The Cross and The System

 

Reflection Sunday 21^st March 2021 – Fifth Sunday of Lent

 

³¹ Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. John 12:31 NRSV

³¹ Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. John 12: 31 NIV

As we get closer and closer to Holy Week, in the passage from John we’re thinking about today, we see the cross casting its shadow. But for John, certainly on this occasion, Jesus’ death on the cross is not about individuals’ salvation from sin. Nor is John concerned with what theologians call “substitutionary atonement”; through which Jesus takes on the divine punishment that humans beings deserve, to relieve us of our condemnation and guilt. Rather, in John 12: 20 – 33, Jesus’ crucifixion is about judging “the world” and driving out “the ruler of the world”.

“The world” Jesus is referring to is not God’s creation. Rather it is what Charles Campbell in Feasting on the Word calls “the fallen realm that exists in estrangement from God and is organised in opposition to God’s purposes.” For John, the phrase “the world” sums up all that goes against God’s purposes. And in fact, the Greek word John uses, which is translated as “the world” is possibly better thought of as “the System”. The System is driven by a spirit or force (“the ruler of the world”) whose ways are domination, violence, and death. John uses the phrase “ruler of this world” or “prince of this world” several times in his Gospel and he clearly means the Devil or Satan.

It is Jesus’ intention that his death (“when I am lifted up”) will bring about reconciliation for the world with God. And through the reconciliation, the Systems of the world will be overthrown, as the ruler of the world is overthrown. It is almost as if John interprets the crucifixion as an exorcism, in which the System is judged and its driving force, “the ruler of this world”, is cast out by means of the cross. Consequently, because of Jesus’ death (and resurrection) all people from the earth will be drawn to Jesus.

Throughout Holy Week Jesus will demonstrate how he challenges the System. Specifically how he challenges the System of violence. Jesus challenges the idea that the way to defeat violence is through violence.  The writer Walter Wink called it “the myth of redemptive violence.” According to this myth, the way to bring order out of chaos is through violently defeating “the other”. Violence is all too often the way of “the world”, the way of the System. On a personal level and on a global level violence is often seen as a means to resolve conflict.

During Holy Week Jesus refuses to use violence against the violence that will be shown to him. He does not stir up an armed mob during his entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He does not call down a host of angels to defend him. And in fact, in John 18: 10 – 11 in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus chides Peter when Peter drew a sword to defend Jesus.

Jesus will provide an explanation to Pilate in John 18:36 NIV

³⁶ Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.’

Or think of it this way

³⁶ Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this System. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.’

Jesus’ rejection of violence, is precisely what distinguished his way, from the way of the System and from the way of Satan.

Yet despite this, despite Jesus’ death on the cross, and his conquering the sin of death (which is the ultimate defeat of Satan) we know that the Systems of this world still run contrary to Jesus. We know there is violence for example in Yemen. The System allows that violence to continue. The System allows that violence to be carried out by a powerful country (Saudi Arabia) against a weak one. And the System provides (British and American made) weapons to do so whilst at the same time cutting financial aid to people in Yemen who are starving due to the war / violence perpetuated against them.

Such things pose huge theological questions. Questions such as “If Jesus’ crucifixion drove out the ruler of the world, why is there still evil in the System?” Questions that have been debated for hundreds of years by people far more learned than me. People have written whole books on the subject rather than having space for a Reflection.

But for Jesus’ death to bring about reconciliation to God, one must make the decision to believe in Jesus and all Jesus means. That is, Jesus’ death offers reconciliation to all people, but one must decide to accept the offer.

²⁴ Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12: 20 – 36

I am currently reading a book about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor and theologian murdered by the Nazis three weeks before the end of the war. We all know that Nazism was perhaps the most evil regime human history has ever known. “The System” at its worst. Yet Bonhoeffer was not broken by it. The Nazi System did not break his faith. He confronted evil and paid the price. He once said this:

“When a madman is tearing through the streets in a car, I can, as a pastor who happens to be on the scene, do more than merely console, or bury those who have been run over. I must jump in front of the car and stop it”

As followers of Christ, with Christ in our hearts and souls, it is incumbent upon us to confront the Systems, to challenge evil and injustice, to speak out against the ruler of this world. We cannot be bystanders, to use Bonhoeffer’s analogy, watching the car crash occurring. We should be trying our utmost to prevent it.

If you find Bonhoeffer a bit daunting, John Wesley wrote to his "people called Methodist" the following Rule of Conduct:

Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.

Wesley's Rule of Conduct is a way of challenging "The System". The crucifixion of Jesus is God's Rule of Conduct; it is the rule for our lives as long as we shall live. This is the meaning of the Passion. This is the way of the Cross.