Motives
Fans of Cleudo, the murder/mystery board game, might be interested
to know that the murder weapons and the Tudor mansion in which the
game is set have both undergone a 21st Century makeover; the
leadpiping has become a sports trophy, the conservatory is now a spa;
and the billiard room, a home entertainment centre.
Now for those unfamiliar with the delights of Cleudo, the aim of the
game is to correctly identify the perpetrator, location and method of a
murder. The one thing we’re not required to work out however is the
motive. Why did Colonel Mustard knock off Dr Black in the library with
a candlestick?
Devotees of Wallander, Marple , Morse or any other self respecting
crime detective will know that motive is often the essential key to
unlocking any investigation.
Murder mysteries aside, what motive do we think lay behind the
request we read about today from the Sons of Thunder, AKA disciples
James and John? The brothers wanted a guarantee from Jesus that
they would each sit on his right and left hand when he is finally
enthroned in his kingdom.
Now in any other kingdom, this would be a request for a power and
prestige second only to the king. The problem of course was that Jesus’
kingdom wasn’t like other kingdoms.
In his kingdom the first are last and the last first. Power is held by the
weak, greatness demonstrated by the humble. And this kingdom was
not some future event brought about by the downfall of the Roman
occupation, this kingdom was already here and now.
In another account of this same episode the brothers are too cowardly
even to ask the question themselves; they send their poor old mother
instead to do their dirty work. When the other disciples got wind of
this, they were livid. They knew exactly what these scheming brothers
were up to. These were after all the guys who had been part of a
previous argument among the disciples about which one of them was
the greatest.
All the evidence points towards motives of self promotion and a thirst
for power.
James and John don’t come out of this particularly well. But are they
any different to you and me?
No matter how good or selfless any human act is, there is usually some
less than altruistic motive; When I do something ‘worthy’ I am if I’m
honest, secretly looking for a little recognition or a little thanks, or a
little of that warm fuzzy feeling.
Human motives are rarely totally pure.
And yet notice that Jesus didn’t question their motives, instead he
asked them if they knew what they were really asking for. The brothers
are quick to say yes, they do, but as Jesus continues to unpack the
implications, the small print, their bravado I imagine begins to shrink, ‘are you willing to follow this same path?’ asks Jesus..... ‘one that
doesn’t lead to a throne room but leads to a cross?’.
Later they would understand and they would freely choose the path of
their King, eventually leading to their own premature deaths. The
resurrection and the power of the Holy Spirit would later transform
these two unsaintly chancers, into saints of God.
Here’s the good news, despite our mixed and often selfish motives, the
Holy Spirit can also use us. It’s true that God does look at the heart but
even when the heart isn’t right, he can still work with it.
In our discipleship course I spoke about the vision that the Cistercian
monk Bernard of Clairvaux had of a woman wandering through a town
with a pitcher of water in one hand and a flaming torch in the other.
‘Why?’ asked a brave somebody. ‘With one’ she replied ‘would I
quench the fires of hell and with the other burn heaven itself, so we
would worship God simply for who he is, not out of barter or
transaction or fear’
Simply for who God is; for no fringe benefits, out of no fear of
repercussion.
Bernard went on to say that our motive must graduate from Loving
God for self’s sake (that is for what we can get out of it) to loving God
for God’s sake.
How does that happen? The only way I know is through spending time
consciously in His presence, for no reason other than just being. And
that’s harder than we might think. To get there we have to break
through a thousand distractions and resist the temptation of reel off
our shopping list of prayers.
This prayer from the priest Michel Quoist sums it up beautifully
To be here with you Lord, That’s all. To shut the eyes of my body, to
shut the eyes of my soul. To be still and silent. To be here with you the
Eternal Presence. I am willing Lord to feel nothing, to hear nothing, to
see nothing. Empty of all ideas, of all images. In the darkness, here I
am, simply to meet you, without obstacle in the silence of faith’
Willing to feel nothing, hear nothing, see nothing...
We will in a few moments in this place remember the scene of a crime;
bread will remind us of a body torn by jealousy and fear and revenge.
Wine; of blood shed for the sins of a world.
I wonder if we ever stop to ask ourselves why we’re here, why week
after week we come together to remember this murder which
mysteriously can also bring us to life.
Duty? (duty’s a good thing is short supply these days), to please
someone else?, to appease our conscience? To find reassurance or
strength or community, to simply worship God for our sake or his sake?
Sometimes I have to confess I’m here because it’s what I do, it’s what
I’m paid for. Sometimes I’m on autopilot, just going through the
motions.
But do you know what? I don’t actually think Jesus minds too much
why, what matters is that we’re here.
He always takes us exactly as he finds us, and if we are willing, he
promises not to leave us there.
A last question to ponder and talk about afterwards perhaps over
coffee; one of the biggest questions. What were Jesus’ motives in
risking so much to come and inhabit this human life, and to suffer?
He could have stood back and let us do what we humans are
particularly good at - tear each other and our world apart. I know so
little about God yet in Jesus what I see for sure is that he can never
remain unmoved on the sidelines, love always compels him into the
thick of it..
Jesus’ motives for coming to us had nothing to do with fame or
fortune, or self promotion or a thirst for power. He gave that away.
Part of the answer is that he came to expose the motives of every
human heart, not to judge them, but to inspire a new way of living,
where love of God and love of others becomes our one true
motivation. Love for their sake, not ours.
As we share this cup of suffering that Jesus spoke of to James and John,
as he comes to us as he promises to do in bread and wine or in a
blessing, are we willing to allow our lives to be shaped by his selfless
love, compassion and courage?