Sustaining The Weary With A Word
Sermon
Deformed, Disfigured, And Despised
First Lesson Sermons For Lent/Easter Cycle C
Those who are beleagured can be strengthened by the prophet, for his words sustain and encourage the weary and draw our attention not only to Israel's sin and the servant's obedience, but the compassion of Christ. We not only hear and take heed to the prophet's words, but we know also that the word has been made flesh in Jesus Christ. The words of the prophet in this text can be words that Christ himself spoke as he faced his accusers and tormentors and as he prepared for his own death upon his entry into Jerusalem. Hear the words of the prophet which can be the words of Christ which sustain the weary in times of trial and difficulty.
"... I have not been rebellious and I have not drawn back." Lord, you know that I have kept your commandments and your word. You know that I have kept the faith and fought the good fight. I have not been detoured or distracted by my enemies. I have kept my eyes on your prize. I have not shirked my duties or shrunk from my tasks or allowed my detractors to destroy my purpose and intent. I have stood for truth. I have kept the faith. I have kept your word. Through it all I have not drawn back from the things you have required of me.
"I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard." Those who beat me tried to humiliate and dehumanize me, but I kept my back straight. I stood tall. I refused to trade evil with evil. I refused to submit to the reign of terror invoked against me. I did not bow down to the gods of violence, but gave my back as a cushion, as a foundation to those who beat me. They pulled out my beard and drew blood but I have refused to draw the blood of my enemies. They beat me. They mocked me. They jeered me. They scorned me. They flayed my flesh with the lash. They pierced my flesh with their sharp weapons. They beat me down, but I stood tall with my back straight and my head high. They tried to desecrate me but only defiled themselves. They castigated my family and denounced my lineage and heritage and still I have stood for thee.
"I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting." Why should I hide my face? This is the face you gave me to look with compassion on my enemies. The face you gave me with eyes to convey comfort to those who are hurting and lost. I did not hide my face. Why should I hide my face from the faces of those whose mouths mock and spit at me and whose teeth are clenched? There is no shame in my face. There is no disgrace in my brow. There is no terror in my eyes. Why should I drop my head in humiliation? Why should I hide my eyes from thee? Why should I look towards the ground instead of the heavens whence I have been called to do your work? Why should I not look my enemies straight in their eyes? Why should I allow my eyes to show fear and trembling and sickness unto death? Why should I allow the ridicule, disdain, and arrogance of my enemies to cause me to look away from thee? I am your son. Your face is my face. I am made in your image.
I will not hide my face. Cowards hide their faces. The devil hides his face. Those who are less than honorable and righteous hide their faces to do evil. But I will not hide my face. It is the face of love, truth, and righteousness in the face of hatred, untruth, and unrighteousness. It is the face of triumph in the presence of defeat, the face of joy in the midst of terrible sorrow. I will not give my enemies the satisfaction that they have put fear in my heart by hiding my face. Let them spit in my face. Let them mock me to my face as I look through their eyes. I will not flinch. I will neither be ashamed nor embarrassed by what they have done!
"For I will not be disgraced ... and I know I will not be put to shame." My enemies do not disgrace me but themselves. My enemies do not put me to shame but shame themselves. Why should I be disgraced? Why should I be ashamed? Why should I view myself through the eyes of my enemies which have been shamed and disgraced by what they have done to me?
Why should I adopt the mindset and viewpoint of my enemies whose purpose is to desecrate and destroy what is God's? To view myself with shame and disgrace is to view myself as the perpetrator of crimes. It is to see myself as my enemy sees me and that is without love, mercy, or compassion. Why should I give my enemy the authority to determine and dictate how I shall see myself and how I shall see him? Why should I give my enemy this power over me? I shall never allow the mind of my enemy to become my mind so that I see both him and myself as he sees me. I shall never allow the spirit of my enemy to become my spirit.
Therefore, I have no disgrace and I have no shame because I see myself as you would see me, Father, through the eyes of grace, love, mercy, and truth. I have no shame. I am not disgraced, for the enemy shall not cause me to do to him and think of him as he does to me and thinks of me. I shall never give my enemy that kind of power, for when I do, I do as he does and think as he thinks, and only you, Father, have that power over my doing and thinking.
"Who then brings charges against me? Let us face each other. Who is my accuser? Let him confront me. Who is he who condemns me? They will all wear out like a garment." What then are the charges? What are the causes of these accusations and recriminations? What are the causes of all this beating and mocking and spitting? What then are the charges? What are the crimes? Loving and serving God's people? Calling the wicked into account? Exhorting the people back to God? Finding the lost? Feeding the hungry? Enriching the poor? Visiting the prisoners? Releasing the oppressed? Challenging the powers and principalities? Exhorting the people of God to grow and not become stagnant and still? Not shaking hands with the devil? Telling Satan to get behind me? Not selling out to the Romans, pagans, and Jews? Speaking the truth? Saving the unsaved? Restoring the dead and dying?
What then are the crimes? What are the charges? Building the church? Equipping the saints to serve in love? Casting out demons? Raising Lazarus? Not humiliating my enemies in the way they have tried to humiliate me? What are the charges? Helping the widows? Loving the little children? A willingness to be crucified for the sins of the world? What are the charges? Healing on the sabbath? Sitting and eating with sinners? Having women to support my movement? Choosing the most unlikely to succeed as my disciples? Quitting my job as a carpenter and receiving the call of the Father to make fishers of men and women?
What are the charges? Calling women into ministry? Loving those who are gay and different? Refusing you the privilege of stoning a prostitute? Refusing to judge and condemn people to the point of repudiation and death? What are the charges? Paying taxes to Caesar? Feeding the 5,000? Giving you be-attitudes that will help you get better? Who are my accusers? What are the charges? They will all wear out like garments and the moths will eat them up.
Are you weary? Are you tired? Are you mocked? Are you scorned? Are you accused? Have your enemies spat at you, beaten you, and rejected you? God will sustain you with his word. God will deliver you through his love. God will give you triumph over all that you are facing, for it is the sovereign God who helps me, who comes to my aid in time of trouble and gives me victory over those who scorn and persecute me.
The word has become flesh in me and I will sustain you in all that you face. Come, ye who are weary, and be sustained with this word!
"... I have not been rebellious and I have not drawn back." Lord, you know that I have kept your commandments and your word. You know that I have kept the faith and fought the good fight. I have not been detoured or distracted by my enemies. I have kept my eyes on your prize. I have not shirked my duties or shrunk from my tasks or allowed my detractors to destroy my purpose and intent. I have stood for truth. I have kept the faith. I have kept your word. Through it all I have not drawn back from the things you have required of me.
"I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard." Those who beat me tried to humiliate and dehumanize me, but I kept my back straight. I stood tall. I refused to trade evil with evil. I refused to submit to the reign of terror invoked against me. I did not bow down to the gods of violence, but gave my back as a cushion, as a foundation to those who beat me. They pulled out my beard and drew blood but I have refused to draw the blood of my enemies. They beat me. They mocked me. They jeered me. They scorned me. They flayed my flesh with the lash. They pierced my flesh with their sharp weapons. They beat me down, but I stood tall with my back straight and my head high. They tried to desecrate me but only defiled themselves. They castigated my family and denounced my lineage and heritage and still I have stood for thee.
"I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting." Why should I hide my face? This is the face you gave me to look with compassion on my enemies. The face you gave me with eyes to convey comfort to those who are hurting and lost. I did not hide my face. Why should I hide my face from the faces of those whose mouths mock and spit at me and whose teeth are clenched? There is no shame in my face. There is no disgrace in my brow. There is no terror in my eyes. Why should I drop my head in humiliation? Why should I hide my eyes from thee? Why should I look towards the ground instead of the heavens whence I have been called to do your work? Why should I not look my enemies straight in their eyes? Why should I allow my eyes to show fear and trembling and sickness unto death? Why should I allow the ridicule, disdain, and arrogance of my enemies to cause me to look away from thee? I am your son. Your face is my face. I am made in your image.
I will not hide my face. Cowards hide their faces. The devil hides his face. Those who are less than honorable and righteous hide their faces to do evil. But I will not hide my face. It is the face of love, truth, and righteousness in the face of hatred, untruth, and unrighteousness. It is the face of triumph in the presence of defeat, the face of joy in the midst of terrible sorrow. I will not give my enemies the satisfaction that they have put fear in my heart by hiding my face. Let them spit in my face. Let them mock me to my face as I look through their eyes. I will not flinch. I will neither be ashamed nor embarrassed by what they have done!
"For I will not be disgraced ... and I know I will not be put to shame." My enemies do not disgrace me but themselves. My enemies do not put me to shame but shame themselves. Why should I be disgraced? Why should I be ashamed? Why should I view myself through the eyes of my enemies which have been shamed and disgraced by what they have done to me?
Why should I adopt the mindset and viewpoint of my enemies whose purpose is to desecrate and destroy what is God's? To view myself with shame and disgrace is to view myself as the perpetrator of crimes. It is to see myself as my enemy sees me and that is without love, mercy, or compassion. Why should I give my enemy the authority to determine and dictate how I shall see myself and how I shall see him? Why should I give my enemy this power over me? I shall never allow the mind of my enemy to become my mind so that I see both him and myself as he sees me. I shall never allow the spirit of my enemy to become my spirit.
Therefore, I have no disgrace and I have no shame because I see myself as you would see me, Father, through the eyes of grace, love, mercy, and truth. I have no shame. I am not disgraced, for the enemy shall not cause me to do to him and think of him as he does to me and thinks of me. I shall never give my enemy that kind of power, for when I do, I do as he does and think as he thinks, and only you, Father, have that power over my doing and thinking.
"Who then brings charges against me? Let us face each other. Who is my accuser? Let him confront me. Who is he who condemns me? They will all wear out like a garment." What then are the charges? What are the causes of these accusations and recriminations? What are the causes of all this beating and mocking and spitting? What then are the charges? What are the crimes? Loving and serving God's people? Calling the wicked into account? Exhorting the people back to God? Finding the lost? Feeding the hungry? Enriching the poor? Visiting the prisoners? Releasing the oppressed? Challenging the powers and principalities? Exhorting the people of God to grow and not become stagnant and still? Not shaking hands with the devil? Telling Satan to get behind me? Not selling out to the Romans, pagans, and Jews? Speaking the truth? Saving the unsaved? Restoring the dead and dying?
What then are the crimes? What are the charges? Building the church? Equipping the saints to serve in love? Casting out demons? Raising Lazarus? Not humiliating my enemies in the way they have tried to humiliate me? What are the charges? Helping the widows? Loving the little children? A willingness to be crucified for the sins of the world? What are the charges? Healing on the sabbath? Sitting and eating with sinners? Having women to support my movement? Choosing the most unlikely to succeed as my disciples? Quitting my job as a carpenter and receiving the call of the Father to make fishers of men and women?
What are the charges? Calling women into ministry? Loving those who are gay and different? Refusing you the privilege of stoning a prostitute? Refusing to judge and condemn people to the point of repudiation and death? What are the charges? Paying taxes to Caesar? Feeding the 5,000? Giving you be-attitudes that will help you get better? Who are my accusers? What are the charges? They will all wear out like garments and the moths will eat them up.
Are you weary? Are you tired? Are you mocked? Are you scorned? Are you accused? Have your enemies spat at you, beaten you, and rejected you? God will sustain you with his word. God will deliver you through his love. God will give you triumph over all that you are facing, for it is the sovereign God who helps me, who comes to my aid in time of trouble and gives me victory over those who scorn and persecute me.
The word has become flesh in me and I will sustain you in all that you face. Come, ye who are weary, and be sustained with this word!
