"Don't Forget" Sermon for Good Friday

Don’t Forget
Good Friday (NL3)
March 29, 2013
Luke 23.32-47

Much has happened since last evening, when we remembered Jesus’ last meal with his friends. Following Jesus’ prayers in the garden, Judas has completed his betrayal of his former master with the most unholy of kisses. The chief priests and temple police have arrested Jesus, beaten, stripped, and tried him. Meanwhile, all his followers have faded into the background except Peter, though he denies Jesus three times, just as Jesus predicted. Because the religious leaders don’t want to get their hands dirty, Jesus is brought before the governor, Pilate. Pilate, who finds no offense in Jesus, sends him to the puppet king Herod. Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate, who reluctantly condemns him to be crucified at the insistence of the crowds. And so Jesus makes the long journey to the place called the Skull with the two criminals.

There, Luke tells us with an uncharacteristic economy of words, Jesus is crucified, along with the others, one on his left and one on his right. The first thing Jesus does is to pray, not for himself, but for his executioners: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” Ignorance in this case is not innocence; they need forgiveness. While the people stand watching, the leaders, soldiers, and even a criminal continue to mock him. Indeed they are ignorant; how ironic that by declining to save himself, Jesus will be saving them. Even so, in the midst of the mockery a voice of faith calls out: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Forgetting is a horrible thing, and as I get older I am more conscious how precious memory is, appreciating what I have. Many of you know that my wife, Cindy, and I have become more involved in the care of her parents. Her father is in a long term care facility and her mother, though still at home, is failing. Both have memory problems. On a recent outing, Cindy went to get the car to pick up my mother-in-law at the door, saving her some steps. As Cindy was walking way, my mother-in-law said, “Don’t forget me.” I think she was only partly joking and I also think that even on their best days, my in-laws probably wonder if they have been forgotten even as they forget more and more. I wonder how many people think Jesus has forgotten them.

To the criminal next to him, Jesus’ responds to his plea with a wonderful promise, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” In doing so, Jesus brings us full circle from where we began last September with the Narrative Lectionary, reading about the creation and the fall. The word for garden in the Old Testament is the same as the word in our reading today for paradise. So we remember two other criminals in that first garden, Adam and Eve, who are tossed out because of their not so innocent ignorance. The good news on this Good Friday is that the expulsion from paradise because of human sin is turned around and made right. This gift is not ours to take, but it is Jesus’, the king’s, to give.

Like Adam and Eve, the leaders, the soldiers, the criminals and everyone in between, in spite of all we do to try and get it right in our lives, there is always a part of us that doesn’t get it right and needs forgiveness. Today, Jesus takes all of that brokenness in our lives upon himself where it is crucified with him. In its place, Jesus leaves his own innocence and righteousness, restoring our relationship with God and others. Through his faithfulness to God’s promises, Jesus literally re-members us, making us members again, bringing us to wholeness of life. As we stand at the foot of the cross, we cling to Jesus’ promise not to forget us, praying that it will hold us through all of our various Good Fridays, as we make our way to the empty tomb. Amen.