Luke 23:33-43, Pentecost 24C
Theme: Acceptance
This week, many of us will be gathering with extended family for the customary feast of thanksgiving. Well, at least for the feast.
Yes, a feast is very appropriate. In the northern hemisphere, autumn is the harvest season. Most summer crops are harvested in the fall. Before refrigeration food was processed and stored for the winter. In the past, in the United States and Europe, it was the last chance to eat fresh produce. Therefore, the feast. In those cultures, a ritual of thankfulness became the custom. Gratitude to God or other gods, usually was practiced. Whether the harvest was plentiful or not, some type of service was practiced.
In modern times, with rapid transportation and refrigeration, the season has lost much of its significance. Fresh produce is usually available from parts of the world where the seasons differ. At least in the US and Europe, the significance of the harvest is not an essential process. It is now mostly ritual and custom.
The need for an expression of gratitude and the blessing of food may have lost a certain urgency.
This brings us to the lectionary scripture for this Sunday. The account is about gratitude but not for food. In fact, the scene is as far from a table laden with food as one can possibly get. Instead of a feast we find ourselves at an execution. The place is Golgotha. It is a place of death – excruciating and painful death. It is not a place of accidental death, but deliberate torture and death.
There were three crosses. The gospel of Luke graphically describes the scene. “When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’”
Not a harvest feast at all.
Jesus was being executed with two thieves – one on his right and one on his left. One of them repeated the jesting of the crowd. “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
The other said something quite different to Jesus. He first addressed the other thief. He stated that Jesus did not deserve the verbal abuse recognizing that he was blameless. Still, however, all three shared the same terrible death. The second man accepted his own plight but was willing to share his last moments of life in an act of compassion for another’s suffering.
Perhaps a better way of demonstrating our gratitude to a generous God would be to express it with our actions and deeds. A sharing of compassion to others who may not be able to provide for their families a harvest feast which we really don’t need might be appropriate.
How will you be celebrating God’s gifts of plenty? What will your prayer of thanksgiving be like?
Worship with us in person at 10:30 AM as we will be giving thanks to a generous and gracious God. The service will also be streamed live on the internet -- (https://fccmaryvillemo.com) or on the church’s home Facebook page. If you missed the live stream, a recorded session is also available to view at your convenience. Want to make a comment on my blog? Click on https://fccmaryvillemosanc.wixsite.com/ftdo.