to grow among the disciples and
everyone has tensed up. There's definitely something afoot.
Suddenly Mary comes into the room and a sweet aroma so strong it's
almost sickening fills the air. Nard wow that's imported from
the Far East and very expensive. Who has ever seen so much at one
time? And she's putting it ALL on Jesus' feet and bathing them
now. All we can do is just stand there watching with mouths
open and eyes wide, shocked, amazed. Why is she doing that?
What is she doing? What am I supposed to do?
Judas seems really disturbed and lashes out but Jesus speaks gently to
him, to all of us. He seems to know that we are embarrassed by
the intimacy, the love that Mary shows and by our own fear to get too
close. The atmosphere seems ready to explode as murmuring voices
buzz in the room.
What does Mary know? What does she see? Why is she
crying? Tears of joy or sorrow or both? If you really were
present in that house in Bethany, just a few days before the Passover,
what would you say? How would you react? What would you
feel? Threatened? Uncertain? Fearful?
Hopeful? Embarrassed?
Our collect this morning is not so easy to pray if we are not willing
to offer ourselves to God. Remember the words? God, grant
us 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.
I invite you now to sit for a minute or two with these images, these
thoughts, and let us contemplate whether we can pray those words with
fulness of mind, heart, and soul.
Amen
John Dryden Burton
Marrch 21, 2010
St. James
Eureka Springs, AR