"Kyrios Christos" * a sermon for 2 Easter, Year C, 27 April 2025**
The Christian community lost someone special this past week. Even though “the Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdiction here,”[1] I prayed for Francis during his recent illness and hospitalization. Many, Christian and non-Christian alike, also prayed for Francis. Such was the power of Jorge Mario Bergoglio (to use his given name).
Jorge was, by all accounts, a gentle and humble person. He chose to forgo the papal stipend and did
not sleep in the Papal Apartment.
Francis also did not wear the usual fancy silk vestments and red shoes
of previous popes. His burial
arrangements are also simple- one coffin in a lesser-known church as opposed to
under St. Peter’s Basilica.
Like his namesake, Francis of
Assisi, Pope Francis was a determined advocate for the poor and
marginalized. A Vatican plaza became a homeless
shelter. Matthew Schmalz writes “he washed the feet of migrants and prisoners during the
traditional foot-washing ceremony on the Thursday before Easter. In an unprecedented act for a pope, he
also washed the feet of non-Christians.”
Our reading from Acts has Peter- the
first Bishop of Rome- before the Council and Leaders. Peter and his friends have been healing and
teaching in name of Jesus. Just before
we get to Peter’s defense, Peter’s shadow alone heals many (vs. 12—16). Communal resources assist the vulnerable- the
poor, the widow, and orphaned (4:32-35).
For aiding the poor and for healing
in Jesus’ name, the disciples are arrested.
The gathered assembly tells Jesus’ friends to cease and desist. You see, the followers of Jesus are
challenging the status quo. Not
something to do under the Roman Empire, where the Emperor is both a god and
king. The only one worthy to be given
honor and glory.
And, here, Jesus’ friends refuse to
obey the leaders. Jesus’ name continues
to be proclaimed. The earliest Christian
confession of trust in Jesus was “kyrios Christos.” If Christ is Lord of all, then who isn’t
lord? Caesar, the Emperor! For that simple statement, kyrios Christos,
Jesus’ friends are hated and persecuted by Rome.
Scholar Raj Nadella adds: “unlike
the Roman emperor’s abuse of power and violence that allowed him to claim the
title of savior, it was Jesus’ crucifixion, an act of solidarity with the
marginalized, that made him the savior.
The emperor might have undeservedly claimed the title of savior for
himself, but in truth, it was Jesus who lived up to that title. This makes the emperor, not Jesus, an
imposter.”
Nadella concludes: “Within the literary context of this story, it was
also their healing ministry and the practice of sharing possessions among
members that enhanced the apostles’ popularity and landed them in trouble. Whereas the empire turned a blind eye to the
needs of the disadvantaged, the apostles brought them healing. Whereas the Roman Empire fostered an ethos of
hoarding and acquiring wealth at the expense of the poorest, the Jesus movement
was promoting an alternative worldview—an ethos of sharing possessions.”[2]
The early church’s focus on helping those in need
and on the name of Jesus is at the heart of what it means to follow Jesus. Pope Francis embodied these traits in his
life and ministry. Perhaps the examples
of Francis and of Jesus’ first followers can inspire us. Now, more than ever, we need to model the
love and selfless service of Jesus.
This week I encourage you, I encourage, me to
follow Francis’ example of compassion, love, selfless service . . . to more devotedly follow Jesus on the Way
of life and Love.
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