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

     The wise man said, "A time is coming when we will each have to choose between doing what is right, and doing what is easy." Who could have said such a thing? It could have been Winston Churchill, or Franklin Roosevelt, considering the dark prospects for war, and the challenge that lay before the world, to stop Adolph Hitler and the Nazis. It could have been President Bush, after September 11th, as he considered the American response, and how we might pre-emptively avoid future terrorist attacks. They could be the words of almost any soldier, or military person serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, on almost any day now, as they serve in a hostile, difficult environment, challenged to do the right thing, rather than the easy thing.

     The fact is, the words were spoken by Professor Dumbledore, to Harry Potter, toward the end of the recent film, as the evil Lord Voldemort has fully returned, and Harry will have to, at some time soon, choose between doing what is right, and what is easy.

     In our gospel lesson for today, Jesus, and the disciples, are at just such a crucial time in the life and ministry of Jesus. Our text begins with some Greeks who were in Jerusalem for the Festival of Passover-Jesus' last Passover in Jerusalem, and they came to Philip and said, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." And, if they wanted to see Jesus, now would be the time, because just after these words from Jesus, it is the night of the Passover meal, and Jesus eats the meal with His disciples, and washes their feet, and gives them the new commandment to love one another; and then, Jesus goes out to the Garden of Gethsemane, where after difficult hours of prayer, Jesus is arrested and taken off to be tried, tortured, and finally, put to death. Our passage from John's gospel, really records Jesus' last time of freedom, his last hours of life-because from the Passover meal onward, everything in Jesus' life spirals on towards Golgotha and the cross. So, in these final hours, what does Jesus have to say to his disciples, about His own choice between what is right, and what is easy?

     Jesus says, "the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." but it will only happen, through death. Jesus says, "Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." And then, Jesus also speaks to the disciples about the choices they will have to make, saying, "those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also." Here, Jesus is painting, for his disciples, a picture of what is to come. And the painting highlights, suffering, sacrifice, self-denial, and finally, death. Death to self, death to the things of this world, death to anything that would keep him, and us, from God. And of course, this was hard for the disciples to hear. Indeed, it was hard for Jesus to consider-and He says so! Jesus continues, saying, "Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say-'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour!" And then, in his agony, Jesus cries out a prayer, not for deliverance, not to be saved from doing what is right, but a prayer, that through Jesus' death, the Father might be glorified. Jesus prays, "Father, glorify your name." And in answer to that prayer, a voice comes from heaven, as the Father speaks to the Son, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." And of course, the crowd standing there heard this voice, and some mistakenly thought that it was thunder, or the voice of an angel. But Jesus explains all of this to them saying, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world (Satan) will be driven out. And, I," says Jesus, "when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." And John tells us, "Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die."

     You see, while Jesus' soul was troubled-while again, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, "Father, if it be your will, let this cup of sorrow and suffering pass from me.", still, He made His choice, and His choice was to follow the Father's will-to submit to the Father's will, to put His very life, in the hands of His Heavenly Father, trusting that in the Father's will, ultimately, was not death, but life-not an eternal grave, but resurrection unto eternal life. Jesus knew the choice before Him would not be easy. Jesus knew the cup of suffering that was coming-Jesus knew what that humiliation, and scourging, and crucifixion would be like-Jesus knew that He was facing pain, and torture, and bloody death. Jesus knew the personal price He would have to pay, to do, not what was easy, but what was right. And what is right, is what Jesus chose. And what is right, was the Father's will.

     And soon, we will be called to follow Jesus, as He follows the Father's will, from Maundy Thursday, to Good Friday, to the cross, the tomb, and yes, finally, and ultimately, to Easter morning, and resurrection! Our Holy Week observance is nothing other than, following Jesus on the way of the cross, walking with Him the Via Dolorosa-the path of sorrows, because that way-is the way of life. That way, is the way to have true life, not just now, but forever! And this way, this path, Jesus calls us to follow, not one week a year, not just during Holy Week. Jesus calls us to follow Him, every week of the year, and every day of our lives-realizing that it is when we cling to earthly life, and earthly pursuits, according to earthly values, that we end up spiritually dead-while it is when we forsake the ways of the world, when we die to the world, that we receive life, and abundant life, and eternal life. Jesus says, "whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also."

     And where is Jesus? On the way to the cross. On the path the Father has laid out for Him. And that's where we are to be-on the way to the cross; on the path that the Father has laid out for us. Jesus chose the way of sacrifice and self-giving-and that is the way we are to choose as well. We are to give ourselves to God; we are to give ourselves away; we are to give ourselves to others, to choose the Father's will, and so, to glorify our Father in heaven-doing, what is right, not what is easy.

     Which means, living in accordance with God's commandments and ordinances, rather than living according to our own wishes and wants. It means choosing truth, and honesty and integrity, rather than lies and deceit. It means walking the way of purity and chastity, rather than the way of carnal lust and desire and unchecked sensuality. It means choosing to be sober and in-control, rather than intoxicated and out of control. It means treating our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit of God, rather than as ours, to use as we wish. It means being willing to stand up for ourselves, and for others, when every one around us is sitting down. It means being willing to fight for liberty and freedom, justice and peace for all, when it would be easier to remain safe and secure within the four walls of our own home. Jesus chose to do what is right, not what is easy. And we, every day of our lives, are called upon to choose, as well. In response to Jesus, being lifted up on the cross; in response to Jesus' choice of the Father's will, let us choose-God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit-let us choose, the will of God and the way of the cross.

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