Children, Godspell, and Lent

Robin McFee

Email: drmcfee2020@gmail.com

“Jesus called a little child to Him, and placed the child among them. And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Matthew 18:2 – 6.

The weekend before Palm Sunday I attended a performance of Godspell.* It is a powerful portrayal of Jesus’ ministry as seen through the experiences of Christ with His followers. As an aside, I am hoping we can show the movie version at church.

Getting back to the story, at the end of Godspell, there is a scene where Jesus dies. Hold that thought.

In the audience is a little girl who has been laser locked in on the entire performance. When Jesus dies she starts to cry – physically, palpably, and inconsolably. Clearly this moment has touched her. Truth be told, I’m tearful, too. I wonder how many others are feeling strong emotions at the thought of Jesus’ death.

Lent is a time of transformation as we journey with Jesus. It is a time to repent, to reconcile, to prepare for our ministry, and our resurrection in Christ.

But it is also a time to enter Jesus’ story, the way we do in Godspell, to learn or relearn what Jesus has been teaching throughout His ministry. Especially His last days before His Passion.

And I wonder, have we walked with Jesus, have we put ourselves into the story of His personal Lent, the days before The Last Supper? Good Friday?

It is easy to skip ahead to Easter. And yes, Easter is our day of hope reclaimed; hope assured, hope fulfilled, and that fulfillment enshrined in, and confirmation that the promises of God are worth holding on to throughout our lives.

But when we walk these last days of Holy Week, and they come whether we are paying attention or not, do we truly put ourselves into Jesus’ last days?

And if we do, who are we in that journey? Who will we become?

Will we be a Mary, and there were several? Will we be courageous and show up at the Cross? And by doing so publicly hold onto our faith in, love of and devotion to Jesus, even if it costs us something?

Will we be one of the Disciples – the ten who hid or John who joined Mary at the Cross? Publicly standing by His Savior when the danger was real?

And where was Lazarus or the lepers, the blind man, the paralyzed man – all of whom were raised or cured by Jesus. Were they nearby, risking their safety to stand against the crowds that brayed for Jesus’ Blood? Or were they also hiding? Or mourning? Or rethinking their faith?

It is easy two millennia later to say we’d be standing with Jesus’ Mother, and Disciple John at the foot of the Cross. But if we can’t stand by Jesus when people make jokes, or denigrate our faith, or we remain silent when our fellow Christians face torture and death in far off lands for publicly and proudly professing their love of Christ, it is hard to imagine we would be at the foot of the Cross, Christ’s Cross.

Lent is a time to reflect on our commitment to, courage in standing by, and companionship with Jesus – the good times and the challenging ones.

Lent is a time to reflect on why Jesus was on the Cross and how that translates into our lives.

Jesus was demonstrating sacrificial love. He as the perfect, pure Lamb, set Himself on the altar of excruciating^ pain to atone for our sins against God. And among His last words on the Cross, Jesus asked God to forgive them, but in that “them” is us.

Read Luke 11: 1 – 2. We all trespass against one another. We all do hurtful or stupid things. And Jesus has paid for them with His life. The ultimate sacrificial love – agapeo.

Reminds me of a dear friend talking about two of her grandchildren. I’ve met them and they are really good kids.

One day the little brother was about to be punished for doing something against the parents’ wishes (cookie out of the cookie jar level of childhood oops). The sister stepped in and took the punishment so her little brother wouldn’t.

When later on she was asked why, in spite of not doing anything wrong, she replied “I can take it better than he can.”  Talk about sacrificial love.

Jesus’ sacrifice – taking the punishment you and I couldn’t – was saying the same thing. He was saying to God ‘punish Me; I can take it better than Robin and her readers can.”

Jesus was modeling for us that true love requires sacrifice.

Jesus also reminds us that true love involves forgiveness. And it hurts to forgive! The Cross was the ultimate reminder of that!

The Cross – the greatest act of forgiveness in history! Jesus took on the punishment for our sins, and in the process reminds us to forgive others – among the last words He painfully said to God.

Beyond the fact Jesus invites us, instructs us to forgive as God forgives, with His life He showed us forgiveness is a great act of sacrificial love.

And when we choose to forgive, we are exemplifying our love for Christ.

When we forgive someone who has wronged us, even badly, it hurts to give them that gift, especially if they dismiss our acts. But we forgive as an act of sacrificial love – to Jesus. Yes we are showing love to the one we forgive, but what should make it less difficult, and more meaningful, regardless of the reaction of those who have trespassed against us, is the reaction Christ gives – and in the process we have shown the Lord we get it! We understand His sacrificial love a bit more.

We can learn a lot from children, which is why Jesus often talked about them, embedded them into His teachings.

On Palm Sunday, attending church with dear friends, during the children’s moment, the youth leader asked the kids what is the meaning of Palm Sunday.

One child said “it’s the day Jesus came to town.”

Another child answered “that’s when Jesus showed up.”  

Jesus shows up all the time in our lives – whether we notice or not.

This Lent we, too can show up, and still put ourselves into the Godspell moment, and become spiritually, mentally, and emotionally part of Jesus’ story.

We can think of the children I’ve referred to who have revealed the blessings of Lent in their own way….

We can unashamedly tear up, letting ourselves feel fully the weight of Jesus’ sacrificial love – a love so great He gave everything for us, for our transgressions.

We can recognize Jesus indeed has showed up.

We can lighten the load of others, because we can take it better than they can.

The question is, this Lent did we show up for Jesus? **

*https://www.charltoncityumc.org/post/godspell-moments

^excruciating comes from the Latin “ex crucio” – the pain from crucifixion was so severe that it led to its own word to describe it – ex crucio – from or of the cross.

** Maundy Thursday services, Good Friday services, Good Friday Cross Walk, Stations of the Cross, and other spiritually powerful services and activities are happening in Charlton, and other towns nearby

Free photo from https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/jesus-with-children