A Living Sacrifice

Romans 12:1-2

    ¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Much is discussed about the nature of Jesus’ sacrifice, so much that at times it becomes “a stumbling block for many”, not only for those who skeptically explore the nature of God’s design, yet so for those who seek to understand and apply the teachings of the Gospel. Jesus’ death, the violent manner of it, the seeming predetermination of it; can all be at times disturbing elements that highlight the difficulty of discerning scripture, even for the believer who accepts the grace and life-spanning value of such monumental event.

Many concepts flow from the Lord’s sacrifice and its purpose, from the traditional theories of substitutionary atonement, to the progressive universalist view of salvation.  Yes, much is written about this, so I will not attempt more discussion of it. Instead I first confess my ignorance to even attempt such a lucid argument.  My only point of reference to appropriate Jesus’ sacrifice into my life and into those around me is Paul’s statement of humble faith in his letter to the Corinthian church, “for I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified”(1 Cor 2). So I choose my message to be reduced to this as well, Jesus died, so that we may have life eternal. His death is a fact; the second is a statement of belief. Like a grain of wheat on the earth, like the fruit of the vine planting its seed on the ground, so did Jesus die for those in all time; from the ones who walked with him, through the ones who only heard the prophesies about him, and also for the ones who will hear the Gospel until God exercises the time to reveal himself.

There is no mystery in this, Jesus died - but then he lived again. The historical fact is joined in faith to the second part of this axiom so that life for all can be restored. It is precisely the second part that becomes a mystery to me, not so much because it would be great to see a resurrected Jesus and request to see his wounds. Rather the mystery is in the purpose of his resurrection. If he lived again, why did he die in the first place? The question and the belief that He is resurrected, and that His life brings life to all are the elements that provide meaning to His sacrifice. He lived again, and lives in transformation, so that all life can be transformed in his spirit. His life transcends into the lives of all who hear and decide to follow him, so that my life can be transformed and hopefully become living proof that death is dead (spiritually at first, but even sentient in a future state of resurrection). So that all who follow him be transformed into living sacrifices of love and redemption; from a failed state of human nature, transported now to a path of restoration unto perfect relation to all things holy; one that reveals the true nature of God to all humanity for the benefit of creation as  a whole. It should therefore follow that the creation is not complete, that although God rested on the seventh day, he is still at work today and perhaps tomorrow, for the creation needs to be restored. His plan involves a Messiah, a perfect lamb, unblemished by sin; but also the recognition of humanity to close the circle from start to end, an Alpha and Omega that will banish evil away. So the nature of this sacrifice is one of “humble conquest”, one that transforms the violent nature of the world by rejecting the basic element of sin, selfishness; and empowers the awakened spirit into a committed search for love, justice and the benefit of the whole rather that the pursuit of the self.

Yes, a transformative sacrifice, one that offers itself in each one who follows his path of unrestricted love; not in personal mourning or individual fasting, nor in inflicted suffering or ritualistic sacrifice; and certainly not in one done in pursuit of benefits that have already been poured onto us by the sole acceptance of believing; but on the one that is done in communal purpose, unrestricted by prejudice, fear, vengeance or guilt; love for Love’s sake. To quote a famous non-believer, but one who clearly described the need for restoration of this holy relationship: in “no possession and no religion”; but one that transforms the mind and the spirit and transcends time and space.

So I cannot fully explain His sacrifice, but I do know that it exists and can also embrace its power. The discovery of scripture not only provides a glimpse to the meaning of God’s nature, but also lifts the veil of my inner self, its intentions, pursuits and the workings of the world. This discovery provide not just a contrast  between the outside forces at play in the world, but the inner ones, as love and evil exist not only in the greater scheme but within the self as well. In this way, the holy characteristics of God though Jesus are even more powerful. His willingness to pay for our salvation in advance, even as I am still an undeserving sinner, comes as graceful statement of what God is not –a wrathful God; but one whose love, compassion, generosity and patience I can believe in earnest; one whose most precious gift invites to transform within to prepare a transformation without. I can therefore be glad for it, certain that Jesus’ sacrifice has been executed for me, for the forgiveness of my sins and for the benefit of many.

Jesus’ crucifixion was not a demand from God, but the consequence of His unrestricted love for a world consumed by the self. This argues not for the necessity of such sacrifice but for the value of it. Seeing that it was not only the sacrifice of the perfect, but that it is the perfect sacrifice, the one that requires no other, the only ultimate sacrifice. One that starts and ends in the origin of all things, offered, endured and paid forward so that we all may enjoy it and be free, with a freedom that touches multiple dimensions; from the grip of death, from fear, from sin, from the self. A freedom that calls me to be a follower not for sacrifice, but for love, and any consequence that it may bring. Yes, even sacrifice itself.  

Amen.

Transformation

Inspired by John 11.

Lazarus was dead when Jesus arrived at Bethany. It had been 4 days already that he died and his body had been entombed, a large rock rolled over on it to seal the smell of decay away.  Martha, one of Lazarus’ two sisters met Jesus on the road to their house looking for an explanation for Jesus’ tardiness: “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died”. We can imagine the subtext of her statement: “Where were you? Did you not care? Wasn’t he your friend? Did you not love him?”

Jesus understands the question, not only the expressed one, but the ones underneath. He also understands the emotions and the pain. Yet, as he normally does, he avoids the obvious response, the explanation of the circumstances, or a confrontation with the emotions. He understands the real context of the story. He is actually in control of its context. This is not only about Lazarus’ death, or the death of a friend, nor about the mourning of a loved person, and certainly not about the explanation of a larger plan that goes beyond any of the characters in the story.  His reply to Martha is a more direct statement: “Lazarus will rise again”; to which she continues: “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection of the last day”. And Jesus follows with a revelatory statement and a direct question:  “I am the life and the resurrection, and who ever believes in me, even though they die, will live. And every one who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”  Martha answers with a resounding “Yes, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, and the one coming into the world”.  This is a declaration that not even some of his disciples had already made at that point. She then runs back to the house and calls her sister Mary declaring that “the Lord is here and is looking for you”.

Mary comes out followed by a group of faithful "Jews" (as John's Gospel calls them), wailing at her loss, and makes the same original declaration to Jesus “had you been here earlier, my brother would not have died”. Jesus is “deeply moved and distressed” by the wailing of this group, both by their authentic emotions and the ones displayed as customary. He goes onto perform his greatest sing to that point. He requests to be taken to the place where Lazarus has been laid to rest, asks that the stone is moved and gives thanks to the father for listening to him. He then commands: “Lazarus, come out”, and the man comes out still wrapped with linen strips on his limbs and a cloth on his face. Neither here, nor on a gathering the following day, does Lazarus go on to say a word.

As with any Bible story, especially those in the New Testament, the layers are multiple. Lazarus’ raising, although as powerful a sign as they may come is not the main point. This is underscored by Lazarus never saying a word as his name is mentioned in the gospel. He has been raised from the death, but we know little about the depth of his faith, and this story is about faith. He has been brought back to life, but is this a new life or he just the same? This is not answered. The ones who have been transformed are the sisters and a few of the attendees. Some had believed because of the sign, some, Martha especially, believed despite of the sign. Her understanding is now complete. Though she had notions of the resurrection -the ultimate purpose of belief- she now sees that Jesus - The Messiah - is the resurrection.  Her transformation has started now, the darkness that death had brought to her eyes has been lifted and she is ready to tell, so she goes and invites her sister to come out and meet the Lord.

So these are the blessed ones, the ones not looking for signs, as they already see them all around. They are the resurrected, those who through the light of faith have come to see the resurrection in Christ and are now free from the bounds of darkness. The ones now called onto being messengers for Christ and run to tell their brothers and sisters that the “Lord is looking for you”. Resurrection is not for the final day, resurrection is now.  The transformation of the soul is one that takes a hold of the whole being of humanity, to be at ease not only on the faith of life eternal, but to seize on the energy of that light to run and tell the world that “Christ is the Life and the Resurrection, that even though we may die, we will live forever”.  Death still happens, but it is not final. Go and tell the world, help it transform. Set up the table for our God and declare that His banquet is for all!

Sing, said the Lord in my dream.

  Sing of the melody of ages.

    Sing of the word you have been given,

     The one that you received,

       even when you did not know.

     The one you were seeking to understand

For I have chosen you.

Set apart, not by your ways, which were impure

     but by my grace that extends for ever!

As darkness tends to morn

Your sight has been restored

Go and prepare a table

  for your Lord that is to come.

Psalm 18:2

" The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; 

   my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. 

   He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, 

   my stronghold."

Amen.