Blogging toward Sunday

By Michael Paquarello III
Luke 23:33-43
Sunday, November 25

The two aspirants to the governor’s mansion in my state ran a race that often sounded more like an old-fashioned prayer meeting than a political campaign. Both seem convinced that the key to victory lay in demonstrating that one was more Christian than the other. As a result, we were blessed by an outpouring of political ads that were more hagiographical than enlightening, more testimony than serious political discourse.

What might have happened if our two candidates had taken seriously the rule of God made known in a crucified Jesus?

For that matter, what would happen if we were to do the same? What if we were to turn our attention to what John Howard Yoder referred to as “the politics of Jesus”?

Luke testifies—how’s that for a campaign ad?—that after Jesus was thoroughly humiliated, he was hung on a cross alongside two convicted criminals. One of the criminals called for him to show his messianic authority by a display of saving power that would work for all three of them. But the other criminal turned to Jesus and cried out for mercy, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!”

We remember and hope, through the Word and the Eucharist, that because Jesus did not save himself, he is able to save others, including us, in the larger sweep of God’s purpose to redeem and perfect the whole creation. Through the testimony of Luke’s Gospel we see, know and participate in the rule of God through the presence of the Spirit indwelling the church.

Recently I have doing a lot of talking with my students about the relationship between means and ends in ministry. Some of them notice that the widespread use of pragmatic means in the church leaves much to be desired—that we can be like politicians trying to dress up campaigns with “a little Jesus.” I talk with them about the end, the final goal and destiny of all things under the Lordship of Christ, who rules from a cross, and whose rule works through the power and wisdom of the cross.

Without a final destiny and conclusion, everything is simply up for grabs. Whoever has the slickest campaign ads, the most effective marketing strategy, and the longest donor list gets to determine the agenda—even for the church. What if the way is as Yoder concludes:

[It] does not mean renouncing effectiveness … It means that in Jesus we have a clue to which kinds of causation, which kinds of community building, which kinds of conflict management, go with the grain of the cosmos, of which we know, as Caesar does not, that Jesus is both the Word (the inner logic of things) and the Lord (sitting at the right hand) that leads to the end is congruent with the One who is himself the End.”

What if the way is simply: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”?

Michael Pasquarello III teaches homiletics at Asbury Theological Seminary.

Comments

[Nan]

What a simplistic, but wonderful thought - Simply "Lord, remember me".

[Matthew]

I struggle with the individualistic emphasis of such a statement for the larger church. In a North American revivalist culture that has skewed Christianity toward overly-personalized individual salvation, I'm cautious about 'me' statements. Hasn't the 'me' generation done enough damage already?

[mike pasquarello]

Good question, Matthew, and I see your point. I should have spelled this out more clearly; that the confession of "Jesus, remember me when you kingdom comes" is a prayer given voice by the whole Church as we pray in union with Christ through the prompting of the Spirit.

Thanks,
Mike Pasquarello

[Doubting Thomas]

Save us from what? You use such "churchy" inside language which makes absolutely no sense to many people and you set Jesus up as an insurance policy. Perhaps he is if we can live an authentic life as he did, remaining as true to our unique path as Jesus did to his. Didn't Jesus ascend and basically say in leaving ..."...you can do what I did and more...."? Also, earlier in Luke Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is within us. Here and now. Why wait? Interesting that the lectionary skips this text. I fear that this kind of preaching and thinking actually inhibits spiritual growth. Salvation, Kingdom of God...can't we just be honest, let a mystery remain a mystery and admit that we really don't know much?

[Carla]

Michael,
I would love to have been in your class to hear the discussion concerning the pragmatic means to which the church goes presumably to boost participation. What I am hearing is that the most important social service we can offer is a relationship with Jesus through the church. Right?? As an aside, tell Pattie hello.

[mike pasquarello]

Dear doubting Thomas,
I suspect you and I have more in common than you are willing to acknowledge. I am suggesting that the criminal hanging at the side of Jesus depicts our being and live as church. No insurance policy here, but the humble way of discipleship that presumes to know no more than God reveals. My hunch is that many outside our "churchy" circles would welcome such honest on our part.
Thanks for your good challenge.
Mike Pasquarello

[mike pasquarello]

Hi Carla,
I was trying to question the many "strategies" used by churches that contradict and even undermine the power and wisdom of the cross revealed in Jesus. I did not refer to the second lesson for this Sunday, from Colossians 1; but it depicts the reign of Christ over all things, and the church as the new humanity, a social reality, and a people whose life manifests, and is held together by, the same spirit of faith displayed by the criminal hanging next to Jesus. To rule with him is to serve with him.
Thanks,
Mike Pasquarello

[Wordworker]

The looming challenge as I see it is to preach the eschatological hope with which Advent is saturated in a world increasingly divided between two competing views of time- the one, which views time as linear, having a beginning and end; and the other, in which time is viewed as a cycle, without beginning or end. This latter view is in the ascendency in the West and it seems to me to offer a serious challenge to our Christian theological framework, especially during Advent.
Suggestions would be most welcome.

[mike pasquarello]

Hi Wordworker,
I think your observation is a good one. The linear view has been disparaged by some because of its attachment to modernity's visions of progress that have displaced divine providence. Theologian Robert Jenson has stated this challenge in the following way, "How the World Lost its Story." He claims that we need to do more than provide an overarching story with a beginning and end; but that the gathered church must be an eschatological community where we behold our destiny.
Peace,
Mike Pasquarello