If Jesus Awarded Oscars
John 12:20-27
Gettysburg Presbyterian Church
Harry G. Winsheimer
May 10, 2009
Mother's Day

Name me a great person.  Anyone, call out the name of a great person. Why do you say that the person is great?

We honor greatness with awards shows.  How many awards shows are there on TV?  How many in the world of sports?  What a contrast between Jesus and awards night! 

Take Oscar night.  We see the glory of Hollywood!  No one can create glory like Hollywood!  Movie stars arrive in stretch limos.  They step onto the red carpet.  The women preen, spinning slowly, arching their heads, showing off for the paparazzi.  Their gowns, designed by – you may know, I don’t pay any attention to who designs clothes.  The excited voices of the interviewers make it sound so important.  The crowd squeals.  Inside they praise each other.  The camera focuses upon certain stars.  If you are really glorious, you get to introduce one of the nominees.  If you were really good at what you did, your name will be called and you get the ultimate glory, the Oscar.  What seems to be the motivation?  Financial reward and being the center of attention.  Dollars and adulation.   Focus is on me, mine, ego.

Did you see the movie "Glory"?  I have always been somewhat of a Civil War buff.  (I enjoyed studying the strategy and technology, the decision-making.  Imagining the battle unfold was exciting.  We quit going to battlefields when my wife and children threatened secession.  Then we moved here!)  "Glory" is about a white officer from Massachusetts who wins approval to form an African-American military unit.  He recruits them.  The story unfolds around the lives of several of the white officers and several of the African-American soldiers.  They become combat capable, when most whites believed that they could never fight.  The commander has to battle his superiors to have the unit assigned to combat.  They prove themselves in a skirmish, but the prejudice prevails.  Finally, they attack a fort on the coast and white and blacks are slaughtered.  I thought that the acting and story were superb.  It was so real.  The struggle of those men, both white and black, to be men and soldiers stirred me.  The futility left me drained.   Glory -- that idea leaped at me from today's text. 

So, what makes someone great?  Is it fame?  Is it money?  Yes, in our culture.

The hour has come [for me] to be glorified, Jesus told the Greeks who came to talk with him. 

These Greeks were curious about Jesus.  They asked the disciple Philip for an introduction.

The Greeks must have been startled when Jesus said, "Guys, you are right on time.  I am about to be made great." 

I invite you teenagers and young adults to ask yourself the question, "What would make me a great person?"  Your answer to that question will impact your whole life.

We do not use the word “glory” often.  We are more likely to say “great”.  So for the sermon I will switch between glorious and greatness.

Now, I want you parents to ask, pertaining to your children: What would make my child great?  Grandparents: What would make your grandchildren great?

Did you see the movie, "Shine"?  The movie is about an Australian Jewish boy, whose father had emigrated from Poland.  The boy shows striking talent at the piano.  His father drives and drives and drives him to excel.  He can not handle the pressure.  As a teenager, he breaks down mentally.  Father wants his son to be a super-achieving, world-class pianist.  Why?  Is father interested in the boy?  No.  You suspect that father lives out his fantasy in his son. 

Mothers and fathers, grandparents, what would make your child great?

What makes for a great mother?  This is Mother’s Day.  Think about your mother.  I know that some of you had less than glorious mothers.  Others of us had mothers whom we are privileged to honor.  What made or makes them great?  Was it good looks?  Is it money?  Was it their fame?  Is it that they love you?  Was it that they sacrificed for you?  Is it that they insist that you learn?  Was it that they disciplined you?  Today is the day that we give the mothers in our lives their trophies – even though they would do it all for us without a word of thanks. Good mothers are by nature like the great people in Jesus’ teaching.

What makes someone great in the eyes of Jesus? 

Some Greeks wanted to see Jesus.  They asked Philip, who told Andrew, and the two together told Jesus.  Jesus gave a surprising answer, like his mind was on other things: The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  Then, Jesus used an illustration from planting wheat.  (Any of you grow wheat?)  It could be grass seed, or any seed for that matter.  I imagine him walking by a field in which the farmer was spreading wheat seed, and Jesus used the scene as a teaching moment.  Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.  Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  Do you get it?  In his mind, the greatness of a person comes from giving up one’s self in order to produce much good.  That multiplication is the definition of greatness.  He was talking about himself.  He knew that he was about to sacrifice himself in order that God’s message of love would be seen and heard around the world. 
Christ was truly God.
But he did not try to remain equal with God.
He gave up everything
and became a slave,
when he became like one of us.
Christ was humble.
He obeyed God and
even died on a cross.

It would be the same for his followers: they would follow him and his example.  Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.  We sacrifice ourselves to multiply ourselves.  Those Greeks overheard Jesus.  I wonder if they got the message.  Following Jesus is a life of love, humility and sacrifice -- a great life.

If Jesus were to give trophies for greatness, according to our lesson, the winners would have two characteristics: Out of love, sacrifice for God and out of love sacrifice to bless people.

"I want to tithe," a man told his pastor.  [A tithe is giving one-tenth of one's income to charity.  It is a biblical practice that some of us follow -- one-tenth to charity.]  "I want to tithe," a man told his pastor.  I want to give 10 percent of my income to my church.  When my income was $100 a week, I gave $10 to the church every Sunday.  When I was successful in business and my weekly income rose to $5,000 a week, I gave $500 to the church every Sunday.  But now my income has gone to $10,000 a week, and I just can't bring myself to give $1000 to the church every week -- that is a lot of money!"  The pastor said, "Why don't we pray over this?"  The pastor began to pray, "Dear God, please make this man's income $100 a week so that he can tithe."1  Which makes a man great – a lot of dollars or the willingness to sacrifice out of love? 

When I think of Jesus, I think of his willing sacrifice.

When I think of mothers, I think of their willingness to sacrifice for their families.

What an added blessing if the mother also serves God!

One of the richest concepts of the New Testament for me is praus.  Praus is the Greek word that is usually translated as meekness or gentleness.  In English the words carry negative connotations not found in the Greek.  It describes the person whose mind is fixed on God, is trainable, educable, and not vainly willful.

It is the word used for a trained horse.  Take a wild mustang from the west.  Bring him here to Gettysburg.  He is a beautiful animal, young, spirited, healthy.  You picture yourself in the saddle galloping on that magnificent animal.  What happens when you try to put the saddle on his back?  He bucks.  He kicks.  He jerks away.  He sprints off.  No way will he let you put the saddle on him!  But, you teach him to accept the saddle and you.  And, your dream becomes reality.  The New Testament Greek word praus refers to the wild animal that has accepted training and become useful to its owner.  It refers to us, when we have surrendered our will, accepted God's guidance, and we channel our energies into God's work.  The wild energy becomes obedient, creative, constructive energy. 

God gives trophies to Christ’s people who are not looking for trophies, but to bless.  These are the people, mothers, e.g., who would be totally surprised to have their names called at an award ceremony.  They do what is right, what is loving, what is needed.  God gives trophies to people who say, "God, I am a seed!  Plant me!  I want to produce for you.  I am your mustang; saddle me that I may be useful for you."

We know people who are great.  Let's thank them.  Let's give them a word of appreciation and encouragement.  As parents, grandparents and neighbors, let us be Christ-like examples.  If we are blessed to have such saintly parents, let’s give them their due.

Many of you live obediently and you sacrifice!  And you do so from your heart, from the mind of Christ that is within you.  You do so with grace.  God bless you!  You have been an inspiration to me, making my service as pastor a blessing.  You do not seek a crown, but you will get one. 

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