Unlikely

Men and women of every generation, many of whom are considered foolish and insignificant by all the world's standards turn out to be the ones through whom God sends his message across the centuries.

Politically, militarily, socially, there are very few glory years when they are on top,

and a great many years of being oppressed, being under the thumb of one or another foreign power.

But God is not done with mankind, or with Israel.

Even though very few listened to the first covenant, --very few embraced Abraham's faith – God is now determined to make a new covenant , one written on their hearts instead of on stones, so that it will not be forgotten.

Here is the way:

God himself must live through every aspect of this covenant.

He cannot just tell us about it.

How else can we be shown
that it is for real,
that it applies to us,
that it has no limits placed upon it,
that it is for me and not just for someone else?

The only way he can do better than faltering patriarchs and grouchy prophets is to come himself.

So, do we get a palace ready?

No, a stable.

Do we honor him with sils and ceremonies?

No, with smelly shepherds.

It is all so unlikely!

We look for God's actions to be bold, dramatic, at the world's front door.

But instead, he slips in the back door, the servant's entrance.

He grows up unnoticed,

teaches,

preaches the breaking in of God's rule,

heals some,

and restores several to this life as signs pointing to what greater things God intends to do.

He turns away every temptation to take the easy way,

to grab power,

to sweep away the opposition,

and to avoid this confrontation with the world's death-dealing power.

How unlike the way we would have reasonably done things!

He goes through every pain and anguish we know – including a painful and degrading death,

to demonstrate that a completely successful life is very much unlike what the world expects, and that its goal of resurrected life shapes how live is lived here and now.

That is the picture which John's Gospel portrays:

Jesus, very much in charge of this Exodus, moving purposefully on his way.

So now, here we are this evening.

We're hearing the story and interpreting it not as a tragedy but as the deliberate act of God,

the act of God by which he means to catch hold of us,

to entice us to listen to his promise,

and to trust it.

What will each of us do?

Shall we say “Sorry, ...too bad..., so sad!”

I hope not!

Rather, may we be those persons who after hearing the story say:

“I'm another of those unlikely ones,

one of the ordinary folks to whom God gives a different future and a present task.”

Tell everyone that God is serious;

he means to touch each of us, and our neighbors through us.

It is all so unlikely...but true! AMEN.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.