The Way - an Easter sermon by Jooseup Keum

The Way - A sermon preached by Rev Dr Jooseup Keum in the Ecumenical Chapel 12.04.2010
John 13:1-16
Mathew 28:19-20

It was a lonely way. Jesus' way to the cross was a lonely way.
Nobody dared to walk together with him, even his disciples, maybe even us.
Imagine him, imagine his journey, he who is walking alone toward a cross. He carries all the agonies and sad stories of powerless people there. Somebody has lost their son, someone is crying, and someone is beating someone, someone is attempting suicide – can he provide any hope in their lives?
In the Gospel of John, Jesus is claiming the way is through washing the feet of his disciples. How ridiculous!
In Jesus' time, there were four different groups of Jewish traditions or restoration movements. They competed with each other, claiming that only their group knew the truth, the way of salvation. They each claimed they were the only hope for the restoration of Israel.
The Sadducees gave up any religious position and conviction, such as the resurrection doctrine, just so long as they could retain secular political power.
The Pharisees had no concerns about political oppression and the hardness of ordinary people's lives so long as they could maintain their ecclesiastical power, through the control of the Jewish temple. They did not care what happened outside the temple: they even betrayed their people and joined hands with the Roman Empire to maintain power.
The Essenes believed that there was no hope in the world. So they retreated to the desert. They withdrew into the spiritual realm, leaving the reality and hardness of people's daily lives behind them.
Lastly, the Zealots attempted to reclaim the sovereignty of Israel by force, arms, struggle and terrorism. They believed that all other choices had disappeared. They were liberation fighters.
And what was Jesus doing? He did not identify with any of them. Rather he chose to die alone in the cross. He was washing the feet of his disciples as a farewell ceremony. In fact he did identify with one group; Am Ha'aretz, the "people of the earth" in the Old Testament, and Ochlos, the "suffering people" in the New Testament.
Like the Dalits in India, Chin People in Myanmar, Burak in Japan, Minjung in Korea these were the people who suffered and cried. They were oppressed and manipulated by the Romans and their own leaders.
Through his cross, Jesus is bringing the kingdom of God to these people where they are. They did not need to climb ecclesiastical, social and political ladders to find the Kingdom. Jesus built and builds a community based on love and service. He provides a new dignity and identity to these suffering people as the people of God through washing their feet. He encourages them to see a new horizon of mission.
Traditionally, so called the Great Commission in Gospel of Mathew has been a mandate to evangelise individuals, baptise them, make them part of the church, and teach them that they may follow the law. Colonialism made the Great Commission a mandate to Christianise the world: to convert the spirituality of the natives to a Christianised spirituality (one we are comfortable with) and a western culture as a part of it. The present conservative approach would be to “enrich” or “civilise” people who are not enlightened.

However, I would like to draw your attention to three key words in verse 19 of Mathew chapter 28. “All nations”, “Baptise”, “Teach them”. The text says “all nations” which in Jesus’ time does not refer to member states of the UN! It does contain a plural concept, i.e. not individualistic. In Jesus’ time all nations were subject to Roman Empire – other identity was lost. Jesus is saying “go to all people who are subject to the Roman Empire.” The Roman Empire was the only one nation among “all nations” which exercised absolute earthly power.

Jesus was commissioning his disciples to go to the peoples and nations colonised by earthly power. Baptism in this context means restoring the dignity of these peoples and nations colonised by the earthly power as God’s peoples. Through the emphasis on Baptism, Jesus declare that dignity and identity of politically and economically oppressed and colonised all nations by the Empire is not sourced from the earthly power but by the power of God.

Teaching them is then a reference to Jesus’ own discourse. Whereas previously if you are willing to subscribe to Roman rule, discourse, and standard of living, you will be part of the pax Romana and “safe”. This allows local despots to perpetuate whatever oppression they choose as long as they subscribe to the pax Romana. Note the difference in John’s Gospel between Jesus’ peace and the “peace of the world” – pax Romana vs pax Christi. Pax Christi re-establishes identity and dignity as referenced to God, not empire. The rule of empire is replaced by the encouragement and accompaniment of God.

Where do we then identify as church of Jesus Christ? Jesus saw the potential of people who were regarded as “useless” by the Empire and their own leaders. He claimed that their dignity came from God, not the empire. They don’t have to climb ecclesiastical, social or political ladders to find it. He built a community of confidence and sharing encouragement based on love and service. He encouraged them to see a new horizon for their missiological task. The new community goes beyond the immediate group, beyond the ethnic community and so on. The New World of dignity is there for all who will recognise where dignity is sourced.
There are many ways in the world – motorway, bullet train and flight – however Jesus chose a tough, very lonely and slow way; off road. He is walking alone on a long endless mountainous path down to Galilee and waiting his disciples and us there. On his way to Galilee, he creates a new community of hope and love even calling the people from the four religious groups in Israel.
Once again, are we going to send him alone even after his resurrection? But he promises, he will be always with us to the end of time.

copyright (c) Jooseup Keum /WCC