Standing at a Distance

​    Sunday of the Passion – C                                                                         LSB #’s 436, 432, 560
Text – Luke 23:49
 
And all His acquaintances & the women who had followed Him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. 
 
STANDING AT A DISTANCE
 
 
At birth  each of us boarded this train called life.   We meet family members,  &  during the innocence of youth  we assume they will always travel by our side.  However, at some station our parents will step off the train, leaving us behind on this journey.    As time goes by,  other people board the train who will be  significant – siblings, friends, spouse or children.  
Eventually,  all will step off the train & leave a permanent vacuum.   Others will go  so unnoticed that we don’t realize they vacated their seats.  The train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, goodbyes  & farewells.  The mystery to everyone is: We do not know at which station  we ourselves  will step  off the train. 
“Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice,  said, ‘Father,  into your hands I commit my spirit!’   And having said this  He breathed His last.  … And all His acquaintances & the women who had followed Him from Galilee  stood at a distance  watching these things.”  (Luke 23:47, 49 ESV)   They watched,  in disbelief & sorrow,  as Jesus  stepped off the train. 
When Jesus was arrested,  Peter,  rather than standing at a distance & watching,  had wanted to fight,  but Jesus stopped him.  This is how the Gospel of John records that event:
“…Judas, having procured a band of soldiers & some officers from the chief priests & the Pharisees,  went there with lanterns & torches & weapons.   Then Jesus,  knowing all that would happen to Him,  came forward & said to them, ‘Whom do you seek?’    They answered Him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’   Jesus said to them,  ‘I am he.’”  (John 18:3-5 ESV) 
“Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it  & struck the high priest’s servant & cut off
his right ear…  So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword into its sheath;  shall I not  drink the cup that the Father has given me?’”  (John 18:10-11 ESV)     Should we act  or should we stand back & watch?  The Holy Spirit calls us to each,  but at the right time  & in the right place.  Beginning with the arrest of Jesus,  His followers are called to stand back  & watch. 
It was time for Jesus to accomplish His mission.   He was not only obedient,   He was content to do the Father’s will.  The only task of His followers was to stand by & watch.  Besides Peter cutting off the servant’s ear,  Judas was the only other follower to act,  & he betrayed his Lord & Savior.   It would have been better for him  to have remained at a distance & watch. 
 That’s the dilemma of being a sinful creature – knowing when to act  & when to refrain.  Is that one reason Ecclesiastes 3 resonates  with so many of us?   “For everything there is a season, & a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born,  & a time to die;
…a time to weep,  & a time to laugh;
a time to mourn,  & a time to dance;
…a time to keep silence,    & a time  to speak.”  (3:1-2, 4, 7 ESV) 
Since Jesus was in perfect health until the day of His crucifixion,  His death was sudden & unexpected for those who were following Him.  It all happened so fast, it left them disoriented & confused  & afraid.  Their grief was an onslaught of horrific emotions  that they were ill-prepared to face.  Our awareness of Jesus’ death has been an entirely different experience. 
We’ve known of it  all of our Christian life.  We hear of it again & again  especially as the season of Lent rolls around each year.  For Lutherans,  the death of Christ is The singular event of salvation in all of creation.  It is the moment in history where God pays the price  for each of our sins  that we might have a clean conscience & a mind & spirit  filled with perfect peace. 
You & I have had time to process the brutal suffering & death of our Lord & Savior.  We
have had countless opportunities to understand & embrace  the cross.  For today’s followers of Christ  it is the ultimate symbol  of our Creator’s love for us,  no matter how wretched our lives have been,  & still may be.   Since the Holy Spirit works to prepare in advance  opportunities for us,  all of us have participated in the mission  of proclaiming Christ crucified for sin. 
And still,  there are moments  we sense the Holy Spirit  urging us  to act on behalf of Christ,  but we prefer to stand at a distance.   There are moments  we sense the Holy Spirit urging us  to speak God’s love  into the pain & the darkness of another human being’s existence.  Will we continue  standing at a distance? 
There are times to act  & other times to refrain,  but loving our neighbor is not optional for someone who has experienced the love of Jesus Christ.   He did not die that horrible death on the cross  so that we can spend our time loving only  ourselves.   Certainly our Lord cares for our needs & our desires,  yet He calls us to also care  for the needs & the desires of our neighbors. 
The powerful people in Jesus’ day – Herod, Pilate, the soldiers, the Pharisees – all find themselves on the outside of God’s kingdom.  They were caring for their needs & desires alone.  The powerless, the humble & the broken  are privileged to be among the front ranks of those in God’s kingdom. 
Thus, when Jesus restored him to God’s kingdom, Zacchaeus declared, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor.  And if I have defrauded anyone  of anything,  I restore it fourfold.”  (Luke 19:8 ESV)   Zacchaeus could no longer  stand at a distance & merely watch.  His soul had come to life  & begun to breathe the breath  of Jesus Christ. 
As “…all His acquaintances & the women who had followed Him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things,”  (Luke 23:49 ESV) they might have been remembering the good that Jesus had done for others.  Yet, during those moments, the inescapable conclusion was that it had all come to this colossal failure at Golgotha.  This man they believed to be Messiah,  had breathed His last  & there was nothing they could do to stop it.   They were helpless to do anything  but stand at a distance & watch.  All of them saw it  with their own two eyes. 
Only after the resurrection  did they realize  that what they saw  was the King of creation reigning,  over His kingdom,  right there on the cross.  Yahweh’s kingdom is not one of power & domination, as the world desires.  Rather,  it is a kingdom where peace comes  from self-giving   love & service.  The Son of God demonstrated that  perfectly  as He was willingly crucified. 
But His death was not simply a demonstration of humility & love.   Christ died in our place because we cannot live up to His example.  He paid for our sins on the cross – all of our sins!  And like the repentant criminal next to Him,  we receive heaven instead of hell.  That is God’s will for everyone,  but He does not force anyone to believe that. 
Three days later, while Jesus’ disciples are still in hiding,  out of fear,  Jesus rises from death in order to show that He not only reigns from the cross,  He also reigns over sin, death & the grave.  They were powerless to hold Him,  & therefore, sin, death & the grave will also be powerless to hold anyone who trusts in Jesus. 
When you or I or anyone we love steps off the train of life,  that is not the end.  We will see them again,  & rejoice with them for all eternity,  as long as they believe that Jesus is our Savior.  Resurrection from the dead is final stop of the train we are on now,  & the new train journey for all believers will be paradise,  joy after sorrow,  & it will never end.  Amen. 
 
 
In silent pain  the eternal Son hangs derelict & still;  in darkened day His work is done,  fulfilled,  His Father’s will.   Uplifted for all the world to see  He hangs in strangest victory,  for in His body on the tree  He carries all our ill.    He died that we might die to sin  & live for righteousness;  the earth is stained  to make us clean  & bring us into peace.   For peace He came & met its cost;  He gave Himself to save the lost;  He loved us to the uttermost  & paid for our release.  Amen.  LSB 432:1-2.