Declaring the Word of the Lord - 5th Sunday in Lent 29th March 2020

FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT   Year A   March 29, 2020

• Ezekiel 37:1-14  • Psalm 130  • Romans 8:6-11  • John 11:1-45

I’m very sad that I’m not at church this weekend, as I know I would be singing my favourite song….  “These are the days of Elijah”.  The song’s first words are, “These are the days of Elijah, declaring the word of the Lord.”  But it is the first words of the second verse which echo our readings for today; “These are the days of Ezekiel, The dry bones becoming as flesh”.

Who would have thought, as we finished the year 2019, that the hopes of some to once again see the roaring 20s would be dashed to see nothing more than a meow?  Or maybe the WHO, world health organisation might have.  As Australia finished its most devastating year of bush fires, this pandemic of Corona virus followed. 

Although many have died, I wonder what other deaths will follow.  Businesses are closed and more struggling to remain open, gradually close their doors also.  Those retail shops that aren’t food and basics find themselves over-stocked as fewer people go through their doors due to the governments plea to stay at home as much as possible.  People are being abused though they are trying to do the right thing.  I heard the story of a small gym boot camp group being abused.  They were in the open doors with large distance between them and doing the best they could to remain healthy and continue business, only to be abused by others as if they were flouting the law.

Will we soon be a valley of dry bones?

While the rules of who and what and how many, could be an exclusion to self-isolation, continued to confuse, the churches, big and small were told to shut.

So shut we did.

Will we soon be a valley of dry bones?

The church continues to strive to reach out.  There will be many streaming online and alternate forms of worship mostly via the internet, but there are many for whom church was their safe place and their place of belonging, their family, and these people are not as savvy with the internet.  These are the elderly….. already isolated in many ways, now even more so.

The homeless who live on the streets, but blend in feeling the comfort and companionship of the regular passers-by, now confused as to why the street are empty.

Currently we have a confused, angry, frightened community, with our businesses in decay.   Will we soon become a valley of dry bones?

The Psalm for today also echoes our waiting for this pandemic to end;  “Out of the depths I cry to you O LORD. …..If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?  But there is forgiveness with you…..  I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope. ….. with him is great power to redeem.”

I love the way the Psalms are often crying out to God from the depths and out of heart ache.  These are honest emotions offered to God…. Fears and desperation, brokenness and pain, all given to God and then acknowledging the goodness of God…. And waiting.

We are also waiting and crying to God from the depths.

From Ezekiel 37:2 “He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry.”

Some things that have been said about these bones, they were very dry and so they were long dead and their hope was also far beyond revival.  There is also a sense of disgrace as we read this is the proud and chosen Israelite nation, hope cut off and bones exposes.  The scene for our prophet is a very intense nightmarish reality about the state of his nation.  But God asks him, “Can these bones live”…. God knows! 

One thing is for certain.  Each reading echoes the same truth.  This truth is spoken plainly in our reading to the Romans, 8:6 “To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

I’ve heard people speak about the Bible and say that it is a like a road map through this life and it is a guide.   It is a whole lot more than that, because this life ends.  The Bible contains God’s word to people and people’s interactions and struggle to understand.  It is mostly about us trying to live this life and God trying to tell us that we are only seeing a tiny part of the picture that he knows.  And so he shows us dead bones and asks if they can live.  Any one other than the prophet would simply say NO.  But the important message for us today is not so much that they did live, but how it was that they were revived.

God told the prophet to prophesy…. To speak the word of God to the bones, to declare the word of the LORD. 

Now, here is a fine line.  I’ve heard people say that we need to pray and agree… such and such…  that is not the word of the Lord.  The word of the Lord needs to be according to God’s will.   In fact let’s now go to our Gospel reading for some clarification.

Our Gospel reading is the story of Lazarus.  Lazarus was the brother of the famous Biblical sisters, Martha and Mary.  Word had reached Jesus that Lazarus was sick, but Jesus delayed in going.  Jesus knew what was going to happen, but also knew that the Jews there were wanting to put him to death.  Timing was important.  By the time that Jesus set off and finally reached the home of Lazarus, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days.

Martha and Mary had many people consoling them and when Jesus arrived Martha acknowledged that if Jesus had been there Lazarus would not have died.  She also acknowledged her belief that Lazarus would rise again on the last day.  She had hope and faith.  And then Jesus tells her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

This is actually really hard to grasp for us all.  And there is one super important fact that we must grasp.  The dry bones lived because the prophet declared the word of the LORD.  Jesus IS the word of the LORD.

Right here and now today, we can be living our eternal life, but the only way we do that is through the living word of God – Jesus Christ.

Romans tells us, “But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.” 

Please understand that God is concerned with our mortal life here on earth, other-wise why did he weep?  When Jesus was with the sisters and surrounded by the mourners he wept. 

God desires to give us good things and desires for us to live well.  That was the plan from the beginning when it tells us he placed mankind in the Garden of Eden with every good thing.  Any discomfort was such a concern that God ensured that we were provided with all we desired. 

Jesus asked the mourners to remove the stone cover to the tomb of Lazarus.  The ladies were surprised.  They were not expecting dry bones, they were expecting the smell of death and decay.  But because they believed that Jesus was no ordinary man, and perhaps because they believed he was the resurrection and the life, they had the stone removed, the tomb opened. And so, the prophesy of Ezekiel is fulfilled because the those who know the writings of the prophets would have been familiar with this reading from Ezekiel 37:13 “And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people.  I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act," says the LORD.”

Lazarus was restored and the people were given every confirmation possible that Jesus was who he claimed to be – the Messiah.

But who is Jesus for us?  Has the story been told and our faith grown cold…. The fears of the season, clouding our reason and leaving us frozen in doubt and despair?

Have we become, or are we becoming a valley of dry bones, as we feel we are 4 days in the tomb of this time of pandemic.  What we need is … the word of God….

May the word of God dwell in us richly and His spirit give us life abundantly .

Here's to Mud in your eye ! Fourth Sunday in Lent March 22, 2020

Here's to mud in your eye......

1 Samuel 16:1-13  • Psalm 23  • Ephesians 5:8-14  • John 9:1-41

“I once was lost, but now am found…. Was blind but now I see”.

Throughout history, there have been many great stories of conversions.  One most famous is the person who wrote Amazing Grace, John Newton.  The story goes that as a young boy of 7, John’s mother died and his father brought him into a life upon the sea.  This life was a rough one and formed John into a reckless and self-centered individual who ended up in the company of a slave trader who treated him badly.  This was not the turning point for John.  After being rescued and resuming a career in slave trading, it was a storm at sea and the imminent sinking of his boat, that persuaded him to cry out to God for rescue.  Miraculously, the boat was saved because the cargo moved to fill the hole, from which the boat was sinking.   From that time, John began to read the Bible and pray, yet he still continued in the slave trade, and did not consider himself converted, but it was the start of a gradual and complete transformation.



Another person who God literally blinded so that he could truly see, was Saint Paul.  Saint Paul was zealous for God and yet persecuted the Christians.  It seems very fitting that our Letter to the Ephesians would have this theme of light and dark; “5:8 For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light.”



Paul and John Newton both had an encounter with the Amazing Grace of God.  This grace will not reject a person because of the things they have done.  This grace goes to extraordinary lengths to show the unconditional love and acceptance of God.



Our Gospel story shows us God’s people, like Paul and John Newton prior to their conversion, living in darkness – It is a darkness that cannot understand God’s love and grace, and therefore doesn’t understand or know God at all. 



Our Gospel tells of a man born blind.  Some background information on this man; he was obviously cared for by his parents and not a poor beggar.  His parents were regulars at the synagogue, as we read that they avoided confrontation with the Jews because they wanted to retain their social position and freedom to attend the synagogue.   The man was well acquainted with the word of God as he was able to quote to the Jews, “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will.   Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.  If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."



There are some other odd things about this story.  Firstly, there is no request for healing.  The disciples asked Jesus who sinned – this man or his parents.  This tells us about how the people perceived those with physical ailments.  It was common belief that physical ailments were a punishment of God.  Jesus makes it clear that sin had nothing to do with it, and goes one step further by announcing that this man is God’s chosen vessel to show the glory of God.   How appropriate that the Jews in confronting the man for the second time say, “give glory to God!”

Jesus made mud and put it on the man’s eyes.  Kohl was used on eyelids in ancient times as a remedy for eyes.  I don’t know if Jesus was making some connection with this when he made the mud, but it certainly irritated the Jews because, in so doing, he broke the Sabbath.



To the Jews, it looked like Jesus was breaking God’s law.  They were looking at out-side appearances and from what they saw they made a judgment and rejected Jesus.



In our Old Testament reading, Samuel was called to anoint a king.  Israel already had a King, Saul, but he didn’t fully obey God’s command.  Saul began to follow God’s command but then decided to do things his own way, and in so doing he re-interpreted God’s command to benefit himself.  This is much the same as the way that the Jews in our New Testament had re-interpreted the law of the Sabbath to benefit themselves.  Therefore Samuel was called to visit Jesse of Bethlehem.  Samuel was to anoint one of his sons as king.

The first of Jessie’s sons passed by Samuel and Samuel was impressed.  From what he could see, this man would make a fine king, but God had another plan and a lesson for Samuel that would be a lesson for us all.

One by one each of Jessie’s very fine sons passed by Samuel and none was chosen as king.  The youngest was all that was left.  David happened to be very good looking and have many great qualities, but the one quality that we read mentioned in other chapters that put him above the rest, was that he was described as being a man after God’s own heart.

A google search tells me;( https://www.quora.com/Why-did-God-call-David-a-man-after-His-own-heart)  “The Lord still called Him a man after His own heart. Because David longed and pursued justice and mercy for God's people. He longed to do works that were pleasing to God, even when his life was at risk. He showed many times that he loved and desired truth and integrity more than his own life.”  

My own belief is that David understood God’s heart and his own desires reflected God’s priorities (most of the time).  In other words, David’s heart and God’s heart were similar.  David had a unique understanding of God that reflected an intimate relationship with God.  David knew that he wasn’t always perfect, but he was quick to repent when he did wrong, and he knew and understood God’s redemption and unconditional love.



David was anointed as King, but he didn’t actually walk in that position until many years later.  His anointing was a promise of a position to come, and while he waited and throughout his time as King, the spirit of the LORD was upon him, as we read; “the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward.”

 as we read; “the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward.”



One of my favourite things about David is that he gave us some incredible Psalms.  In these we witness an honest out-pouring of the heart.  We read of his struggles, his doubts, his grief and his joy, but throughout all, we witness a faith that knows God’s love even when he doesn’t understand and even when it feels like he is in the valley of death.

Recently I attended a workshop where we were invited to reflect on the 23rd Psalm.   Looking at this Psalm with such familiarity we may forget that this was written by a very real person with some extreme circumstances and a very real understanding of suffering, betrayal and God’s love through it all.  One element of the Psalm that I think is really precious is that part about the walking through the valley of death.  Even though I walk through the valley of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me.  Sounds like something we all need at the moment as the whole world is thrown into that dark valley of the Corona Virus.  We will be walking it for some time yet as the physical and economic effects may be manifold and drawn out over a long time.

It seems as though the whole of our world has been drawn together into a time of darkness and we are only just entering that valley.



David was a shepherd and he understood his relationship with the sheep in his fold.  He understood that God cares for us in the same way as a good shepherd cares for his sheep.  We, like sheep, are blind about where we are going.  We are blind when it comes to finding the right path.  Think about how the shepherd uses his rod and staff and lead the sheep on the right path.  I don’t know about you, but I tend to stress a fair bit over whether or not I’m going down the right way – the way God wants me to go, but according to this picture painted by David in the 23rd Psalm, I need not have any worry because God will make me go where the path is good….. even if it means passing through the valley of death.



Sheep and the blind both need someone to lead them.  The blind man in our story had a strong personality.  He was confident in speaking with the Jews and in his blindness I suspect he may have seen more than most as he most probably listened better than most.  He heard about Jesus, he heard what the Jews were saying and he had heard the scriptures.   Something else he heard – “who sinned, this man or his parents?”  How many times before do you think he heard this?



David was the youngest and least important in his family. He was deemed so inconsequential that his family didn’t think it appropriate for him to attend the feast with the prophet Samuel.
 
 He was not expecting to be taken from his sheep and anointed as king, chosen to show the glory of God.  The blind man, likewise, did not expect to be anointed with mud, healed and chosen to show the glory of God. 



It seems that God delights in choosing those that the world rejects, those the world has already condemned, and he anoints them, giving them a destiny, to show the glory of God.


As for the Jews in our Gospel story, these represented a whole nation chosen to show the glory of God, but they had fallen asleep in the light and become blind.  It is an easy thing to do.  They remind me of a song by Keith Green (the same person who co-wrote, There is a Redeemer).  He wrote a song called Asleep in the Light.  “"oh, bless me, lord! Bless me, lord!"  You know, it's all I ever hear!  No one aches, No one hurts, No one even sheds one tear But, he cries, He weeps, He bleeds, And he cares for your needs And you just lay back, And keep soaking it in

Oh, can't you see such sin?!  'cause he brings people to your door, And you turn them away, As you smile and say, "god bless you!  Be at peace!" And all heaven just weeps, 'cause Jesus came to your door, You left him out on the streets……..

Oh, can't you see such sin?! The world is sleeping in the dark, That the church just can't fight, 'cause it's asleep in the light! How can you be so dead?! When you've been so well fed?  Jesus rose from the grave, And you! You can't even get out of bed! Oh, Jesus rose from the dead!  Come on, get out of your bed!

As for us, at this time of great darkness, how can we respond to the world around us as it struggles in fear and chaos?  We are small and fragile.   Many of us are vulnerable, but we have been anointed at our baptism to show the glory of God.   We are chosen.   We were anointed and set apart for God’s own purpose, to show the Glory of God. 

And so, understanding that the origin of the common toast, here’s to mud in your eye, comes from this biblical passage, we figuratively raise our glass and proclaim it with new understanding and a prayer:  May there be mud on our eyes anointed by Jesus so our eyes may be opened to truly see the way that God has called us to be his light in this dark time, for we have been asleep – we have been blind, but now we see.   Anointed and chosen, we are destined to show the world the Glory of God.