God's Grace for All

On Tuesday (April 4th, 2017), the news came alive with word of a horrific gas on a small rebel-held town in the Idlib Province of Syria. At the last count that I have heard, 89 people have died from the attack.

A reporter interviewed Mazin Yusif—a 13 years old boy.

"At 6:30 in the morning, the plane struck. I ran up on our roof and saw that the strike was in front of my grandfather's house”

He said he ran toward his house and found his grandfather slumped over. He ran outside to call for help. "I got dizzy and then fainted in front of my grandfather's garage. I next found myself here in this hospital, naked in a bed."

The reporter asked him if he the boy lost any of his relatives in the bombing… his response was, “Yes… 19.” And the boy who had kept such a straight face throughout the interview suddenly broken down as the weight of the deaths overwhelmed him.

American Reprisal

The small town in the middle of no-where that very few people had likely ever even heard of suddenly was making waves across the world-wide community.

The images and videos coming out of Idlib affected the world in a way which the Assad regime likely could not imagine.

In less than a week’s time, Assad has gone from having much of the world coming around him as an ally in the fight against ISIS into calling for further attacks against Assad himself. And we, the United States, have been at the spearhead of that movement.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Today, April the 9th, is the day of commemoration for Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was a german pastor in Nazi Germany—and he became well known through his writings about the church’s role in the secular world. In particular, he spoke deeply on the subject of the suffering of others.

Dietrich courageously spoke out against the Nazi’s euthanasia program and, more specifically, their persecution of the Jews. Dietrch Bonhoeffer was arrested and after a year and a half in prison he was linked to an attempt to assassinate Hitler and was executed in the final days of the war.

In his book, “The Cost of Discipleship,” Bonhoeffer wrote “Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.” This… this is the crux of what we are discussing today.

“Judging others Makes Us Blind”

“Judging others makes us blind...” As Jesus made his way into Jerusalem on the colt and donkey we hear of the great crowds gathering around to welcome this famed Messiah.

The crowds knew the prophecies.. they knew the words of Zechariah “Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

As Jesus actually did what Zechariah had prophesied all those years ago, he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey demonstrating that this King and his kingdom were different than what the crowds were hoping for.

But rather than coming to be the new candidate for King of Israel to lead his people to political and military glory… he comes to bring peace. And not to bring peace through war—but through humility and the cross.

The crowds judged Christ—not as someone who was less than them… but as the conquering victor that they were hoping for.

I can speak with a great deal of confidence when I say that not one person in that Parade of Palms was there cheering Christ on because they assumed he was on the way to the cross.

If they could have foreseen the future of Jesus being arrested, put on trial, and then executed… how many do you think would have been there to welcome him into Jerusalem?

The great irony of the Palm Sunday that we celebrate is that those who first participated in it did so with beliefs that turned out to be completely wrong.

They were half-right in who he was. Yes, Jesus was the Messiah. Yes, Jesus was the King promised by scripture… but none of his actions were to bring about glory on himself. Instead of being a great conquering champion against Roman Oppression, he continually humbled himself again and again all the way to the cross.

“Love is illuminating”

“Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating.”

In his book, “The Cost of Discipleship,” he wrote “Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.”

It all started with what theologians call the humiliation of Jesus. That is, that he took on human flesh and though he was still God he did not always or fully use his godly powers.

Rather than once again smiting the wicked with great glory and awe-inspiring power, God wrapped Godself in the fleshly clothing of a human being. To go from God to human, this was Jesus’ first step toward the cross.

Moving from the glory of heaven to the humility of earth meant that Jesus would ultimately do what precisely as he was called by his Father to do. Though he could have waved away the devil or produced miracles that would have taken him off of the path to our salvation, he set his face to Jerusalem.

His humiliation is described vividly in : “…though (Jesus) was in the form of God, (he) did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” There is no greater humility than God dying a human death on a cross.

This willingness of Christ to die such a humble death on the cross shows the world the deepness of God’s love for creation.

Anyone can use power to show one’s might. Assad rained death from above with toxic chemicals and he proved his might and power over the people of Idlib.

But to see rescue workers without proper equipment jumping into the scene with bare hands as they wash the poisonous chemicals off of victims the attack. To see neighbors helping neighbors in the rubble and refuse of destruction… that is the kind of love we see from God as God stoops down into the world to live beside us.

Love is illuminating. The willingness to humble oneself and stand not over someone but side-by-side with a neighbor illuminates God’s work in the world. As Christ rides into town on that young colt and it’s mother, he rides in with humility. Not just as the God of our ancestors with phenomenal cosmic powers… but as one of us. Willing to live with us, struggle with us… die for us.

By Judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil”

Back to Dietrich: “Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil”

CNN has a very powerful story on its website right now called, “Return to Mosul.” If you have not seen it already, I do highly recommend viewing it. The documentary is a six part series that listens to the journey of those who lived through the warfare, the ISIS occupation, and now the liberation of Mosul. One of the most chilling things for me about ISIS has been their willingness to judge others.

They have used texts from the Quran to make themselves persecutors, judges, and executioners of anyone who disagrees with them. Perhaps the greatest danger of ISIS is their self-righteousness to their cause. They are so focused in one what they perceive as righteous that they are willing to commit horrific acts against people they once considered their neighbor.

And yet, even as we rightfully stand in judgement against them for the evil that they do… we can look at our own history. As Christians we often blind ourselves to our own evils as we as a Christian People have decimated populations over the centuries.

During the crusades we committed horrific crimes against humanity and all in the name of Christ. Jews and Islam alike were often not even given a chance to convert to Christianity but were instead put to death.

At times, Crusader armies would even attack and pillage Christian cities—such as Constantinople—a beacon for Christianity in the East.

More recently, Nazi Germany was supposedly founded around a Christian identity. The Nazis used aspects of Christianity to win the population’s hearts and minds. Soon, good Lutherans were marching in the Nazi ranks with full confidence that they were purging the world of impurity.

Martin Luther’s words from On the Jews and Their Lies were used to support the Nazis:

“Set fire to their synagogues or schools,” He said.

Jewish houses should “be razed and destroyed,” and Jewish “prayer books and Talmudic writings, in which such idolatry, lies, cursing, and blasphemy are taught, [should] be taken from them.”

In addition, “their rabbis [should] be forbidden to teach on pain of loss of life and limb.”

It is easy to judge ISIS for their wickedness. It is easy to judge ISIS for their evil deeds—and they certainly are evil deeds! It is easy to look at what Assad has been doing against the rebels and speak of those evils.

It is important that we name evil for what it is—evil. But let us not forget that we also have a history. We should remember that our heritage is not without its evils. We should remember that we ourselves sin.

And to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are

To Hear the words of Bonhoeffer once more—this time the full quote: “Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.”

As Christ entered Jerusalem, he knew the history of the people—and perhaps he even knew the future of the people. Christ knew just how broken the people of Israel were. As he looked at the crowds around him in that Parade of Palms, I suspect he knew that before long many of those who were no cheering him would soon be jeering him.

They would go from calling him the new king to calling for him to be placed on the cross. Jesus was looking into the faces of those who would soon betray him… and those who would soon execute him.

It’s interesting, really, that we never hear Jesus speak anything, or think anything, or respond in anyway in this story as he enters into Jerusalem. He hears the cheers:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

The scripture doesn’t tell us that he waves at the crowd. It doesn’t say that he throws candy to the children. His face is set on Jerusalem. He enters the city. He has resolve to do what needs to be done. To fight the good fight—to declare war on evil.

But to do so not from a place of power but from a place of humility. There are no plans of causing bolts from the sky to rain down on his enemies—but instead to move steadily toward his own death for the sake of a people who are going to turn their backs on him and call for his death.

Ultimately, Palm Sunday isn’t about Jesus coming into to topple the corrupt government in power. Palm Sunday isn’t about Jesus separating those who are right from those who are wrong. Palm Sunday isn’t about proving our self-righteousness or claiming power.

Palm Sunday IS about God’s grace for all people.

Palm Sunday IS about God’s love and forgiveness even for those who are soon to despise, betray, and murder the very Son of God.

Palm Sunday is for the crusaders who slaughtered the innocents.

Palm Sunday is for Martin Luther who called for the persecution of the Jews.

Palm Sunday is for the Nazis who twisted scripture, used Luther’s words, and killed so many.

Palm Sunday is for those in the Middle East who are self-righteous.

And Palm Sunday is for us. None of us are deserving of God’s grace. We have all sinned. We have all fallen short. We have all in some way turned our backs on God.

BUT… and this is important… BUT, Christ does not turn his back on us. THAT is Palm Sunday. Christ sets his face toward Jerusalem and toward the cross not for the sake of having hymns sung about him… but for the sake of the world.

Because of God’s willingness to walk the walk and take a stance not of judgement over you but instead for Christ to Stand in Humility with you… you can come to the table for communion and receive the blood and the body—you can receive God’s forgiveness—you can receive God’s promise of Eternal Life. Not because of your faithfulness to God… but because of God’s faithfulness to you.

Palm Sunday speaks to God’s humble journey into the world. To walk side-by-side with us rather than to loom over us. To wade through the muck and the mire of the world and everything we throw in front of Christ along the path. God’s grace and peace be with you this Palm Sunday. And in this journey of life know that:

Christ walks BEFORE you.

Christ walks WITH you.

Christ walks FOR you.

And so too does God call for us to walk WITH our neighbors and not to loom over them with power or self-righteousness.

So I ask you, how might you live in such a way that you walk side-by-side with those who struggle in our communities… in our world?

How might you enter into the lives of your neighbors here in Oklahoma? In (City Name)?

How might you reach out to children throughout the world like Mazin Yusif who struggle with the consequences of war?

How might you STAND in HUMILITY with your neighbor in such a way that illuminates the love and grace of Christ for ALL people?

Christ walks BEFORE you.

Christ walks WITH you.

Christ walks FOR you.

Amen.

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