End plays

Mark 15:22-32

          It occurs to me the finality of what people saw at this point in time. Jesus is crucified and all the hope has gone. All Jesus' promises must seem to have vanished with each strike of the hammer, with each successive gasp that lead cruelly to that last breath when Jesus escaped his earthly bonds and returned to the Father. For the disciples, witnesses and detractors, it seemed over, done, kaput. All talk.

           So I sat here after work watching the highlights of the US Open. Great tennis, I love tennis, yet another gift from my husband. It occurs to me how the games go and how life is, it's not that different some times from the story the Gospel conveys here. Dramatic turn arounds, excitement till the buzzer rings, thrilling cliff hangers all abound in sports.  As Yogi Berri famously said "it ain't over till it's over".  What a ring of truthiness that has.

         While not exclusive to faithful people, the idea of dramatic turn arounds, salvation at the last minute and miracles that come up just in nick of time seem quite plausible and are reality.  Faithful people have hope. That hope is born of the dramatic rebirth and resurrection of Jesus on the third day. The irony that the cross,  a fixture of the Roman Empire that was to be feared  and was used as a tool of capitulation, is now our sign of redemption and victory is not lost on the faithful. The fact that Peter denied Jesus 3 times, Peter his #1 guy, became the leader of the Christian faith is not lost on the faithful.

We can stumble and fall and get up at that last minute. We believe in salvation and redemption. We have hope.

           Our lives as faithful people are filled with hope even today. It is one of our hallmarks. When my husband and I made vows to each other never thinking we would ever be able to legally marry, there was a dramatic turn around in the political climate and not only were we able to marry, we married in the eyes of God who loves each of us and smiled magically on us as we exchanged vows in from of children, family and friends. What a turn around. What success marriage equality has had throughout the country. 

         We never give up hope as faithful people. It is born of faith, resurrection, salvation and the fact that we know just how much God loves each of us.  How has God achieved a turn around for you in your life. What is your end game story? Your story of hope, salvation and victory?

Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.

It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews.’ And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!’ In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.’ Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.