My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I used to work in a drug research lab as a Laboratory Animal Technician. My responsibility was the health and well-being of our animals. This means that one of the many tasks I had to do was the changing of the animals’ bedding. Whether this meant the changing of papers or a corncob bedding, I had to change them regularly for the animals in my care to remain healthy. But I absolutely hated this part of my job because as you can imagine, it was smelly and dirty. I never enjoyed doing it, but I had to do it, even times against my will, because of the pressure laid upon me to take care of the animals. They needed it, but I did not want to do it.
Just as I was compelled to change the animals’ bedding every few days, so too is it with the Church. In the Gospel of Matthew, Simon of Cyrene was compelled by the Roman guards in Jerusalem to carry the cross of Jesus from the guard barracks to Golgotha. After having been scourged, Jesus lacked the strength to carry the cross, and one certainly was not going to expect the Roman guards to carry it, so the guards forced another to carry the cross, and they compelled or conscripted Simon to do the task. Simon did not want to, but he was forced and pressured into doing so.
In today’s world, we see on the news, or on our phones, force being used by many groups in our world. In the political sphere, politicians use political force on each other and on American citizens to force or compel a desired result. In the sphere of life, armies and police use physical force on each other and on citizens to keep the peace and to enforce laws and policies. In the education sphere, teachers and educators use force upon students to study ideas and courses, taking tests, reading books, and learning concepts. In the sphere of families, parents use force to have children eat their vegetables, clean their rooms, and brush their teeth. Even in the sphere of Church, ministers and congregations use force upon their members and upon the world around them to maintain control and produce results.
But as we see in the story of Simon of Cyrene, force is used by the guards upon Simon. Simon does not use force upon the guards. Simon did not want to carry the cross but was made to and I am sure he did not enjoy it, nor was motivated to do it again. He probably was even relieved after it was over. What ultimately is the result when forced to do something? Force does not create commitment or responsibility. Force creates bitterness and resistance. Being forced to do something does not encourage someone to repeat something, but instead creates a resentment at having to do it and a stubbornness to having to do it again.
What Christ was calling his disciples to do was not being forced to do something or forcing themselves upon others, that was the behavior of the Roman guards. What Jesus was nurturing was the freedom to make the right choice. Jesus was not forcing faith from the people, that was the role of the power people. Jesus was empowering the people to make the right and responsible choice for themselves. Jesus did not come to compel people; Jesus came to give freedom to people.
This means that Jesus was going to have to exercise patience. He was going to have to give time and space for people to make the right choice in their lives. Time for people to make the responsible choice and space for them to choose for themselves. But for him to be patient means having to suffer every poor choice and its consequences. To be patient and give people the freedom to make the right choice, means Jesus must carry his cross until they get it right.
The Church needs to remember this especially important lesson of Christ. We are called to be a people that gives and empowers freedom instead of forcing our ideas upon others and getting results for Christ. Freedom creates time and space for responsibility and choice. Force removes time and space, taking away choice and responsibility and replaces them with bitterness and resentment. We cannot force someone to make the right choice, do the right thing, or choose Christ, we only create a stubborn or stiff-necked people when we act like the Roman guards. Rather we need to give all people the freedom to make their own choices, even the wrong ones, and that means becoming a patient people. We cannot force anyone to do anything even in the name of Justice and Love; and if we do, we have become the guards of America instead of disciples of Christ. Which I wonder will you be? Force or freedom? Are you prepared to suffer the poor choices of others to nurture faith or will you force the choice of others to nurture your control? I pray you choose wisely!
In Christ,
Rev. Mark
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