Isaiah 25.6-10; Matthew 28.1-10
William Sloane Coffin, one of my Presbyterian heroes …
Rev. Coffin began his life on June 1, 1924, and was gathered to his ancestors April 12, 2006 … 81 trips around the sun, and a life, well-lived.
Dr. Coffin was born into privilege … God guided him into world-enlarging experiences.
The Second World War and Officers Candidate School … he was sent overseas … administrative work, military intelligence … it wasn’t the foxhole, but it was terribly important.
He often lamented his “soft work” … when the war ended in Europe, he sought a transfer to the South Pacific where the war still raged.
He said to a friend, My heart was still set on the front. I couldn’t bear the idea of a soft job while others were fighting.
He didn’t make it to the South Pacific … through the persuasion of a friend and further training, he became a Russian language translator … after four years of service, he returns to Yale, and the rest is history.
He becomes a Presbyterian minister, an advocate for the poor … he takes a foursquare stance against the Vietnam War and subsequent wars. He’s chaplain at Yale, and then minister at Riverside Church in New York City.
Rev. Coffin, a man of giant convictions, and courage.
Courage is the first virtue, he said … it’s courage that makes all other virtues possible.
Courage is the root of all the other virtues, because virtues require courage, the courage to live large.
These days, it seems to me, courage is often confused with foolishness, reckless behavior, misplace anger and violence.
Jesus was courageous; Judas was foolish.
Abraham Lincoln was courageous; John Wilkes Booth was blinded by rage.
The police who defended the Capital are courageous; those storming it are misled by their discontent … and the consequent penalties and prison terms are the results of poor judgment, fanned into flames by politicians and preachers themselves profoundly confused.
The Apostle Peter reminds us - suffering may well be a consequence of serving Christ … but, then, Peter adds, just to be sure - let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker.
Courage …
Jesus steps into the Jordan River for baptism ..
Mary says to the angel: Here I am, the servant of the LORD; let it be with me according to your word.
Joseph, his father, learns that Mary is with child … he decides to break off the engagement … but an angel comes to him in a dream, to assure him, that all of this is the will and purpose of God, and when Jospeh awakens, he welcomes Mary and they’re married.
The Prophets stand bravely before Kings and Queens, calling them to account …
Moses before Pharaoh demands the release of his people.
Sarah and Abraham set out for a new land …
At the center of our faith, Jesus.
No soft job for Jesus …
Born in a manger,
no room in the inn -
it was crowded - the Roman empire was conducting a census, for military purposes and taxation … everyone had to report to their hometown to be counted.
It was crowded …
A kindly innkeeper doesn’t turn ‘em away.
a courageous innkeeper,
makes room for Mary and Jospeh.
He might have said, “I’m too busy right now.” But he didn’t - he made room for Jesus, and the LORD of life and light was born in a stable.
Wise men ask King Herod to find out more about a new-born king announced by the stars … Herod and his counselors search the scrolls and tell them: Visit Bethlehem, and if you find the child, come back to me, tell me where he is, so I can go and worship him, too.
The wise men are warned by an angel to return home by another way … Herod learns of their departure, he’s furious and sends soldiers to Bethlehem, to round up all the children, two years and younger …
Mary and Joseph and the child flee to Egypt, refugees on the run.
In time, they return … Jesus grows up and becomes a rabbi in his 30th year … his friend, his mentor, John the Baptist, is arrested, and murdered.
A soft job for Jesus?
Is Jesus afraid?
Of course he is …
His soul is troubled, says the Bible … he asks his Father in Heaven if there’s any other way.
Courage happens in the face of fear … not in the absence of fear.
As many a soldier will say: “If someone says, ‘I wasn’t afraid,” they’re lying. But we did what we had to do.”
Courage happens when there’s a need - to love. To love the neighbor we know well, and the stranger at the gate.
Jesus heals on the Sabbath and arouses indignation and resentment … You could’ve waited one more day Jesus … you didn’t have to do it now, did you? What’s one more day of suffering?
Jesus doesn’t wait … love doesn’t wait … throughout the years of the civil rights struggle, white people often said to the Black Community, “Be patient; take your time. What’s one more day of suffering?”
When the Presbyterian Church was debating the ordination of gays and lesbians, I said to my associate minster, “Some folks say we need more time to study the matter.” She said to me, about her gay brother, “My brother doesn’t have any more time.”
Love doesn’t wait.
Our LORD makes the fateful trip to Jerusalem …
He overturns the tables in the Temple …
Jesus goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray … Judas betrays him with a kiss, for 30 pieces of silver.
Jesus is arrested and pleads not his case …
They beat him and sentence him to death …
He carries the cross and collapses under its weight …
Soldiers commandeer one of the crowd to help.
Some years later, the Apostle Paul writes a letter and says of Jesus:
Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name.
Courage answers the call to love …
Courage sends the Son of God into the battle for our souls …
Courage faces death with a prayer …
Courage takes the next step, even when it’s painful …
Courage turns the page, and keeps on reading …
In my imagination, if the angel who rolled away the stone has a name, it’s Courage, with a capital C.
Courage rolls away the stone with a shout of glory. He is not here, says Courage; he goes on ahead of you.
For any of us here … courage …
The courage to forgive … the courage - just to get outta bed sometimes and face one more day … courage to offer a helping hand … courage to say, “I’m sorry!” … courage to face ourselves … to grow and think and enlarge our world … to endure and stay course; or change our minds and chart a new course … courage to give our lives to Christ, one more time.
Dear friends: you are courageous … you are heroes … the resurrection of Christ lives within you … you make the faithful trek to this place of worship … you open your mind to the mind of Christ … your heart to his love … you stand up and are counted … you tell the truth, and overturn a few tables.
You are courageous; you are heroes …
And Christ is Risen!
Easter Sunday, two thousand and twenty-four.
Amen and Amen!
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