Sermon | 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 & Philippians 2:1-11 | ONE BODY, MANY MEMBERS - 3. "The Crucified Mind"

Sermon | 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 & Philippians 2:1-11 | ONE BODY, MANY MEMBERS - 3. "The Crucified Mind" given by Rev. Joseph Sanford As we open that eye and keep learning about our faith, we are led on a path that doesn’t travel upward, as we might picture it…but downward. We may think that we are headed UP…& there is some truth to that description of it. BUT…we are actually called DOWNWARD—to lower ourselves to the world around us—to be humble and emptied of any worldly status and pride. The struggle Koyama experienced in his life was the “crusading mind” from missionaries positioning themselves and their faith as “above” or “superior” to anything labeled “non-Christian.” Rather, Koyama says, we are to turn away from the “crusading mind” so that we have a “crucified mind.” We follow a crucified ruler in Jesus—which should tell us that we will follow him on the same path towards crucifixion. The way the “crucified mind” is understood is that: “‘God is a slow God, who adapts to human beings at their speed of ‘three miles per hour.’ The crucifixion of Jesus the Son of God, means that God went so slowly that on his search for people he was nailed to the cross.’ When God meets people in history, God treats them with respect for the autonomy in which God had dismissed them.” What this means is that God doesn’t crusade among or against us to believe correctly or force our third-eye open. Rather, God respects our free-will and ability to say “no.” God moves as absolutely slowly as necessary to reach us invitationally. God was moving so slowly for humanity in the form of Jesus that he was able to be nailed to the cross. And so…we must follow suit and move slowly for the world around us—as slowly as they need—respecting their free-will and opinion…and culture. We must be a faithful presence in their life full of patience and love. Now…this may seem counterintuitive to what we’ve grown up hearing, right?? Because of the power of our faith, we must be loud, proud, and speak strongly! We’ve actually heard the term “crusade” used in a positive light, but this mid-20th Century Asian Pacific perspective would wholeheartedly say, “NO. You must have a crucified mind to truly come to people in the way that God came to us.” Paul as he lays out a similar command to the church in Philippi which encourages the crucified mind. I thank God that Jesus Christ came to us in flesh and blood so that we might fully understand the way of God. I thank God Jesus refused to utilize his divine power to: turn stone to bread, create a spectacle, or to seize the kind of power the world actually understands without opening its third-eye. I’m glad Jesus chose the path of the crucified mind & body. I am grateful for God’s patience, mercy, grace, and love as fully expressed in the way Jesus taught, lived, loved, died, rose, ascended, and empowered us through the same Holy Spirit which was with him. Are you grateful? Are you grateful God did not embody a “crusading mind” towards us? We must embrace that crusading and loving are incompatible —if we are willing to open our hearts, minds, and eyes to see it. We must see that the Crucified mind & loving are perfect partners —inseparable realities to which we are called. We may not understand others and how God calls them. (They may be eyes, to us) Some churches do some things that are just strange and confusing. But, if a body of people are exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit—self-giving sacrificial love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—then we can KNOW the Spirit is at work in them in a way that we just may not be able to understand. We are like an ear witnessing the work of an eye—having no capacity to truly understand or comprehend it. But we should be joyfully thankful for God’s rich diversity. Other cultures, traditions, practices, and perspectives—if they are exhibiting fruit—should be honored by us the best way we know how.