Isaiah 50: 4 – 9a; Psalm 22:
1 - 11; Philippians
2: 5 - 11; Matthew
26: 14 – 27: 66
A homily by Fr.
Gene Tucker, given at Trinity
Church, Mt. Vernon, Illinois on Sunday, April 13, 2014.
“WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE – PART I”
“What
difference does it make?” In our lives,
we often ask ourselves this question when we are considering an issue. We can put the question another way, as we
might ask, “How does this affect me?” In
essence, what we are doing is to assess the possible benefits – or the possible
problems – that might be associated with the matter at hand.
As we stand
now at the beginning of Holy Week, this question might be a good one to pose to
ourselves. Perhaps we might ask ourselves,
“What difference do the events of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter make
for my life?”
(I will
admit to you that the entire series of homilies that will come from this
priest’s mind as this Holy Week unfolds will all carry the title “What difference
does it make?”)
So, just
what difference do these events, which took place so long ago, in a culture
that is – in some respects – far different than ours, make, anyway?
After all,
the event that took place on Good Friday in the time that Jesus walked the
earth wasn’t all that unusual. The
Romans – for all their wonderful contributions to culture, architecture and law
- were a brutal people. They were an
especially brutal people in dealing with nations that they had conquered, like
the Jews. They ruled with an iron hand,
and anyone who dared to challenge their authority usually met with a
predictable end.
All of
those ingredients were present in Jesus’ trial and execution. Jesus was a Jew, a member of a conquered
people, and therefore, was subject to the possibility of being crucified. (Slaves could also be crucified, but a Roman
citizen could not be crucified, except for the crime of treason.) So seeing a Jewish man on a cross was a stark
reminder that said to all who watched, “You are a conquered nation.” Moreover, another message that crucifixion
was meant to convey was the idea that if someone stepped out of line, there was
no shortage of wood and nails to bring that person to the same end.
We’ve
gotten a much clearer picture of the way things were 2,000 years ago in recent
times, as many books have been written that rely on historical sources to
capture a snapshot of the daily lives of people living in the Holy Land under
Roman rule.
So, just
what difference does all of this make to us?
The answer,
of course, is that, for people of faith, these events make all the difference
in the world.
Why?
Allow me to
suggest that they make a difference because of the identity of the One who is
at the center of all of them: Jesus.
They also
make a difference because the depths of horror and despair that are at the
heart of Good Friday stand in sharp contrast to the joy and the victory of
Easter.
May I
invite each one of us to make this entire journey together as Holy Week
unfolds? The events of this week are
meant to be experienced, one by one, step by step. They unfold in a wonderful way, and the joy
of Easter will be so much the greater if we are willing to walk with the Lord
through Maundy Thursday, to Good Friday, to Easter.
I look
forward to seeing you at service on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Great
Vigil of Easter on Saturday evening, and, of course, on Easter Sunday morning. Please plan to be present for each one.
