Unbind him

 John 10:40-11:46

Last week, I commented that the Gospel of John has these lengthy stories, in contrast with the parables of the other Gospels. Someone asked for clarification, so here’s my way of thinking about the difference.

Many parables are only a few verses long: the shepherd went looking for the missing sheep until it was found; a farmer filled his silo and decided to build another to hold the excess, but he didn’t know he was about to die; a vineyard owner paid everyone the same, no matter how long they worked.

In these stories, we get only glimpses of the person at the center of the story, and sometimes we wonder which person in the story is Jesus or God. The stories in John’s Gospel have more personal details so we get a fuller sense of who the main character is, and who Jesus is as he interacts with the person. So, we know that Nicodemus the Pharisee was curious; the Samaritan woman was intrigued about this prophet who knew her so well; and the blind man encountered congratulations as well as doubt and ridicule after his healing. John lays out the stories to build one on another to demonstrate that Jesus is the Son who is one with the Father.

… In today’s story of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, we learn a lot about them and even more about Jesus plans. Jesus has been in the city of Jerusalem, and begins to encounter some interference from the leadership. He and the disciples have moved across the Jordan to avoid being arrested too soon.

It appears that Lazarus and the sisters are good friends with Jesus. Martha’s message says, “Lazarus, whom you love, is ill.” I believe that Lazarus is the one Jesus is talking to from the cross when he says, “Here is your mother, and here is your son.”

Jesus makes plans to use Lazarus’ illness to demonstrate divine power and God’s plans for us all. So, instead of hurrying to Bethany to heal Lazarus, Jesus stays where he is. He spends the time as usual, teaching and healing people in the safety of their camp across the river.

Lazarus dies, and still Jesus delays. Finally, after he has been in the tomb for three days, Jesus goes to see the family. “Now,” he says, “this death will reveal God’s glory.”

He’s not even in Bethany yet and Martha rushes to meet him. There is anger and pain and trust in her words. “I know you could have healed him. Why did you delay?” Then, “Even so, I believe he will be resurrected in the last days.”

Jesus responds with “I am the resurrection and the life. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord, I do believe that! I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” In John’s Gospel, Martha is the first person to make this profession of faith.

Mary uses the same words, but she had to deal with her anger first. She refused to leave the house to see Jesus, because she couldn’t understand why Jesus would have delayed in coming to heal Lazarus. Eventually, the folks with her convinced her to go talk with him. I think there was more anger than faith in her words, which parallel Martha’s.  “You could have healed him! Why didn’t you come when we asked the first time!?” Mary’s emotions catch Jesus, and he is moved to tears.

It’s when they go to the tomb that we see what Jesus has planned all along. Practical Martha says there will be a strong odor since the body has been in the tomb for three days. Still, Jesus tells the men to open the tomb. He prays aloud intentionally, so all can hear. “Father, hear me now, as you always do. Reveal your glory in this moment, so all present can know that you sent me.” And he calls for Lazarus to come out.

Different videos and images treat this moment differently, as we would expect. One video shows Lazarus emerging, but apparently not sure just what has happened. The crowd, too, is stunned into inaction, staring at the walking corpse. So, Jesus has to offer some instruction. “Unbind him.” And they do.

While the family and friends are celebrating, some go to the Pharisees. “You won’t believe what Jesus of Nazareth has done now.” While it’s all joy in Bethany, it’s an important witness against Jesus, and Jesus knows it. It’s been his plan all along.

… What does this mean for us? First of all, before Jesus has died and been raised, we know that God has the power over life and death. It’s almost a spoiler alert for the end of Jesus’ story according to John.

Second, we know that since God is stronger than death, God is also stronger than all the evil powers in the world. When bad things are happening, we know that God will ultimately win over evil.

Third, we know that God knows what it feels like to be human, so when we are feeling particularly human, we can count on God to be present with us, not just as a powerful deity but as a companion who feels what we feel. When we laugh, Jesus laughs with us; when we weep, Jesus weeps with us; and when we are ill, instead of delaying his return, Jesus is right at our side keeping us company.

And so, we can trust that God will be with us, whatever we do in Jesus’ name. We can support one another through whatever challenges are happening, and we can walk with the bound and seek to unbind them to let them go.

Lazarus’ tomb is empty, for now. He will die again, but in the meantime, he will live a very full life, knowing that death is not the last word for God’s people. Let’s all live like we believe that the tomb is empty. Amen

 

Open our Eyes

 

2026 03 15 Sermon

Today’s Gospel reading is about vision, something that is important to us all. When I was in 3^rd grade, I remember going to the gym for an eye test. It wasn’t long before I found myself in Dr Flood’s office. I remember he had drawers full of frames and asked me which ones I liked. I decided I liked the light blue ones best. After getting my new glasses, I was stunned to look at the chalkboard and see that the lines of chalk were quite clear, not fuzzy.  Since that day, I have focused on getting the best sight I could.

The first half of John’s gospel focuses on laying out the story of who Jesus is, like peeling the layers of an onion, a bit at time. Some of the stories are labeled signs, the equivalent of miracles. But signs point to something, and that’s John’s (ahem) point. We learn that: 

-            Jesus is God, through whom all was created

-            Jesus can change water to wine, and is obedient to his mother Mary

-            When Jesus speaks with people, he uses metaphors, not parables.

-            The Spirit of God is an active part of Jesus’ ministry, and in the lives of believers

-            Jesus brings life, like living water, and it’s even better than a well in our own backyard

-            Jesus brings the dead back to life – next week’s story

-            So: Jesus the Son of God, given divine powers, temporarily inhabiting a human body

 

Today, we learn that Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth, not just restoring lost sight, but giving sight where there was none. It always amazes me that when Jesus heals people, he gives not just the physical ability, but the knowledge to use what is given. In this case, this man who has never seen anything, knows that he is seeing people and places, and clothing, and animals, etc.

I wonder what it must have been like for this man. First, let’s give him a name – how about Daniel. He is an adult, though we don’t know his age. His parents are still alive, so probably 25-30.  Daniel has spent his life being guided by others to get from place to place, and his ability to earn a living is limited, so he spends his time begging. He has been accused of being a sinner, simply because of his blindness, because in those days, it was believed that sin caused disability and financial ruin and childlessness.

 People witnessed his healing and were amazed at it. Yet, the authorities question the authenticity of it. In a scene that seems rather like good cop, bad cop they agree it’s possible – What if this Jesus really did do this? – but not very likely. In addition, this healing occurred on a Sabbath! Finally, they bring in the parents. They don’t want to risk the consequences of telling the truth, so they deflect the question. Yes, he’s our son, but ask him what happened. He’s old enough to answer for himself.

In the end, Jesus returns, learns what has happened to Daniel and affirms him with a blessing. He also has a conversation with the folks who doubted the healing. Because you refuse to believe, your sins remain.

Open our eyes, Lord.

Lest we think that only happened in Jesus’ time, we may need to have our own eyes opened. Yesterday, I had a call from a polling company. The questions were about a potential upcoming vote to add a penny to our sales tax, with the funds to repair roads, increase infrastructure like widening roads, and protect natural lands and water.

The questioner had several options to answer most of the questions: very much agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, very much disagree. While I mostly said that I very much agree that the money must be raised and spent, I know that there are folks who disagree with me. They probably weren’t in the bottleneck that occurred when a car broke down on a curve leading up to a bridge on the two-lane highway just north of Inverness.

Our society has become very divided on lust about every issue, whether it’s money, education, health, defense, or whatever. There is a general refusal to see the benefits of the other side, whatever the other side is. It’s often a refusal to compromise to craft a deal that works for everyone, especially for the people in need. We need Jesus’ help to open eyes and hearts.

In 2008, I heard this song by Brandon Heath on the radio, and it has stuck with me. He asks God to give us the eyes to see what we have been missing, especially God’s love for all humanity. It’s a reminder for me that it’s too easy for us to judge people, to be blind to their humanity beneath whatever shell they have covering their true selves.

We see people on a street corner with a beggar’s sign and think, “I’ve heard they make $200 a day that way. Why should I give to them?” and “Why don’t they get a real job?” When Covid first shut down the world, Mike and I ordered food from a local restaurant. The delivery person wore a suit. I wondered where he used to work, and if this was his new way of feeding his family. Open our eyes, Lord.

Let’s pray:

Open our eyes, Lord. Help us to see your presence in worship, in our daily lives, in our friends, and in our not-friends, in our broken family relationships.

Open our eyes, Lord. Help us to see the gifts you have given us, including those that we have ignored, that we have not used lately, that you can use for your purposes in our congregation or community.

Open our eyes, Lord. Help us to see the way forward for this congregation. We don’t always like change, but help us see how it can lead to good things. Help us be open to your many surprises, even when we can’t see how they can be possible.

Open our eyes, Lord. Amen 

The power of water

Exodus 17:1-7; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-42

Our texts today are about water, in wells, or gushing or splashing or flowing living water. The Israelites are thirsty, and not happy about it. Moses asks God what can be done. God responds, “Go to this place, touch the rock with your trusty staff, and I will make water flow out.”

Paul doesn’t specifically mention baptism, but it is through faith, symbolized by the water of baptism, that we are made righteous, right with God.

… Before we talk about the Gospel story, I want to give you a brief explanation of the Samaritans and the Jews. The Exodus was most likely either 1446 BCE or 1225 BCE, according to the experts. When the Israelites finally moved into Canaan, each tribe claimed a region of land. King David united them into one kingdom named Israel in about 1,000 BCE, but it didn’t last long. There were wars, resulting in two kingdoms, Israel in the north and Judah in the south.

The ten tribes in the north lived among people of many cultures, and they eventually intermarried with them. They believed only the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, were holy and claimed Gerazim as their holy mountain. Eventually, they became known as Samaritans.

 In the meantime, the two southern tribes, Judah and Simeon, called themselves Judah and still claimed Jerusalem as the holy mountain. They mostly avoided marrying outside the Jewish faith. For Judah, the holy scriptures included the Torah, the writings, and the prophets.

These differences made the Jews and Samaritans disrespect each other so much that they avoided contact with each other. By Jesus’ time, Judah was called Judea, and Samaria was a land mostly between Judea and Galilee. Jews walked longer distances to avoid traveling through Samaria. But, Jesus didn’t avoid it. Instead, he intentionally crossed boundaries to interact with Samaritans and other folks thought to be “other” at that time.

Today we have this story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. When Jews hear this story, told later by the disciples and reported by John, they know something special is going to happen, because lots of things in their history happened at a well.

Isaac’s servant finds Rebecca at a well. Jacob meets Rachel at a well, at noon. Moses meets Ziporah at a well. In all these stories, a man travels to a foreign land, meets a woman at a well, and they discuss water. Once water has been drawn, the woman leaves the well to tell her community about the man. Her community offers hospitality to the man, and the encounter concludes with their marriage. … In another well story, Hagar and her son Ishmael meet God at a well. Such scenes set up expectations for what is to come. 

Tradition has given the woman a name – Photina in Greek, referring to her enlightened status after this encounter. I’d rather give her a name from the Torah, so let’s call her Miriam.

… Jesus sends the disciples on an errand so he can talk with the woman without their interference, and their disruptive presence as Jewish men. Miriam herself is stunned that a Jewish man wants to speak with her. She, too, knows the stories about women and men meeting at a well. She is cautious for many reasons!

Jesus approaches her respectfully, and asks her for some water. This gives her a chance to respond. Which leads to the surprising theological conversation: Miriam knows her stuff and shares with Jesus her beliefs and even challenges his beliefs. In response, Jesus offers her an even better answer. He tells her that he knows who she is and what her life has been like. And he offers her not just well water but living water.

It’s important to notice that Jesus doesn’t judge Miriam for being a Samaritan. He doesn’t judge her for her past and present life situations. He doesn’t insist she become a Jew. He simply invites her to accept what he offers, living water. With that, she runs to tell the people in the town all about Jesus.

The people in the town – likely a mixture of Jews, Samaritans and other Gentiles – heed her invitation. Jesus stays there for two days teaching them about the reign of God in their midst and his role in it. The townsfolk believe Jesus, and that he is the savior of the world. There is a legendary tradition that Miriam became a key evangelist, in Nero’s household and was martyred.  

… There is power in water. Water that moves, like rivers and creeks, is called living water, compared to still water in wells or swimming pools. The waters of Niagara Falls have mighty power. Over time, even creek water carves a new or wider pathway.

[This is not me! I love how the image shows the spray of water!]

There is power in baptismal water, too. When I throw it at you-all, you tend to either duck or reach out for it. When we remember we are baptized, we have divine power to do mighty things. Baptismal water is living water, and it never stops moving, giving us Holy Spirit power to do amazing things: We can dig deeper into our pockets. We can serve on council or a committee. We can invite a friend to an event, and introduce them to other members. We can dare to try new things – like the maracas that show up when we are moved by the music to add them! We can pray, and trust that God hears our prayers, even when the answer seems to never come. …

I wonder, how God’s living water will move through you this week. Amen

I dare you

 Genesis 12:1-4a; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17

When we are young, we tend to want to try things, but we also need some encouragement if they seem too risky. So, our good friends will say: I dare you! Sometimes, we would even double or triple dare each other. With dares at play, we had to do it, so we’d jump into the lake in early May, or catch a tadpole, or eat broccoli, or touch the light pole with our tongue in winter.

I get that same “I-dare-you” feeling in the story from John, and somewhat in the story from Genesis. God calls Abram and says, I want you to pack up all your family and all your stuff and travel west until I tell you to stop traveling.

I imagine the conversation when Abram went home to Sarai. “Hey, honey, guess what happened to me today! I had a conversation with God and God wants us to move west, wa-a-ay west.” Sarai responds, “What, and leave our home, our whole families? I don’t think God wants us to do that!” Lot hears the story and says, “Hey, Abram. I dare you to go!” Since it’s a dare, now Abram has to go ahead with the plans.

Or, maybe, after God presented the idea, Abram looked around at the crowded neighborhood he and Sarai were living in and decided it was a good idea. And he dared himself to pack up and go.

… With Nicodemus, I found some similarities between Nic and myself. We are both educated in a particular belief system; we are curious about many things; and that makes us willing to engage in conversations about that belief system.

So perhaps, if I were living 2000 years ago, I might have dared to approach Jesus in the evening to ask him questions. I wouldn’t want a lot of people around, because one-on-one conversations are easier to manage. I wouldn’t want other people to think my questions were stupid. And, who wouldn’t want a private interview with a famous rabbi!?

In the same way, Nicodemus dared to go to Jesus in the evening, and dared to ask him questions. Naturally, with any dare there can be consequences. And in any conversation with a rabbi, there can be answers we don’t understand.

Jesus was particularly good at telling stories and asking questions instead of giving answers. And of using metaphors instead of speaking clearly. Which makes it confusing for those who like concrete thinking. “Say what you mean, Jesus!”

Still, Jesus dares us to think outside the box of traditional beliefs. Imagine you could be born again, this time not of your mother, but of God’s Spirit. Remember that God’s Spirit, God’s Ruah, to use the Hebrew word Nick would have known, God’s Spirit blows just like the wind, unpredictable and free.  Imagine this same Spirit blowing through you and all people. What might you dare to believe and to do then?

… Essentially, Paul dares us to have the faith of Abram/Abraham. Through miscues and adventures, through 25 years of doubt and patient waiting, Abraham continues to trust God. He dares to remain faithful. Because Abraham was able to have such strong faith, so can we dare to believe in the same Jesus, the same God, the same promises.   

… The council and a few other leaders met Friday and Saturday to begin a long discussion that will guide the congregation into the future. We admitted to ourselves that it’s time to face some hard realities. We have been doing the same things over and over, and expecting different results. We need to dare, now, to do some things differently. You-all, too, will be asked to participate.

Sometimes, when congregations dare to try something new, it adds new life to the congregation. Trinity Church was about 30 years old, and had about 50 members. The developing pastor had taught them to be flexible, to experiment with new ways of doing things. Some experiments worked, some didn’t; that’s the nature of experimentation.

The building was both sanctuary and fellowship hall. When there was an event, like an annual meeting, the chairs were stacked, the round tables were rolled out, and the chairs placed around the chairs. It took about 10 minutes.

After the meeting, the process was reversed. One day, the pastor suggested that they leave 2 of the tables out, so families with children could be more comfortable there. The folks dared to try it, and soon, two tables became four. It turns out some adults liked sitting there, too. And a nursing home found it a good way for some severely disabled patients to attend worship. Trinity Church dared to try something different and a new ministry was born.

I am not suggesting putting tables and chairs at the back of the sanctuary here. My point is that when we try something, the consequences may be even more of a blessing than we dared to hope.

… When we dare to trust God, amazing things can happen. God’s Holy Spirit moves through the congregation and causes all sorts of excitement, and some change. Some things we try may work, some things we try won’t work. The important thing is that we dare to try new things.

One example we discussed was the choir anthem a couple weeks ago. Instead of a quiet piece, we were all clapping our hands and probably shaking our maracas. It caused some different Holy Spirit movement, like some Spirit wind moving through us all. Thank you, Len and the choir, for daring to try something different!

God’s Spirit is a constantly moving wind, blowing through us, empowering us. I wonder what you will dare to try this week. I dare you! Amen

Being like God

 

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7; Matthew 4:1-11

Eve gets a lot of blame over the centuries for disobeying God, while Adam gets a wink – Eve ate the fruit first. The truth is that both disobeyed God’s command to not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They were happily living in the garden God created for them, until the serpent, the crafty one came along. In the end, they were banished from the garden and life became hard.

It occurs to me that many cultures have a tricky spirit. Out west, it is the Coyote. Spirit animals represent the contrary desire we have that invites us to break the rules, just to see what happens. We are told that Eve and Adam ate this fruit because the evil, tricky one, told them that if they did, they would be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil. Who doesn’t want to be more like God?!

I am reminded of the movie Bruce Almighty, when God gives Bruce the powers God reserves to God-self. Bruce has a little fun: blowing on his soup creates a void in the center, like the space in the Sea of Reeds that Moses and the Israelites walked through. But his God-powers have consequences: bringing the moon closer caused the tides to go crazy; answering all prayers with a “yes” causes a lot of confusion. Imagine Suzy wants to date Bill, but Bill wants to date Marcy, and Marcy wants to stay home and study. If all three get yes answers to their prayers, no one will be happy.

There are consequences for Eve, Adam, and the serpent in our story.  There are consequences for us if we disobey certain rules. And there would be consequences for Jesus, God, and the evil one, if Jesus chose to go against God’s plan, though since Jesus is also God, I’m not sure how that could happen. So also … this time of testing is critical in Jesus’ self-determination.  

By the time Jesus is ready to begin his ministry, John the Baptizer is actively telling people to change their ways, return to God. Jesus is also baptized and heads immediately into the wilderness to fast and pray. Fasting and praying is a common and ancient spiritual practice, which lets us focus on the prayer instead of what we will buy, prepare, and consume for three meals a day plus two snacks.

Matthew and Luke both tell us Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days. If Jesus, a real human, went without food for 40 days, he would die. Even John the Baptizer found locusts and other critters and honey to eat while living in the wilderness, so I imagine Jesus lived on what he found in nature.

The familiar number 40 is the number of years Moses and the Israelites were in the Wilderness. This seems to me to resemble the fasting of Ramadan, where Muslims eat early in the day, then consume nothing until late in the day. The point is that he was in the wilderness for a long time, wrestling with how to be the Messiah, the human, and not God.

Spiritual wrestling in the wilderness always leaves an opening for us to make choices. Some of those choices aren’t ours to make. Some of those choices lead us into trouble, with loved ones, or with the authorities.

In Jesus’ case, he was wrestling with issues of power and control. He needed to come to terms with the idea that he must allow humans to make their own choices as they responded to him, knowing some would be his fans, some would be his disciples, some would ignore him, and some would be his enemies.

Jesus needed to wrestle with not using his divine powers to make things simple. He would not make his own bread out of stones, even though he could, to ease his own hunger. He would eventually make hundreds of loaves of bread to feed hungry people; but he would not do it for his own satisfaction.

Jesus needed to wrestle with having left behind the glory of heaven, where people worshiped him as God. He would have to submit himself to the lack of respect given to country-hick rabbis. He would have to submit to the ridicule of religious leaders who objected to having their way of life, their rules, challenged by him. Eventually, he would have to submit to the humiliation of dying naked on the cross, the worst method of execution the Romans could imagine.

…I can’t imagine this time of wrestling was easy for Jesus. Major decisions in our lives are not easy, or quick. We often find ourselves similarly wrestling with God. Should we choose option A or B? Which one does God want for us? Which one is healthier for us? It can be a challenge to discern what God wants for us. Mostly, I think, when we say we are wrestling with God, we are wrestling with ourselves and our preferences and our fears.

At the end of the wilderness time, Jesus had a plan and a commitment to the divine vision. And the angels waited on him. We can think that the angels only showed up at the end of the wrestling, but I am sure they were there all along, keeping watch.

We, too, can be assured that the angels, God’s messengers, are present, watching over us as we struggle, wrestling with questions, with decision-making. I believe they can help us see God’s plan more clearly, even if they are not visible to us.

… We began with the story of Adam and Eve’s desire to be like God, to know what God knows. Their disobedience brought them consequences that set a distance between them and God.

There are always times when we want to be like God, or at least to pull back the curtain to see what is in our future. Would it help us to know? Would it change how we act while we wait for our future? Absolutely! Which is why it is best for God to be God and for us to be God’s people, patiently and faithfully waiting for God’s next surprise.

It will be far better than anything we imagine for ourselves. Amen

Mortality

 Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Psalm 51:1-17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b—6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Each year on Ash Wednesday, we come to church and hear that we’re going to die. It’s real life, and the older I get, the more real that becomes.

Mike and I have recently completed some end-of-life paperwork. We filled out forms that tell our loved ones and hospital emergency people what to do if we are close to death. My instructions include the statement that I don’t want my body to outlive my mind. We also talked about what to do with our remains and decided that the surviving spouse will keep the ashes, so we can be buried together.

John B and I commented the other day about families that have to make all the final arrangements after the loved one dies, and how hard and sad it is to make such decisions in a hurry. How much better it is for families to have the conversation about these final matters before the last breath is taken.

… Ash Wednesday and the weeks of Lent, are reminders of how mortal we are. We are made from dust – Genesis 2:7 says “then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground”. And today, people everywhere hear the words: “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Those words accompany a cross of ashes placed on the foreheads of people from infancy to old age, on the foreheads of soldiers serving overseas, on the foreheads of school children, and on the foreheads of people wondering why they haven’t died yet like all their friends.  

The ashes are often mixed with oil, so they stick better, and don’t just fly away into the air, or land on eyeballs, making for a few very uncomfortable moments. But the oil isn’t just something we take from the kitchen cupboard on Fat Tuesday as we make pancakes. It’s also the oil we use for baptisms, declaring the person is a beloved child of God.

… Do we hear that on Ash Wednesday? Are we aware that this oil and ash mixture reminds us that we are God’s beloved ones, while we live, and that God has prepared a place for us after our death?

How, then, do we spend the next hours, weeks, years until we become dust? At least in Lent, we can focus on being baptized and called children, beloved children, of a loving God. We have the traditional Lenten practices as our guide.

It is typical to focus on prayer, fasting, and alms-giving in Lent, along with time studying God’s word. But, when Jesus told the disciples to not be like the hypocrites, who boast of their prayer-life and alms-giving, he didn’t mean it just for Lent. He meant it as a lifetime practice, to be intentional about prayer, fasting, generosity, and study.

So, perhaps, if you regularly fast from something in Lent, and look with fondness at Easter so you can enjoy whatever it is, you could consider a need to fast from it longer than Lent. Remember that God is the Provider of all we need.

So, perhaps, if you begin the day or week with good intentions to pray daily, but you need to begin again often, then it is not just a Lenten practice you need, but a year-long one. Remember God’s spirit prompts us to pray, to spend time in God’s presence, not just talking to God, but also listening for God’s messages.

And if those envelopes in the box remind us to give on Wednesdays in Lent, and we don’t miss the extra we give, then perhaps we could increase our regular giving all year. Remember how good it feels to give something to someone you love. That’s how God feels about us. 

The Lenten call to study God’s word should certainly not be just a Lenten practice, but something we do daily, especially with a study guide to help us understand what is written, just as the Ethiopian Eunuch asked for help from Philip. God speaks to us through God’s words, which we call the Bible, and through others who help us hear God’s truth.

… May this Lent be a time of fruitful engagement with our own mortality and God’s constant presence in it. Remember, we all are dust, and to dust we shall return. Amen

  

 

Jesus has moved into the neighborhood

If you ask me, the Church calendar is crazy! Today is the last Sunday in the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany cycle. Jesus has just begun to gather disciples and set his agenda, and suddenly we’re reading a story from the half-way point in the story, and Lent starts on Wednesday.

… So, here we are, at Transfiguration Sunday. If we look at the story of Jesus, there are a few introductory chapters, with the birth, the baptism, and the wilderness, then Jesus begins to draw a crowd with his teaching and healing.

He travels and teaches and heals and does a miracle with nature and does it all again several times. By chapter 16, the disciples and the crowds are beginning to get the picture that Jesus could possibly be the messiah they have been waiting for. But they are thinking he is the messiah with a lower-case “m”. A regular soldier-and-king messiah, rather like King David.  

Jesus knows it’s time to let at least the inner circle – the executive committee, perhaps – know the rest of the plan. He begins by letting the rumors that he is the messiah surface. Certainly, they have all been wondering. He asks, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” “Ah, a prophet, maybe Elijah or John the Baptizer come back to life.” “And who do you all say that I am?” Peter blurts it out – “You are the messiah!”

Jesus responds, “God has told you this. But you need to know something else. We are going to Jerusalem so I can be arrested, tortured, executed, and raised on the third day.” Peter again is quick – “No, that’s not how it is going to be. God wouldn’t do it that way.” “Like it or not,” Jesus assures them, “this indeed is God’s plan.”

Now, with this background in mind, we can understand the importance of what we call the Transfiguration. Jesus and Peter, James, and John (the executive committee) are praying on the mountain – and we know that important things in the Bible happen when people go up the mountain to pray.

While they are there, amazing stuff happens. Jesus shines like God’s own glory, and he appears to have a conversation with Moses and Elijah. Peter says, “Wow! Let’s put together some shelters, and we can have a great time together.” But, just as quickly, the image disappears and Jesus says, “C’mon, guys, we have work to do. And, for right now, let’s not say anything about what you have just seen.” Maybe Peter is beginning to figure out that this Jesus is a Messiah with an upper-case M.

 … I think we believers have two main ways of seeing Jesus in their minds and hearts. Either we mostly see in him the glory and power of God, Jesus the resurrected and ascended Christ, who chooses to interact with us; or we mostly see in him a companion in our life, who suffered and died for us, who helps God understand what it’s like to be human, and who is at the same time divine.

I like the way The Message Bible puts in John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” That’s how I see, imagine, Jesus. So, it’s easy for me to see him interacting with people all the time, even though we don’t see Jesus – or his Spirit – if we’re not looking for him.

I always encourage people to know and tell their own God-stories, so they can see the God-stories around them. It’s essentially what Jesus did, what Paul and the other apostles and disciples did. It’s why Christianity spread so fast, because people could see how Jesus’ life, death and resurrection related to them, and they told others their own stories.

 … Big Mike lives across the street from us and loves to do little things for the neighbors. He was walking his dog Gracie and stopped to chat with Marie who is 89 years old and still quite sharp. Big Mike told us the story:

Marie had a visitor who claimed he was from a credit monitoring company. He said it looked like there was some suspicious activity in her bank account, and could he come in and check her account on her computer?  I hope you all know this is fraud and was an attempt to steal every penny she had, but that thought never occurred to her.

Big Mike immediately called the Sheriff and told them about Marie’s experience. Many people would have shook their heads at her foolishness, but Mike took the extra step of calling for help for her, and then asking us to watch out for the guy as well. Jesus had moved into the neighborhood for Marie.

… Lori is our favorite restaurant server because of the way she takes care of “her people”. She always makes sure we have extra napkins, remembers our usual orders and beverages. And she knows I like to take home a flavored iced-tea with no ice. She tells us about her family and her dogs, and asks about our pets and family. Lorrie goes the extra mile for “her people” because she cares about them. Jesus is with her as she serves the people in her restaurant neighborhood.

… I also see God’s presence in the way so many people have joined in prayer for crises around the community, the country, or the world. And so many have joined in the search for Nancy Guthrie, and added her to their prayers. Jesus is in all those neighborhoods.

 … When and where have you noticed that Jesus has moved into the neighborhood? How often do you ask Jesus to walk with you today? When we invite him to make himself known, it’s amazing how often he shows up! Amen

 In the image below, which person is Jesus? Be careful to not assume anything. 

 

Being salt and light

Isaiah 58:1-9a ; Matthew 5:13-20

We continue to read portions of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. It’s rather like Jesus’ inauguration address, setting out his/God’s vision of the kingdom of God with mercy and justice for all.

In this portion, Jesus declares that the disciples and the crowd who have gathered already have what they need. They are already salt and light, and their mission is to flavor the world with God’s love and share the light of God’s forgiveness and mercy with those around them.

We often think that we need to learn more about God, we need to learn more about the Bible, that we are not equipped to be salt or light for other people. But, this text, these words from Jesus, assure us that we already have all we need to be salt and light.

We question how salt can become un-salty. Jesus doesn’t explain it, and it seems scientifically impossible. Perhaps he means salt loses its ability to flavor our lives, our world, when we don’t intentionally sprinkle it, when we keep it for ourselves.

I found myself both separating and mingling these two images. They both can be used to highlight injustice and encourage folks to seek to rectify that injustice. Isaiah says, ‘shout out and do not hold back.’ This seems like some salty language, forcefully urging God to yell at the people to change their ways. Then Isaiah asks God to shine the divine light on the correct, the righteous way to live.

We can share salt and light when we visit someone who lives alone, or has been in the hospital. We shine light by simply asking someone how they are doing, or by sending a card with good wishes. We shine light with quilts and kits designed to fill in the gaps in the lives of needy people, and with bags of food.

Sometimes, we have fun shining a light. Saturday morning, we noticed Miss Kitty climbing the wall and running around the floor, like she was chasing a bug. It turns out, the light coming in through the window behind me was landing on my watch and reflecting on the wall or floor. I enjoyed a few minutes of light providing a game for her, and Mike, too, as he had a reason to turn on the camera. Matty, on the other hand, looks at Miss Kitty and says, ‘What’s up with you?’ Matty, apparently was not seeing the light.

… We sprinkle salt when we ask questions at county commission meetings. For example, when we learned that a bunch of new retail stores were finally coming to Citrus County, we were excited to have options beyond Walmart, and at the same time concerned about the trees and creeks that give the region the name Nature Coast. We were assured and happy to be enlightened, that there are rules about the preservation of nature and the commissioners worked hard to enforce them.

… You have probably read or heard about a group of about 19 Buddhist monks and their rescue dog, Aloka, who are walking from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., to promote world peace. Their planned route spans approximately 2,300 miles across 10 states and is expected to take 120 days to complete. Today, Saturday, they are in Triangle, VA, near Quantico.

As they walk, they post videos and meditations on Facebook.  And they are greeted by people wanting to share gifts with them, some flowers, some bottled juice, a granola bar. Some bow in greeting. And a few join the walk for a few miles.

Always, there is always the wish for peace. For example, this one from Saturday morning: Today is going to be our peaceful day. May you and all beings be well, happy and at peace.

As they walk, there is a feeling of peace and joy shared among the monks and the people on the side of the road waiting to greet them. It’s certainly a shining of divine light.

… Pastor Melissa’s church has a Children’s Sabbath each year. One year, she even invited a child to give the sermon. The text was from Job, a daunting task for any pastor, but Pastor Melissa persisted and she and Hannah spent time together talking through the story.

Hannah had a couple of comments. The first was: I don’t think this story is appropriate for children. They persevered, and worked together to write the sermon. Hannah concluded that in the story of Job, God doesn’t do a good job of being God. Instead, God acts like a person drawn into a silly bet that overlooks the human cost, and then disappears. It is Job who acts the way we expect God to act. Job never gives up, sits in the ashes with his pain, but does not stray from the path of love. Hannah said, she wants a God like Job. Leave it to a child to sprinkle salt and shine light on the usual scholarly interpretation of Job. [Melissa Florer-Bixley, Christian Century, January 2026, pp 35-36 ]

… When we shine light and sprinkle salt, we change the world around us, at least for a few minutes. Jesus says we already have salt and light within us, we simply need to use them to add flavor and light to the people and the community around us.

This week, I hope you pay some attention to the ways in which you are light and salt, or notice light and salt in others. Amen