Ministry Musing

By Donna Kelly

This Lent I have been a book by Rachel Billups titled, “An Unlikely Lent: Extraordinary People of the Easter Story”. It focuses on the people who stand on the ‘edges’ of the Crucifixion story; the servant girl who calls out Peter, Simon of Cyrene who carries Jesus’ crossbeam in the book of Luke, Barabbas, Mary of Bethany, and  Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, but the group that caught my imagination was, “The Women at the Cross”.

All four Gospels mention the women who stood by Jesus while he was on the cross; different names are listed, but they were there. The author says. “They remind us that discipleship is about showing up, staying close, and loving Jesus with a devotion that refuses to turn away. It is a different kind of faith, a faith of one who stays with Jesus, no matter the cost.” She then talks about the difference of being an admirer of Jesus and a follower of Jesus. She defines an admirer as one who stands at a distance, agreeing with Jesus’ teachings, enjoying the comfort of his words; and a follower as one who has the courage to stand with Jesus in the hard places, to follow him even when it costs them, to love him with courageous and unwavering devotion.

“Following Jesus means allowing our hearts to break for what breaks his, and then letting those broken pieces guide our hands and feet toward healing and justice. Following Jesus means we stop waiting for others to fix what’s broken and instead we partner with God to take up the work of restoration”.

And what breaks Jesus’ heart? Anything that is not filled with love for one another: Matthew 25:34-36, “Then the ruler will say to those on his right, come you are blessed by my Father; Take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

The courage of these women who stood with Jesus at the cross stands as a challenge to you and me today. It’s easy to follow Jesus when the cost to do so is small, when our faith is comfortable and stays within the lines. But when the reality of the cross hits us and discipleship asks us to be in uneasy and difficult places, to stand against injustice, to love when that love costs us, to follow Jesus into sticky or maybe even unpleasant situations, what do we do then? Are we admirers or followers?

“This is a holy moment of courage. The Cross is not just a symbol of suffering; Is the place where our commitments become real. This act does not mean people will have all the answers or even all the courage they need. But it does mean they are committed to start the process. And sometimes the most powerful faith begins when people simply say, ‘I’m willing’.”

Donna Kelly

Contact Donna at Donna at: donna@sotpmail.com