Last Epiphany-A, 2008- They Were There! 

Holy Spirit, Come! As with Peter, James and John, open our eyes to see, our ears to hear, our minds to receive and our hearts to accept the truth that God reveals to us. Amen 

The “truth” is not only “stranger than fiction” but it is often more compelling and more emotionally moving.  So truth makes for great drama; a fact that has not been lost on playwrights over the centuries.

As we round this corner of the year, we come face to face with the saga of the last days and death of Jesus Christ.  In Lent, which begins this Wednesday, our attention is directed to the great drama known as the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

When we hear the term “The Passion” we associate it with the suffering endured by Jesus of Nazareth and while there is plenty of suffering associated with his last days on earth, the word, “passion” actually refers to the depth of love shown in Jesus’ choice to suffer for us to restore our broken relationship with God.

Now a few words more about the action and drama of these final events; in the days before print and electronic communications – people who wanted to experience the story of Jesus’ last days often crowded into town squares to watch what were called: Passion Plays. At the height of their popularity there were two distinct types of Passion Plays.

There were the major productions- presented by professional touring

companies with quality sets and actors- think “Broadway”.

Then there were the local productions where one might be amused to see the local priest as Judas and the town butcher as ---Jesus- think “Community Theater”.

The later had an advantage.  It allowed one to participate personally in the story.

Passion Plays enjoy some popularity even into the 21^st century.  The most famous is a 5-½ hour production that includes a cast of 800 and takes place in the town of Oberammergau, Germany and has every ten years since 1634.  It continues to attract sold out crowds.

But local productions still take place as well.  Recently Harold’s Uncle Tarleton showed us a photograph of actors in a production he helped with in Martinsville, Virginia not so very many years ago. It was clear from his words that he has profound emotions and memories associated with this experience.  For the actors and the audience the play has a powerful affect.

The story continues to have power over people. 

My favorite Passion movie however remains, The Gospel According to St Matthew, a grainy black and white film directed by a communist named Pasolini in 1964. In this Italian film the actors look like everyday working

people who show the wear of life.  The story is not “prettified”.  I think the reason I like it so much is that it gives the impression of real people who were there with Jesus during his last days.  

Today I begin a series of sermons about some of those…real people who were really there.   And I believe that if we spend some time with them they can take us to a deeper level of understanding.

So let us meet some of the people who really were there.

We begin with two we heard about this morning- Peter and John.  They were often with Jesus and both play major roles in the New Testament story.  Today we will see them in three scenes.

First, both men went to the mountaintop with Jesus and were eyewitnesses to his Transfiguration (along with James).  Each saw Jesus face shining like the sun, his clothes dazzling white.  Both saw Jesus in conversation with Moses and Elijah.

They heard the voice of God and fell to the ground overcome with fear.  For John it is enough to cherish the moment, contemplate this revelation and wait.  He will come to understand it in time.

Peter, on the other hand, must react and thus he makes plans to build a memorial to the event on the spot- three dwellings where others may

come and contemplate this miracle. This is typical of Peter who acts before he thinks.  Later he would write the words we heard read from Second Peter-

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

The next scene brings us to the foot of the cross.  John is there but Peter is not.  Peter, who was the first to boldly proclaim Jesus as messiah and then pledged to die before betraying his Lord, has now denied Jesus three times and is hiding in fear.

John, alone of all the disciples, remains with Jesus and is remembered from the cross as Jesus gives him the task of caring for Mary, his mother.  For both Peter and John all seems lost and their hopes extinguished.

One turns away and runs away-- while the other cannot turn away.

Finally, we come to the tomb.  The women returned to tell the disciples they had found it empty.  It is John and Peter who go to see for them selves. 

John who tradition maintains was the youngest of the twelve reaches the tomb first but he waits for Peter, the man of action, and it is Peter who discovers the truth!

Jesus is risen from the dead just as he had told them on that mountaintop!

The two appear to be a study in contrasts…Peter, the impetuous man of action…John, the cautious, reserved man of contemplation.  Yet

both were profoundly touched and changed by the passion of the Christ

and both went into the world in witness to his love.

Tradition tells us that Peter became the leader of the church at Rome and was one of the first to lay down his life for Christ, being crucified head down because he said he was not worthy to die in the same manner as His Lord!

John, on the other hand, lived the longest of all the original disciples and was the only one to die a natural death. After being exiled to the island of Patmos and writing the book of Revelation, he made his home in Ephesus where he cared for Mary until her death.  There he wrote the soaring prose of the gospel that bears his name and the epistles that are

devoted to the theme of Christian love.

Peter and John, two real men who were really there with Jesus!  Although very different in personality and talents God used each in unique ways. Both were instrumental in laying the foundation of faith in Christ upon which we still stand!  Because of their faithful witness we too have came to know the truth of and the redeeming love of the Passion of the Christ!

Amen