“Holy Thursday: Be a Servant to Others while Remembering Jesus’ kindness and servant leadership”

On this Holy Thursday, we are called to serve others and show kindness and compassion to the vulnerable, the needy, and the poor, especially those in our community who have been infected and affected by the devastating power of the coronavirus.

As we continue to remember Jesus and his sacrificial death during the Passion Week, Let us thus follow Christ’s example of servanthood. It was on a Thursday like this one and on his way to Calvary and glory, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples.

***Those who are serving and caring for us, our family, and our friends deliberately, intentionally, and sacrificially in this deadly time of coronavirus are agents of Christ in this broken world; they are demonstrating the spirit of servant leadership, the spirit of Christ, in a time of uncertainty, a moment of global crisis. They wash people’s feet everyday, moment by moment, and some of them wash our feet unreservedly while forgetting to wash their own until they breathe their last breath in this world toward non-existence, even death through unconditional service and selflessness.

It is the spirit of servant leadership and generous kindness embodied in the life of Christ Jesus that will transform the world; create another and better world; heal our individual and collective wounds; cure us from all of our diseases and terrors; inspire a new humanism in our country; foster revolutionary love and justice; and restore our human dignity in such a time as this one.

Hence, I invite you to mediate upon this passage below and follow the example of Jesus the Christ:

13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” John 13: 1-17

“The ‘Good Friday’ is a gift for all people” :What did Jesus Really Say on the “Good Friday”?

Some two thousand years ago, it was a Friday like this one that Jesus was put on trial before a ruthless juror, consisted of both religious leaders and politicians, that found him guilty for a crime he did not commit. As reported in the Gospels, the common people, both Jews and Gentiles, actively participated in Jesus’ unfair trial. He appeared before Pontius Pilate, the powerful political figure and state agent, who determined his fate, not his future.

Further, historians tell us that the judgment and the final verdict leading to the death penalty, burial, and annihilation of Jesus happened on a Friday– what is commonly called the “Good Friday” or “Holy Friday” in the Christian sacred/liturgical calendar. Arguably, the death of Jesus was a state-sponsored violent death and ruthless execution. The death of Jesus is a demonstration of the problem of justice in society and the bankruptcy of the legal system in the world. By implications, it invites us to think responsibly and ethically, for example, about the problem of mass incarceration of black males in the United States. Like Jesus, many of the prisoners and felons currently serving a sentence (some a “life sentence”) are wrongly accused of a crime they did not commit.

Yet while Jesus was still hanging on a cross made up of old and rugged wood, somewhat analogous and parallel to the America’s terrorized lynching tree in which many thousands of falsely-accused blacks breathed their last breath in the American society, he spoke seven powerful and beautiful words that narrate an intricate rapport between God and humanity, human vulnerability and strength, despair and hope, grace and forgiveness, inclusion and acceptance, redemption and justice, love and hospitality, etc.
On this “Good Friday,” as we continue to remember Jesus, I invite you to reflect upon the meaning and implications of the seven last sayings of Christ:

1. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46).

The first saying of Jesus establishes the paradoxical rapport between the good and holy God and the problem of divine justice upon the bearer of sin. In Christianity, it is believed that Jesus is the bearer of everybody’s punishment from God because everyone sins; sin is a transgression against a holy and righteous God, the Creator and Redeemer of all people. When someone sins, he or she becomes an instant violator of God’s moral law and ethical virtues, and everyone falls in this category.

Hence, the saying by Jesus, while being lynched on the wooden-cross, indicates the following threefold message: (1) sin creates alienation between God and human beings, but it is never too deep to stop the divine love and grace; (2) sin creates alienation and distance between individuals in society, but it does create the possibility for reconciliation and to do life together again; and (3) sin does not have the final word and does not determine one’s future and final destiny. Rather, it is one’s personal attitude and response to the death of Christ that determines the nature of one’s relationship to God the Creator. In other words, the death of Christ calls for a decision from every individual, and this decision is personal and existential, and it also involves Jesus the Christ and Jesus the Savior of all people.

2. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

Forgiveness is always a human possibility and a wonderful gift of reconnection and readjustment, between God and individuals, individuals from the same clan or people from different communities.

Forgiveness is not only about human relationships and interplays; it may engage two nations or governments that were once in enmity with one another. Forgiveness fosters the possibility for global peace and mutual collaboration between the nations and leaders of the world.
Every individual has an opportunity to start life again once being forgiven and reconciled with one another. Every nation has the capacity to forge strong links of friendship and hospitality, and to perform intentional acts of kindness toward one another–once forgiveness is achieved.

Forgiveness is an active attitude and a human force that compel us to seek reconciliation and peace; it welcomes friendship and defers exclusion, and teaches us vulnerability, teamwork, and humility.

The triumph of humanity in this world does not rest upon a blossomed capitalist market nor does it entail forces of competition toward greatness and status; rather, the success of humanity in this age lies in our willingness to forgive and map out a new path together. Forgiveness changes our attitude from being a master to be a servant.

Consequently, in this saying from the lips of Jesus, Jesus extends the gift of forgiveness to his abusers, exploiters, oppressors, and even to those who have planned his death. That’s the example that marks the Christ-event on the cross, and this is how the cross speaks to humanity and to each individual. This is what it means to follow Jesus in proximity and to be a friend of God. In this way, ever person is called urgently to imitate Christ and to pursue the mind of Christ in all things.

3. “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

The gift of paradise is not a place in another world or a metaphysical residence. It is a conferred status upon receiving divine grace and favor and having been interrupted radically by divine love and kindness. Paradise means divine presence and interpenetration, and christocentric unity and indwelling.

Paradise is an invitation to participate in Christ and to be one with him in this world and the one to come. In the third saying, Jesus the Christ begins with and thus invites one individual, who was a decisive and condemned thief by the Roman Empire and a stranger to Jesus, to be in paradise with him; that individual stands for every human being in the world and the beneficiary of every subsequent invitation offered by Jesus–inclusively to every boy and girl, man and woman, male and female, homosexual and lesbian, transgender and cisgender, and every individual fashioned in the image of God. This invitation id inclusive for it crosses class, ethnic, racial, political, ideological, and geo-political lines and borders. Yet it comes with a measure of substantial responsibility and radical transformation, what Jesus himself called “the new birth.” Everyone who is invited to Christ’s paradise must be “born again.”

4. “Dear Woman, here is your son!” and “Here is your mother!” When Jesus recognized His mother standing near the cross with the Apostle John, He entrusted His mother’s well-being to John’s responsibility. (John 19:26-27).

In this fourth declaration by Christ, he directly validates the dignity and humanity of women, and concurrently, he establishes the intimate bond and relationship between a mother and a son. In the same vein, “The Christ” affirms that life is a gift that generates from women; yet its ultimate origin is divine and mysterious.

Life as a gift from both God and women, correspondingly, requires the urgency to be part of a community and the pressing existential need to live and walk together in connection with one another; indiscriminate human hospitality is connected with the good life and successful human existence. Thus, Jesus could entrust the welfare of his dear mother to John’s sacred task or responsibility.

5. “I am thirsty” (John 19:28).

The fifth statement of “The Christ” indicates his vulnerability as a person and as an individual who can relate to human (our) suffering, pain, and sorrows. The underlying message of this statement signals that the person of Christ is relatable and relational, and that he is no stranger to time and space, and to humanity. He is severely touched by human fragility and weakness, and radically subject to human nature and the spontaneity of life.

6. “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

The sixth claim of “The Christ” is the most powerful human speech ever uttered to God, the Maker of heavens and earth, and the Redeemer of human beings and the cosmos. “It is finished” gives a clear indication of a (divine) commission that was now executed and fulfilled by the messenger. At this point in the conversation, Jesus once again affirms his divine appointment as the final messenger of the immortal and gracious God.

This rhetoric of affirmation and attainment is not only associated with Jesus’ redemptive task; by implication or inference, this saying is intimately linked to the divine origin and identity of “The Christ.” This is the basis for human salvation and redemption, achieved through divine love in the Son of God, who died sacrificially for the world–as biblical writers unapologetically attest.

Finally, this claim by Jesus, like his sacrificial death, has become the most transformative cosmic event in human history that ensures restoration and friendship, reconciliation and peace with God. It also paves the way and potentially guarantees the possibility for human reconciliation and peace, with one another.

7. “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46).
Because every life has its origin in God, the spirit of every person and every animate thing likewise has its source in God our Maker. To commit one’s life to God is not a decision that should be postponed for the future, or in the next life to come, or even at the point of one’s death. Commitment here means an instantaneous decision and existential responsibility. Ultimately, it affirms that our life is not our own; it belongs to God, the great steward of (human) life and existence.

Peace and Blessings,

Dr. Celucien L. Joseph

“The Problem of the ‘Christian unity’ language in Christian (Evangelical) Culture”

Christian unity does not guarantee cosmic peace, political stability, and earthly comfort. Why do some Christians in this culture like to talk about unity in Christ and harmony in the body of Christ, but refuse to discuss the pressing issues that lead to disunity and disharmony in the Church and society? What are the contributing factors associated with this mental state of fear and Christian disengagement with these urgent matters?

Arguably, unity is a costly adventure and humble attitude. Like unity, harmony is sacrificial and an intentional doing. Unity will not come until Christians actively get engaged in genuine and honest conversations, such as the social, class, political, economic, cultural, racial, gender, sexual, ideological, etc. issues that have divided the body of Christ, dehumanized delinquent children and single mothers, and marginalized the poor, the needy, the racialized populations, the undocumented immigrant populations in this country, etc.

Christian unity is not a smoke screen for Christians to hide their dangerous political ideologies and choices, theological tribalism, and moral superiority. We should not think of Christian harmony as a safety net to cover up the sin of racism and xenophobia, and prejudice toward the undocumented immigrant and the religious other. Rather, it predicates upon the willingness to be changed and the openness to be challenged.

Harmony requires the discipline of listening to other’s pain and suffering, as well as their stories and their histories. The concepts of unity and harmony in the church and in society are associated with the biblical concept of justice and Christian discipleship. This is an overwhelming issue in the Gospels, the letters of Paul, especially in the Prophets.

For example, Jesus, the founder of Christianity and the spiritual head of the Christian church, was a controversial figure. Regularly, he would engage in verbal fights and heated arguments with the people in the church (i.e. the temple), the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and other individuals in society that had both religious and political influence in the culture—over pressing social, political, and religious issues that bore tremendous effects on people’s living conditions and future—especially the marginalized groups, the vulnerable, and the poor populations. Jesus actively preached and taught on both spiritual and societal matters. He did not say, “Folks: we are all Jews, let’s get along. We are all children of Abraham and let us just worship the God of Israel, our common Father and Creator.” He made sure his audience and those who did not want to listen to him know that social and political issues mattered to God; the triumph of the Kingdom of God and justice in society mattered to God; and the spiritual life and salvation of all people were also vital concerns to God. While Jesus gave priority to the reign and justice of God in the world, he was equally attentive to how problems of (moral and ethical) injustice and inequity, systems and structures, and unequal distribution of wealth were affecting the poor and the disadvantaged in his own society. Followers of Christ are called to imitate him, to love people like him, to act like him, and to have the mind and spirit of Christ. Jesus defended the weak and the poor in society; correspondingly, he has called his followers to do likewise.

Second, Paul, the most influential religious figure in the Jesus Movement and the second most controversial figure in the history of early Christianity after Jesus, was attentive to moral, ethical, and spiritual matters. For example, in his letters to the Christian churches in Galatia and Corinth, he directly addressed some of the major concerns of his culture, and the urgent factors that were affecting the church and human flourishing and the common good in society; they included the problems of poverty and hunger, sexual morality, gender ethics, political issues and ideologies, cultural differences and ideologies, ethnic pride and privilege, racial tribalism and preference, equality and equity in society, divorce, marriage, death, war, etc. Like Jesus, Paul did not just say to the Galatian and Corinthian Christians: “Folks, we are just ‘one in Christ.’ Let’s just focus on saving the soul of the lost, and forget about existential problems in society.”

Finally, it is important to note that both Jesus and Paul were also preaching and teaching about unity in the church and harmony among the people of God. Correspondingly, both religious figures were calling both men and women, and boys and girls to get right with God and to live justly before God and in harmony with their neighbor. Yet both of them understood clearly that some earthly forces in addition to spiritual matters were affecting the human experience and flourishing in the world—contributing to a history of pain and suffering, a catalogue of alienation and dehumanization, and a life of despair and bankruptcy.

The question that lies before the individual Christian and the American church is as follows:

What is God calling you to do? What is Christ calling the American church to do?

As a follower of Christ, Christians are morally responsible to inquire about the contemporary societal forces—public policies, state laws, county laws, etc.—that are detrimental to the welfare of their neighbor and other political decisions and choices that are impacting the living conditions of the marginalized, the homeless, the needy, the racialized, the politically-alienated, and the economically-disadvantaged populations in their community, city, and country. If the individual Christian keeps avoiding these complex issues, perhaps, he or she does not understand the transforming power of the Gospel in politics, society, and in the public sphere. If the Christian church in America is silent on those crucial matters, she is probably not imitating Christ and walking in his footsteps.

Christian unity is an active force in society that could potentially contribute to both holistic transformation and spiritual renewal of the people in culture. It is a discipline that requires the process of nurturing and reinvention; it makes a clarion call upon us for moral redirection and a christocentric orientation toward God and one’s neighbor. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer warned us, “There is no way to peace along the way of safety. For peace must be dared, it is itself the great venture and can never be safe. Peace is the opposite of security.” In the same line of thought, unity in the body of Christ or harmony among the people of God in society is not a project that seeks to preserve individual safety, status, privilege, and national pride. Christian unity calls for the urgent death of Christian nationalism, American exceptionalism, and ethnocentrism. It renounces all the external forces and privileges that become a hindrance to be committed totally to King Jesus and to serve in compassion and act in justice toward one’s neighbor. It is a call to self-denial and total obedience for the sake of imitating and following Jesus in this life. Christian unity does not guarantee cosmic peace, worldly treasures, and earthly comfort; nonetheless, like Christian compassion, it does seek the best interest of one’s neighbor and empowers individuals to act in a manner that promotes the dignity of the most vulnerable and to care for the marginalized groups in society.

Peace and Blessings,

Dr. Celucien L. Joseph