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Let me know what you think. The church Email is: SLUMC@att.net, Phone: 480.895.8766
April
11, 2003
Sermon: "The Count Down to Easter -In Our Own Image - 6,5,4"
Scripture: John 12: 12 - 16
Reverend Larry Gerber
Images of
Christ have been crafted for ages, icons and portraits that attempt to put us
face to face with our Lord. But what is Jesus really like?
What did Jesus look like? A laughing, short-bearded Jesus with dirty blond hair
and blue eyes? What about an African Jesus? Or a clean-shaven Jesus, arms outstretched
at the Last Supper? Or an Asian Jesus with his Asian mother at his side? Take
your pick. Picture the face of Jesus in your imagination. What do you see? Does
he have an aquiline nose? Hair the color of walnut wood, parted in the middle,
hanging straight to the ears, maybe turning to waves down to his shoulders?
Does he have a dark beard, dark eyes, tanned olive skin, high cheekbones, a
narrow, handsome face filled with passion and kindness, and in his dark eyes,
fire and compassion? Is this how you picture him? Is this his true likeness?
Many centuries ago, an icon of Jesus was painted with these very familiar features.
It is called The Mandylion Icon, from the Greek, meaning The Towel. Orthodox
Christian tradition claims this icon as the first painting of Jesus. It is believed
to be an accurate representation of his true likeness. In the writings of the
Ante-Nicene Fathers there's a story of how The Mandylion Icon came to be: The
fame of Jesus, the wonder worker and healer, had spread far beyond the lands
of Judea, where he taught and worked and walked. Across the Euphrates River,
in the city of Edessa — believed to be the modern southeastern Anatolian
city of Sanliurfa in Turkey — lived a governor named Abgarus who suffered
from an incurable disease that neither herbs nor doctors could heal. Hearing
of Jesus' miracles, Abgarus wrote him a letter, as recorded by Eusebius: To
Jesus called Christ, Abgarus the governor of the country of the Edessenes, an
unworthy slave. The multitude of the wonders done by you has been heard of by
me, that you heal the blind, the lame and the paralytic, and cure all the demoniacs;
and on this account I entreat your goodness to come even to us, and escape from
the plottings of the wicked authorities who hate you. My city is small, but
large enough for both of us. Abgarus convinced Ananias to deliver the letter
and, while in Judea, to take an accurate account of Jesus — his appearance,
his stature, his hair and his words. Ananias delivered the letter to Jesus,
then stared at Jesus, trying to fix in his mind the face of Christ. Try though
he did, Ananias couldn't memorize the countenance of Jesus. Jesus, knowing Ananias'
heart, asked a disciple for a wash towel. A wet cloth was handed to him. He
wiped his face on the towel, then gave it to Ananias. On the towel was the very
image of the face of Christ. A miracle! "Take this towel to Abgarus,"
said Jesus, "and tell him I cannot come, for I must fulfill my destiny
here, but later I will send my disciple, Thaddaeus, to heal him." Ananias
fell to the ground and worshiped Jesus, then returned to Abgarus in Edessa,
who was healed by means of the miraculous towel long before Thaddaeus arrived.
Orthodox tradition claims that it was from this Towel of Edessa that the first
ancient icon of Jesus, The Mandylion Icon, was later painted, which became a
prototype for the faces of Jesus down through the centuries. Since the time
when Ananias delivered the Towel of Edessa, thousands of icons, western-style
paintings and sculptures have been created with Jesus as the subject. Last summer
more than 100 paintings and icons of Jesus were collected for one show. The
Gallery at the American Bible Society in New York City hosted an art exhibit
entitled, "Icons or Portraits? Images of Jesus and Mary from the Collection
of Michael Hall." This collection investigates the image, or true likeness,
of Jesus in art over time. From the symbolic images of Early Christian catacombs
to modern interpretations, iconic as well as narrative images have served as
objects of education, edification, devotion and aesthetic appreciation. These
collected works illustrate how artists, especially in the Renaissance and post-
Renaissance periods, tended to use an established prototype for the portrayal
of Christ. Whether he is part of a story or an isolated figure, Jesus is recognizable
by virtue of his recurring facial features. Differences and variables, obvious
over time and style changes, only contribute to emphasizing a certain "family
air." Scripture teaches that we are made in God's image, but often enough
we remake Jesus as a reflection of our own image — projecting ourselves
onto him. It isn't just his features we reimagine. At times we reimagine and
misunderstand his character, too.
In a seminary class on the likeness of Jesus, my professor hung about 25 different portraits of Jesus on the wall prior to our class time. Upon entering, the class was to walk around the room, and make comments outloud, if any particular picture spoke to us. I stopped in front of a picture of a black Jesus. I remarked "racist". The entire class stopped and looked at me. The professor exclaimed: "I am sure glad that Jonathon wasn't here today to hear that. How could say such a thing?" Jonathon was the only black in our otherwise lily white class. I responded: I see Jesus as a typical male Jew of about 30 years of age. All of these pictures are racist - they do not depict the real image of Jesus. We have made Jesus in our own image." The room was silent. The professor said" "OK class, everyone back to their seats."
The pictures
you are seeing on powerpoint this morning are portraits of Jesus in our own
image. They are a variety of portraits that have been painted over the years,
from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Most of us present this morning, would
most likely pick Solomons head of Christ as our favorite portrait of Jesus.
It is the one that many of us identify from our early childhood.
Through the years, we have portrayed Jesus in our own likeness. If we think
of Him as looking like one of us, we can identify with Him more closely.
So, wh is
this Jesus. How should we see Him?
His true likeness, his character, has always been difficult to capture —
even for those who knew him personally. When Jesus was with his friends, teaching,
laughing, drinking wine and eating bread, visible, touchable and knowable, even
then, he was rarely seen or understood for who he was. On the day of the big
festival when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, everyone present
seemed to misunderstand who he was and where he was headed. Thus began a week
in which the world, finally gaining a true likeness of him, finally understanding
him to a certain degree, decided they didn't like what they saw, preferring
to put him away, permanently. The adoring crowd expected a conquering king who
could restore Israel's ancient greatness, throwing off the weight of Roman servitude.
What they got was a humble servant Savior. The religious authorities thought
he was a dangerous, riot-rousing rebel who'd lead the people astray. Little
did they know that by killing him, he would become far more powerful, leading
generations to God. So what is the character and true likeness of Jesus? Throughout
the week to come, • We'll see Jesus righteously indignant at the materialism
of the temple. • We'll witness him overturn tables while simultaneously
turning the table-owning merchants against him. • We'll watch Jesus challenge
his disciples while he faces their betrayal. • We'll see him prayerful
in the garden, desiring not to fulfill his destiny, but knowing he must. •
And finally we'll see him demonstrating sacrificial love on Friday.
This is
the true Jesus, portrayed in God's image, not ours. Come this Thursday, or Friday,
and witness Jerusalem Live. Relive the past week of Jesus life in action and
music, as we portray Him as He was, and as the choir accompanies us with song.
Come again on Sunday morning at 6 am and witness the True Jesus as the Resurrected
Christ. You will see Him in God's own image, in the rising of the sun.
May we truly see Jesus this week, so that we can recognize the Risen Christ
next week. Let us pray.......
Let me know what you think. The church Email is: SLUMC@att.net, Phone: 480.895.8766