In 1945 the Chicago Cubs baseball team was in the World Series (yes, I know, how can it be a WORLD Series if it just involves teams from the United Sates….but I digress). They were playing the Detroit Tigers in Game number 4 of the series and it was being played in Chicago at legendary Wrigley Field. Present at the game that day was the owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, William Sianis. But accompanying Mr. Sianis that day was his goat, Murphy. The odor being exuded by Murphy offended some fans and Mr. Sianis, and Murphy, were asked to leave. Sianis responded by placing a curse on the Cubs saying that they would never again win a championship. Their last World Series victory came in 1908 (they lost the 1945 series to the Tigers).
And the curse held strong for the next 71 years with the Cubs finally winning in 2016 over the Cleveland Indians. 108 years after their last championship in 1908. The longest losing drought in American sports history.
The Cubs curse of the goat is reminded me of the goat mentioned in Leviticus 16: 10….the scapegoat.
“But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.”
Aaron would lay his hands on the head of the chosen goat and thus transfer the sins of the people from the previous year to the goat. The goat would then be sent out into the wilderness carrying off with it the sins of the people of Israel having them thus wiped clean for another year. The goat was sent out in atonement for the sins of the nation of Israel and this ritual was the basis for the Jewish High Holiday of Yom Kippur. The Day of Atonement.
Today’s Gospel reading from John comes soon after Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead. This miracle obviously impressed a fair number of people. While Lazarus coming back from the dead may not be as miraculous as the Cubs coming back from the dead as perennial losers, it still drew a fair amount of attention. And many came to believe in Him as a result.
Such a major event was this that it caught the attention of the Pharisees and brought about the convening of the Sanhedrin. The discussion was what to do with this Jesus. They saw his growing popularity as reason that the Romans would swoop down and take away the freedoms the Jews were given to practice their faith under Roman occupation. Pilate would see Jesus as a Jew undermining his authority in Jerusalem. So Caiphus convinced the members of the Sanhedrin that, for the sake of the nation, This Jesus Must Die (as the title of this scene in Jesus Christ Superstar is called). Jesus would be made to be a Scapegoat, in the tradition of Yom Kippur. The sins of the people would be placed on Him and He would carry them with Him to the cross.
And Caiphus “prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,
and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.” Little did he know how accurate his prophesy was. For Jesus’ death did in fact gather into one the dispersed children of God. Except Caiphus saw Jesus’ death bringing the Jews back together and saved the nation from division. His death in fact brought all children, Jew and Gentile alike, back into the family of God. And instead of having a scapegoat to carry off sins once per year, we have a high priest who we can call on at any time and who can carry away our sins so that we are washed clean in the blood of the lamb.
While that may not live up to breaking a 108 year goat curse for a die hard Cub fan, for die hard Catholics it is pretty special.
