Sermon: "Lo He Comes" Revisited (Revisited)

5 December 2021. Advent 2.

 

Today I’d like to do something different, and mildly transgressive. I do mean mildly transgressive. So please moderate your expectations of fun. I’d like us to reflect on a hymn we will sing. (You see why I say mildly transgressive? It can be done. But if it happened week in, week out, with no reflections on the readings, more would be lost than would be gained.)

 

The hymn is the great Advent anthem, Lo He Comes. Perhaps some of you are mentally singing it. It is Charles Wesley at its finest. Great melody. It might also be said to be Advent at its purest. I mean it is entirely about the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of time. There is not even a passing reference to Christmas. Surely, then, there’s a strong case for filling Advent with Lo He Comes.

 

And yet.

 

And yet. Let’s look at the second verse. These are the original words:

 

Every eye shall now behold him

Robed in dreadful majesty;

Those who set at nought and sold him

Pierced and nailed him to the tree,

Deeply wailing (deeply wailing, deeply wailing)

Shall the true Messiah see.

 

Who are those upon whom Wesley wishes wailing?

 

My contention is that Christian tradition points to the answer… “the Jews”.

 

The case is cumulative. First, I’d say that “Messiah” is itself not Christian language. Yes, I know, Handel! But, outside of Handel’s Messiah, Christians tend use words based on the Greek Christos, rather than the Hebrew, Mashiach. (Both mean the same: “Anointed”.) We are Christians, after all, and not Messiahists.[1] The references to selling the Messiah, and piercing him and seeing the one pierced, also have strong Jewish resonances. And, while we know it was the Romans, not the Jews, who actually crucified Jesus in history, the Romans had no concept of the Messiah. So the image of remorseful wailing, on seeing the true Messiah unveiled, works less well (if at all) if we have the Romans in mind.

 

I probably haven’t convinced you. So let me take you back to that Christian “tradition”. I am obliged to tell you that from very early days Christians, including the great theologians, including not a few of the great saints, had a tradition of saying “the Jews killed Christ”. And by “the Jews” they meant not just a bunch of people in 1^st-century Jerusalem, but all Jews, throughout space, throughout time. The liturgist Melito may have been the first, towards the end of the second century (c 16—170 CE). He’s been called the “first poet of deicide”. In his liturgy, he accused the Jews - collectively, all Jews - of “killing God”. If he was the first, he was only the first.

 

St John Chrysostom (the golden-mouthed) wrote a series of sermons in the late fourth century (386/7 CE) called “Against the Jews”. He accuses the Jews of being disobedient, carnal, demon-possessed. The tradition continues through Augustine, all the way down the Martin Luther. And our great saint-theologians have said that because “the Jews killed Christ” they are punished, damned and demeaned (descriptive). And they have meant that because “the Jews killed Christ” they should be punished, damned and demeaned (prescriptive).

 

Is this what you think of, if you sing the traditional words of this verse of this hymn?

Is this what modern worshippers think of?

Is this what Charles Wesley intended to convey?

I doubt it. Let me be clear: I doubt it.

 

But!

 

But the tradition of saying “the Jews killed Christ” has been so wide and so deep. It infected even theologians and saints. And it infected mobs and gangs throughout Christendom. It was so infectious that – again, I am obliged to tell you – over centuries, it was dangerous to be a Jew in Christian Holy Week. You were in danger of being attacked, by baptised, church-going Christians, because of that charge of “deicide”. Though the charge was never formally taught, it was strongly implied by the shape and the details of the liturgy of Holy Week. The tradition is so wide and so deep that – I say – it places a burden on us, today. We bear the burden of making sure we do away with – eradicate, destroy - all such implications, whenever they bubble up.

 

You may now be thinking: “If what you say about Christian history is correct, I can see how this verse, using these words, is risky, is suspicious. But! But, honestly, Patrick, you’re taking all of this much too seriously! I really don’t think that hard about what I sing.” Well, I’m afraid I don’t stand down. On the contrary, I will say: it is precisely what we say or sing without thinking about it that shows what we really believe. Let me give another example: “There is a green hill far away, without a city wall, where…”. You will have added mentally: “the dear Lord was crucified, who died to save us all”. And I even dare to suggest that those words you have supplied tell you important things about what you believe (or think Christians believe) about Jesus and his death, precisely because you didn’t think about them.

 

What we are not sure about, we have to think about. What we know in our bones, we don’t have to think about. They flow through us. They trip off the tongue. Those who don’t think about these words in this verse of Lo He Comes, then, often at least, “know“ things (presume things) that they may struggle to articulate.

 

I am sorry. Not so much a transgressive sermon as a harsh one. But there is good news. The good news is that we can sing the hymn with full gusto, relishing all its Wesleyan wonders. And! And we don’t have to change a word. We don’t have to – because the hymn-book editors have done it for us. (You see: it really isn’t just me who has found the verse difficult.) They have changed “Those who set at nought” to “We who set at nought”.

 

And let’s be clear here too. That is better theology. To stress: the change hasn’t been made to avoid giving offence to Jews (or anybody). The change has been because the notion that “the Jews killed Christ” has always been plain wrong. Disgustingly wrong. Sinfully wrong. On purely Christian terms. Historically (as I have said), it was powerful players in the Roman Empire who killed Jesus. Theologically, it is the sins of all of us who killed Jesus (our own murderous instincts, our own willingness to stand by). The sins of all of us, starting, as always with the household of faith. We. We who set at nought and sold him.

 

Still not exactly good news, I admit. In truth, why our sins killed Christ is an important theme, but one for another place. But I will say, most assuredly, that it does lead to good news. Good news, happily summarised in the very next verse of the hymn:

 

Those dear tokens of his passion

Still his dazzling body bears

Cause of endless exultation

To his ransomed worshippers

With what rapture

(with what rapture,

with what rapture)

Gaze we on those glorious scars.

 

Amen.

---

[1] I am aware that the Semitic languages do use words related to the Hebrew, Mashiach, but this is definitely a hymn of the Western, Latin tradition.

The Passion according to John - adapted

For some years, we at St Michael's and St Mary's, Little Ilford, have slightly adapted John's Passion on Good Friday. The standard text seems to present "the Jews" as the enemies of Jesus, willing him to his death. That was never true, and has had a horrible effect in the history of Christendom. Such was Christian hostility to Jews at times and in places that it was dangerous to be out and about as a Jew in Holy Week. Either that, or Jews were forced into the ghettos Christians had made for them.  

In any event, "the Jews" is not necessarily the best translation of the Greek, Hoi Ioudaioi. Remember that Jesus and the disciples and the women at the foot of the cross were themselves all Jews. The point is that Hoi Ioudaioi can also mean "the Judeans", the people of Judea (and not of Galilee etc.), and that by this may be meant the Judean authorities (i.e. the religious authorities, themselves controlled by Rome) - just as we might speak of "Whitehall", or "London in talks with Paris" meaning not particular inhabitants, but the associated powers. 

Here the changes we have made are marked in this purple.

Hear the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. 

After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 

2Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.  

4Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, ‘For whom are you looking?’ 5They answered, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus replied, ‘I am he.’ Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6When Jesus said to them, ‘I am he’, they stepped back and fell to the ground. 7Again he asked them, ‘For whom are you looking?’ And they said, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ 8Jesus answered, ‘I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.’ 9This was to fulfil the word that he had spoken, ‘I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.’  

10Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. 11Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?’ 

12 So the soldiers, their officer, and the Judean police arrested Jesus and bound him. 13First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14Caiaphas was the one who had advised the religious leaders that it was better to have one person die for the people. 

15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. 17The woman said to Peter, ‘You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ 18Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing round it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself. 

19 Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. 20Jesus answered, ‘I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where we Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said.’ 22When he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying, ‘Is that how you answer the high priest?’ 23Jesus answered, ‘If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?’ 24Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. 

25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, ‘You are not also one of his disciples, are you?’ He denied it and said, ‘I am not.’ 26One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, ‘Did I not see you in the garden with him?’ 27Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed. 

28 Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. 29So Pilate went out to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this man?’ 30They answered, ‘If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.’ 31Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.’ The replied, ‘We are not permitted to put anyone to death.’ 32(This was to fulfil what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.) 

33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ 34Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ 35Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ 36Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the religious leaders. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ 37Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ 38Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’ 

After he had said this, he went out to the religious leaders again and told them, ‘I find no case against him. 39But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?’ 40They shouted in reply, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas was a bandit. 

19Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. 3They kept coming up to him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ and striking him on the face. 4Pilate went out again and said to them, ‘Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.’ 5So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, ‘Here is the man!’ 

6When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.’ 7They answered him, ‘We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.’ 

8 Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. 9He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, ‘Where are you from?’ But Jesus gave him no answer. 10Pilate therefore said to him, ‘Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?’ 11Jesus answered him, ‘You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.’ 

12From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the religious leaders cried out, ‘If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.’ 

13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha.  

14Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the crowd, ‘Here is your King!’ 15They cried out, ‘Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!’ Pilate asked them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but the emperor.’ 16Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. 

So they took Jesus; 17and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. 18There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 

19Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.’  20Many [omission] read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. 21Then the Judean chief priests of the said to Pilate, ‘Do not write, “The King of the Jews”, but, “This man said, I am King of the Jews.” ’ 22Pilate answered, ‘What I have written I have written.’ 

23When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24So they said to one another, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.’ This was to fulfil what the scripture says, ‘They divided my clothes among themselves,    and for my clothing they cast lots.’ 25And that is what the soldiers did. 

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ 27Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. 

28 After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfil the scripture), ‘I am thirsty.’ 29A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 

*

31 Since it was the day of Preparation, the religious leaders did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. 32Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. 35(He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows* that he tells the truth.)  

36These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘None of his bones shall be broken.’ 37And again another passage of scripture says, ‘They will look on the one whom they have pierced.’ 

38 After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the religious leaders, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. 39Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. 40They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews.  

41Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. 42And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. 

This is the Passion of the Lord.