At the Core

Holy Thursday Passion Service (April 17, 2025)

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen!

One by one the master walked by the stones. Many different sizes, shapes and colors, each more beautiful than the next. Suddenly, the artist stopped and looked at a block of bianco ordinario grade Carrara marble. This marble was deemed flawed and challenging to work with by countless other sculptors and was useless and of lesser quality. Yet, Michaelangelo chose this rejected stone and over time carved away to reveal one of the most beautiful works of art known as Michaelangelo’s David. To the surprise of many, a young Michaelangelo took a piece of marble that had been chipped away and rejected because it was unworkable by at least 2 other far more experienced artists. Yet, through dedication the Old Testament Prophet and King David in that marble was revealed for the amazement of all. Many of us would wonder why? Why would Michaelangelo choose this rejected stone.

Many of us have this same question about our own lives? Why would God, the master and created of this universe choose me? I often think of this as a priest. Why would God choose me to be a priest and pastor. But I think perhaps we have all had this question, priest or not. Why would God choose us? Especially as we gather now in darkness, as we remember how Christ Jesus was betrayed by one of his own disciples, why does Christ Jesus choose the way He does? Why did Christ choose Judas? We know from the Gospel’s that Jesus knew from the very beginning that Judas would betray Him. (Jn. 6:64) And yes, perhaps as we read through the Old Testament, we understand that Judas was fulfilling prophecy. Ps. 41:9 “He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.” In fact, Judas’ act of betrayal was so deep that his name is synonymous with evil; we do not even name our children Judas, and yet, Christ chose Him.

Additionally, as we read through the Gospel accounts tonight, we see that not just Judas but also the other disciples were flawed. They ran in fear. They did not stay faithful. St. Peter, whom we recognize as a saint, even he denied knowing Christ. Choosing to betray their friend, their Lord, running in fear – yet, still Christ chose Judas, Christ still chose Peter and all the disciples.

What about us? How many times do we betray Christ? We claim to follow Him, but we doubt, we deny, and we choose to live in sin. Through arrogance, lust, pride, anger and hatred; by justifying our own Will and satisfying our thirst for pleasure over what God has offered us, why would Christ choose us? My dears, when Michaelangelo looked at the core of the stone, he saw the image of his work that would be born out of it. Out of that stone he constructed a statue of St. David. King David was a man who was broken and flawed. When Christ looked at the disciples, He saw their core, the value they had even though they were broken and flawed. God chooses us my dears, not because we are smart or strong or having something to offer. God chooses us even though we are all broken and flawed because at our core there is value – the image and likeness of God. Whether is it King David, Judas the betrayer, Peter, Paul and the other disciples or us, we are all created in the image and likeness of God. Through sin, that image and likeness, that value has been degraded and darkened to us in the same way we sit here in the dark. Our value has been reduced to material pleasure and wealth, flesh and bone. If we don’t look, think, or act a certain way; if we don’t have certain skills or assets, then we have little value. We are a rejected, flawed and broken person. Yet, God sees us at our core.

God our Heavenly Father knows our true value and reveals it to us through His sacrifice on the Cross through Jesus Christ. And in order for us to recognize that beauty and value, God through the Holy Spirit invites us to participate in His Divine work. To live and choose to live in such a way that strengthens how we are like Him; that chips away the stones around us, that falls and yet rises. That runs in fear but prays to learn to come back. That is where Judas’ betrayal of Christ is not merely with words but in his heart. Did Christ know Judas and his disciples will fall? Yes, but out of the other disciples Judas is the only one who continued to try and justify his choice of sin over his desire to be changed. Judas did not betray merely someone he knew, but someone he loved by devaluing him. Have you ever wondered why Scriptures and the hymns remind us that Judas agreed to 30 pieces of silver? It is because in the Mosaic law, a slave was worth 30 pieces of silver. In other words, God the Son, became a servant and yet, Judas sold his teacher and friend as a slave. Yet, God still chose to give him and opportunity which he denied.

My dears God knows we fail, we fall, we sin, and we hurt; however our core, our image is not of a broken person but of one who is given an opportunity to be raised back up even out of the worst of sins. Yet this is our choice. To repent and turn back, to confess and ask for forgiveness and mercy. To participate by seeking His light even the darkest times of our life. God my dears, sees in every sinner, in you and I, the possibility of a glorified saint – His child. In the stone, our master sees His masterpiece. For this reason St. Paul writes, “I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me because He judged me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man…This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief” (I Timothy 1:12,15). When we choose my dears to live a faithful life despite of our flaws, when we desire to walk with Christ even when the world tells us we have no value or purpose, Christ will not only forgive us by wiping the slate of our past sin clean but through His death and resurrection He will reveal to us how truly valuable we are, the image we carry and the light we can be in the darkened world. When we repent and confess our sins, when we choose to live our life in the confidence of Christ Jesus, then through His Passion, Death and Resurrection, we will be redeemed as the other disciples were, we will be an example to all, a magnificent work of art that will bring glory to our creator and Lord, now and always, Amen!