4th Sunday in Lent

We apologize for the wobbly video. 

This Sunday marks the beginning of the second half of Lent:
We’re half way through this journey to Easter.
But so far: the road, and the stories have been kind of rough.
And as we journey to the cross:
They’re just going to get rougher.

The first week of Lent, Jesus was driven into the wilderness immediately following
his baptism.
And there, he was tempted by Satan.
That’s pretty scary.

The second week, Jesus’ ministry was so completely misunderstood
by the disciples that Jesus snarled at Peter:
“get behind me Satan!”
Pretty scary:
that Jesus likens one of his most earnest followers to the Satan that tempted him
in the desert.

Last week, we went once again to the temple with Jesus,
and stood aghast as we watched Jesus in a whip-slinging, table turning, coin
spilling rage.

A scarier image than the sweet, comforting shepherd Jesus:
As he spoke and screamed about destruction and death.

And then today: We hear all about snakes.
Deadly Snakes: Satan-y serpent snakes.
Like the Snake that first tempted Adam and Eve,
We heard today an awfully weird story about snakes in the wilderness with the
Israelites:
Poisonous snakes that are biting people:
Killing them.

And then in the Gospel reading:
Jesus takes us back to that wilderness moment:
In a conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus says that he will be lifted up on the cross:
Like the serpent that God told Moses to put on a stick:
In order to keep the Israelites from dying.

Snakes, serpents, satan…
Death, destruction, and crosses of execution.

It might seem that half way through this Easter Journey:
We’re far away from the celebration of the Resurrection.
It might seem like we’re stuck in the wilderness:
Stuck in the dark caves with the snakes.

But we know:
That in God’s story:
Satan, serpents, death and destruction never have the last word.
And this week:
Despite all of the scary and weird stories about snakes and crosses,
We also get some welcome relief:
A glimmer of what’s to come:
A light at the end of this forty day journey tunnel.

In one of the most famous, and most widely memorized verses in the Bible:

Jesus says to Nicodemus:
“For God so LOVED the world that he gave his only Son,
So that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

We know this beloved verse well:
Maybe even too well:
Where it kind of becomes rote.

And this verse,
As beloved as it is:
Has been used in the past to induce fear:
It’s been turned around:
And used to warn people of eternal damnation:
That if you don’t truly “believe” In the right ways: doing the right things:
You’ll perish:
Like the poisonous bite of a snake.

This verse has been used to falsely liken God to that poisonous serpent who
causes death.

And that’s NOT who God is.

This verse has been used to focus on “perishing,”
To focus on Eternal life in the Future:
Something, later:
But only if you’re super good.

And that’s NOT how God works.

So many throughout the ages:
Have memorized this verse:
Yet ignored the most important part:

“God so loved the world.”

LOVED.
God LOVED.
SO LOVED.

God SO LOVED the WORLD.
Not God so loved only the good people.
Not God so loved only the Christians.
Not God so loved only the one’s who are afraid of the serpents wrath.
Not God so loved the things in heaven.
Not God so loved those who get to heaven.

GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD.

Already.
It already happened.
God so loved the world.

God SO loved the world:
That eternity begins now.
And that’s why we gather here:
That’s why we come to church:
That’s why we strive to BE the Church:
To be the TEMPLE of Christ’s body.

Because God SO LOVED the world.

We don’t come here out of fear:
To be saved from some sort of perishing.
Or to be saved by some poisonous snake bite.
Because already:
God so loved the world.

We don’t strive to be the body because doing good will save us:
We do it because God so loved the world.

It’s like in the letter to the Ephesians:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing;
It is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are what he has made us.”

We are not saved by what we do:
We are saved because GOD SO LOVED the world.

We don’t share that love so that we can feel good about ourselves:
Or be better than others:
But because God SO loved.

And WE love: Because God first loved us.
Not out of fear:
Not out of self-preservation:
But out of love:
The very same love that God SO loved.

So today, halfway through our Easter journey:
I hope you’ll take some time this week,
To reflect on that love.

Maybe,
You’ll find comfort in just repeating this mantra:
“God SO loved.”

Maybe, you’ll reflect on those that YOU SO love.

Knowing that you are able to Love,
Because God SO loved the world.

Maybe you’ll consider the love that you have experienced:
In the world, and from others:
The love that was not the result of works:
But the gift of God:
Who SO loved.

And maybe, as we continue our Easter journey:
Knowing that we are marked as Christ’s own forever:
You will remember that you are what God has made you:
So LOVED.

Amen.