In March’s Continuing the Conversation, I shared some things I have learned from Arthur Dewey, author of Inventing the Passion: a description of the intended effect of crucifixion on the victim and observers and about the early Jesus communities’ efforts to make sense of Jesus’s catastrophic death by drawing on stories from the past. I made an effort to bring these understandings to a sermon I preached on Good Friday at my home parish, Trinity Episcopal Church in Bend, Oregon. I have posted it in the articles/sermon section of our website: marcusjborg.org.
The texts assigned for Good Friday in most protestant churches were: John’s gospel 18:1-19:42, Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and Psalm 22:1-20.
The Stories of Jesus
Many of us have been led to think that prophetic texts of the Hebrew Bible and those assigned in particular for Good Friday are all pointing to Jesus. We use these texts as proof texts for the coming of Jesus and how he fulfilled those scriptures. What Arthur Dewey’s work and the work of others underscores is that the early communities searched out the stories from their tradition to make sense of what had happened to Jesus. And then appropriated those stories to construct a story about Jesus. John’s gospel itself includes details and says this was “to fulfill the scriptures.” It is retrospective. Or as Dom Crossan has put it so succinctly, it is “prophecy historicized.” And such “history” is not factual. But it conveys meaning. And that is key. When you recognize this you “hear” New Testament texts differently. You get curious about the threads or inventions that provide the material for stories about Jesus. Each Gospel writer adds details or emphasis to continue to keep the vision and message and spirit of Jesus alive. And each New Testament author keeps his audience and context in mind to make the case about the importance of Jesus and following The Way most persuasive and compelling and in some cases acceptable. We do the same thing today.
Glorifying the Cross?
On Good Friday we tend to include hymns or anthems that glorify the cross. Most of us have been taught that the cross is the means by which we have received atonement with God or forgiveness for our sin(s). “We glory in your cross, O Lord.” If there is any glory in the cross it belongs to the early followers of Jesus who refused to let the horrors of crucifixion silence them. Efforts to end the memory and stories of the crucified one failed. Their insistence that the Jesus story must continue is a testimony to the person of Jesus and the remarkable presence he had and deeds he performed. And we continue to give voice to Jesus and to the story of Jesus today.
And I hope for generations to come.
Good Friday
Take a look at my sermon. I am interested to hear what you make of it and how it affects you. There is nothing in this Good Friday sermon about Jesus dying for our sins. There is nothing about substitutionary atonement. There is nothing about glorying in the cross. There is no suggestion of resurrection. Or is there?
I will close with this quote from Henri Bergson. It comes to mind as I wonder about resurrection. “The future is no longer, ‘What is going to happen?’ It is, ‘What are we going to do?'”
What do you think?
Diana Butler Bass has a new book out: Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks. She will be speaking at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Portland, Oregon on Thursday May 10 at 7:00 pm. It is FREE! I do a brief reflection on this book in Continuing the Conversation on our website.
