The people stood watching. (v. 35) This is the first verse of our text this morning. That verse may seem rather insignificant. Yet it actually reveals something quite interesting. You see, the word used for “watching” is a word that means more than simply glancing at something. It is a word that means to carefully observe something. To concentrate on something. The people are watching and trying to discern the meaning of this strange crucifixion.
The matter before us today is that of the resurrection of the dead. The resurrection lies at the core of Christian teaching. Belief in the resurrection begins with the belief that Jesus himself rose from the dead and it ends with the resurrection of all the dead when Jesus returns. And we do not play word games with the word “resurrection.” We don’t say “resurrection” and mean some kind of metaphorical resurrection or metaphysical resurrection. By resurrection of the dead we mean that corpses will come to life again.
Crucifixion was meant to be a display. It was intended to be a display of Roman power and might. It was meant to be a display of Roman justice and judgment. It was meant to put the crucified on display. Crucifixions were done publicly in public places. The crucified person was lifted high so all could see. The crucified was stripped bare and exposed for all to see. It was designed to be a display of pain and suffering and shame. God’s Son, our Savior, was crucified.
I want to read for you John 8:30. This is the verse that comes immediately before our text. John 8:30 says, As he [Jesus] was saying these things, many believed in him. As Jesus was saying what things? Well, Jesus had proclaimed, I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. (John 8:12). He had also said, When you lift up [crucify] the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one. (John 8:28) As he was saying these things, many believed in him. Something wonderful was happening! As people listened to Jesus, they were being brought to faith in him!
How do you show gratitude? There’s not a simple answer to that, is there? It depends, doesn’t it? If someone holds the door open for you at the store, a simple spoken, “Thank you” seems sufficient. If Grandma and Grandpa give you $50 for your birthday, maybe it’s time to write a thank-you note. If your neighbor mows your lawn for a month while you recover from foot surgery, maybe you get him a gift card for a nice dinner at a local restaurant. If someone gives you one of their kidneys, perhaps you give them a huge hug and, with tears in your eyes, tell them “I don’t know how to thank you for what you did for me!” There seems to be an ascending scale when it comes to gestures of gratitude.
Wouldn’t you have loved to sit and listen to Jesus Christ teach? Can you imagine a Bible class where Jesus himself is the teacher? I have been blessed in my training to have many wonderful, gifted teachers. Teachers who could take the complex and make it simple, who could take the abstract and make it concrete. Often this ability to make the complex simple and the abstract concrete is accomplished through the skillful use of examples and illustrations.
Our text from Amos this morning is very visual. It paints a picture. Can you picture in your mind the scene Amos paints? He describes people quite at ease. They are described as sprawled out on couches made with ivory inlay on the framework. In other words, that is a NICE piece of furniture! The menu for dinner is lamb and stall-fed beef. This is the food of the rich. Most common-folk seldom had meat. But those Amos pictures dine on it as a matter of course. And the beef is stall-fed. This is not from cows that have been out on the range roaming and grazing and becoming lean and muscly. These cows were kept in a stall to fatten them up. These cuts of meat are marbled with fat. These are USDA prime cuts of meat!
Everyone eventually learns some “economics.” Maybe you took a class in high school called “Economics 101” or “Home Ec.” You learned practical lessons about budgeting and credit cards and interest rates and mortgages. Such classes introduce students to concepts such as “supply-and-demand” and the basics of investing. Even if you never took a formal class called “economics” you live “economics” every day. All of you who must purchase household items and put gas in a car know all about “inflation” and what that does. “Economics” is all around us. One political adviser a few years ago became famous for summing up what every election is really about: “It’s the economy!”
Two things certainly jump out at us from our Gospel lesson today. First of all, there is the great concern for what is lost. Secondly, there is the great joy when the lost thing has been found. These things certainly overwhelm us when we consider that each of us was that lost thing! Jesus sought each one of us with the earnestness of the shepherd seeking his lost sheep and the woman seeking her lost coin! The angels of heaven rejoiced and celebrated when we were safely on the Shepherd’s shoulders!
