August 13, 2000

As we started this morning's service, we happened to sing one of my very favorite hymns, but does anyone else kind of have a tough time with that particular tune? Do you know why? It was the fight song of the Third Reich. It is that hymn Hitler chose as the fight song. In those famous scenes of the rallies in Nuremburg before the war, the tune "Austria," would be playing in the background, and all through the war it was used. Stateside, even though that particular tune had been in the hymnal for years, nobody would use it. In the late 70's, when the editors of the current hymnal were putting their heads together, deciding which would stay and which would go, this hymn almost got axed. History has a lot of power. However, since Franz Josef Haydn lived way before Hitler, they decided that Hayden would win.

We follow a religion that is based on history. Christianity is based on a life, not a series of scientific speculations, nor is it a combination of a bunch of nice philosophical sayings that are dumped together that we follow and try to figure out how to live. Christianity is based on a real human life that was lived many years ago. Granted, we do not have a lot of source documents about that life, but we do know enough about it to draw a picture of who Jesus was — the way he thought, the way he taught and how he interacted with others.

It is the task of historians to transport us into the life of the historical figure. What was the manner of dress, the manner of speech and social customs? We talk a lot about that in our continuing quest to follow Jesus. This morning, why don't we invite Jesus into our time? What would happen if Jesus came to California?

If Jesus came to California today, the first thing to greet him would be adoration. CNN would cover this day and night. The crowds would gather around him as he passed. I can't think of a single structure, a single building in the entire state that could handle the crowds if he showed up. It would not be just Christians who would go, because he always drew a very eclectic crowd. Everybody would want to be there. Whenever he spoke, his words would be broadcast throughout the entire world. People would hang on his every word and commentators would come on right afterward. He wouldn't have a minute alone and everybody would think of something to ask him. People with power would seek his endorsement. The powerless would beg for his help. Most of the people would just want to touch him. We have never seen anything like this! That's what happened when he entered a city. In fact, it is reported that in one city they actually tore a roof off just to get near him.

California's first reaction to Jesus would be adoration. I think it's safe to say the adoration would soon lead to disappointment. Let me tell you why. The very people who had been interested in getting him on TV, in parades, giving interviews and making speeches, would soon discover that Jesus was not interested in any of that. In fact, he would probably keep a schedule that would defy any of us because Jesus refused to be taken captive by anyone. He always insisted on controlling his own life. When people tried to hurry him through a busy day of teaching and preaching, he would slip away. Need I remind you that he went to the desert? That happened too, you know. In Capharnaum, the crowds became so great, so overwhelming, that he withdrew to a quiet place to pray. He was not interested in crowds. He liked to talk quietly about God with his friends or with people who had hearts ready to receive his message about the Kingdom of God. He refused to be taken captive by the world; he insisted on being free.

Jesus couldn't come to California without being asked to take a side on critical issues. As adoration would lead to disappointment, disappointment would soon give way to hostility. People would put him in front of a camera and say, "Who would you vote for in November, anyway? Would you lead us in a crusade against those Godless communists?" Many would not be amused because he would probably look right into the camera and say, "Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them who hate you; pray for them when they persecute you."

Another crowd might ask him religious questions such as, "What denomination do you support?" He would answer something like, "A new commandment I give to you, love one another as I have loved you." Then the people would ask him social questions like what to do about world hunger, and he would probably answer, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God."

He would disappoint anybody looking for him to take a side on a political or religious issue. That happened in Palestine too, and then, many would begin to wonder if they wanted him around at all. It's much easier to settle differences if we don't have Jesus getting in the way. It's a lot easier to carry a grudge, form an opinion and stick to it if we don't have these pesky little sayings of Jesus continually cropping up and insisting on opening our minds and our hearts.

Gradually, lines would be drawn into two camps: one would be those who loved him, followed him, listened to him, patterned their lives after him; and the other would be those who feared him and would just as soon get him out of the way. That happened too, because there were political and religious authorities who decided that Jesus was subversive. St. John called one of these groups "the Jews." But of course, he did not mean the entire Jewish faith because, after all, Jesus was a Jew.

If Jesus were in California today, some of those crowds would probably be referred to as the Christians. He did not come to align himself with a particular party. He called us into a new relationship where old divisions slip away. If Jesus came to California in our day, where we think we can solve all problems by creating new programs or deleting others, we'd be surprised to hear him call us to a new standard of morality based on love, not force. If he came to us today, when most of us define ourselves according to our citizenship, our race, what we do for a living, our gender or our family relationships, he would show us a new loyalty and a new dedication to the accomplishment of God's Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Make no mistake about it. If Jesus came today, there would be plenty of people who would receive his message and some who would receive it as a judgement. With Jesus, there is no middle ground — people either accept him or they reject him. It happened in Palestine. I think it would happen today, and I don't think I need to tell you the end of the story where the enemies of Jesus did have their way. On one particular occasion when people were very frustrated with him and asked, "Just who do you think you are anyway?" Jesus said something like, "I am the living bread that came from Heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever."

If Jesus came today, which side would we be on? Would we be on the side of those who rejected him, feared him and received his teaching as judgement? Or, would we be one of those who accepted him, loved him and followed him? Every Christian must decide that. Everything else depends on that answer. AMEN

The The Rev. Sean Cox
seancox@stmargarets.org
13 August 2000