March 2020

Introduction

We are continuing our Lenten series looking at the ways we are prone to wander away from God, and how Jesus points us back in the right direction. Last week we heard how we are prone to fixate on what we think is “normal” and think that God can only be present in the “normal” ways. But Jesus showed us that God can be present, doing good things, in every situation – even in the midst of undeserved suffering.

This week we are following along with one of the most famous, most powerful, and – dare I say it – most confusing of Jesus’ miracles. It’s a bit of a long reading, so stay with me, but the story is gripping.

For a little context, this is later in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus already had a reputation as a teacher, as a miracle worker, and as someone who bucked the normal conventions. His confrontations with the religious leaders led them to start plotting his death.

Jesus was very close friends with a family who lived in Bethany, which was kind of like a suburb of Jerusalem. The two sisters in this family were Mary and Martha. You might remember them from the Gospel of Luke. When Jesus visited their house, Martha was busy making food and getting everything ready while Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to him. Mary and Martha’s brother was Lazarus.

So when our text today starts off by saying, “a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany,” know that Lazarus wasn’t just a “certain man.” He was a dear friend of Jesus. And his sisters were dear friends of Jesus.

So listen in this text for the emotional drama of Jesus interacting with this family who were his dear friends. Listen for the fear of Jesus’ disciples, knowing that going to Bethany would place them in mortal peril from the religious leaders in Jerusalem. Listen for the drama within Jesus. Here he was, the Son of God, about to demonstrate his power, attempting to show people the very nature of God – and he was misunderstood even by those closest to him. Listen to the drama dripping from this story.

John 11:1-45

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ²Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. ³So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” ⁴But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” ⁵Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, ⁶after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. ⁷Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” ⁸The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” ⁹Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. ¹⁰But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” ¹¹After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” ¹²The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” ¹³Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. ¹⁴Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” ¹⁶Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

¹⁷When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. ¹⁸Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, ¹⁹and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. ²⁰When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. ²¹Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” ²³Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” ²⁴Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” ²⁵Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, ²⁶and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” ²⁸When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” ²⁹And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. ³²When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

³³When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. ³⁴He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” ³⁵Jesus began to weep. ³⁶So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” ³⁷But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” ³⁸Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. ³⁹Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” ⁴⁰Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. ⁴²I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” ⁴³When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

⁴⁵Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

Spending Time

George Archer had a successful career as a golfer, winning thirteen tournaments including the 1969 Masters. Near the end of his career, a reporter asked him what he was planning to do with his time during his retirement. Archer replied, “Baseball players quit playing and take up golf. Basketball players quit and take up golf. Football players quit and take up golf. What are we supposed to do when we quit?”

But isn’t that such a common question? What are planning to do with your time? We tend to ask high school students if they’re involved in any sports or other extracurriculars. In college, we wonder if people are using their newfound freedom and time studying or partying. I spent my free time in college writing and animating for a humor website, so I was neither studying nor partying. For adults we wonder, “What do you do?” For those about to retire like George Archer we wonder, “How will you spend your time in retirement?” From there we might ask how much time you’re getting to spend with the grandkids. Later in life we wonder about the right timing for life changing decisions.

How do you spend your time? We care about that question quite a bit. It’s a bit of a funny question right now, since most of us are completely out of our normal routines. But maybe it’s a good time to reflect on your time as well. It’s hard for a fish to see the water it’s swimming in, so what does it look like now that you’re swimming in a different bowl at the moment?

God cares about time as well. If you read the creation story in Genesis 1 and 2, there’s a peculiar turning point after day six. Each day of Creation, God created something and called it “good.” After people were created on day six, God said it was “very good.” And then on day seven, what happened? God rested, blessed the seventh day, and called it “holy.” There is not a holy place, there is a holy day. The days of activity were not holy, the day of rest was holy. Even when we get to a place – the Garden of Eden – it’s location is never specified. But the seventh day? We know that’s “holy.” God cares about time.

And Jesus cares about timing. I think this text troubles people when they see Jesus waiting around for two days while his friend is dying. Does that mean Jesus dilly dallies when we’re sick or in trouble? Is Jesus a dilly dallier, to use a technical, theological term?

Well hold onto your seats, because we’re going to do some math together. Trust me, even if you’re worn out from having to home school your kids right now, you can do this level of math. So, how many days does Jesus delay? Verse six says, “after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” So Jesus delayed two days.

And when Jesus arrived, how many days had Lazarus been dead? Verse seventeen says, “When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.” So Lazarus had been dead four days.

These are numbers that fit on one hand, we can do this. So if Jesus had left immediately instead of delaying two days, would he have arrived before Lazarus died? No! Four days since death minus two days of delay equals…two days since death. In fact, Jesus tells his disciples in verse fourteen, “Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead.’” Not Lazarus will die. Lazarus is dead. Right now. So by the time the messenger arrived, Lazarus was already dead.

Jesus delayed two days to change the timing of his arrival after Lazarus’ death. In the ancient world, they didn’t have the same tools we have today to know that someone was really dead. It’s like in the Princess Bride where they debate between mostly dead and all dead. Miracle Max says that when someone is all dead, there’s only one thing you can do: turn them upside down and check their pockets for loose change. But mostly dead? Someone might only be injured and appear dead. But after three days, they were believed to be all dead. Not even Miracle Max could help you then.

So instead of arriving when it was rare but possible for someone to wake up, Jesus delayed and arrived when Lazarus was all dead. No doubts. No waking up. Not mostly dead. All dead. That way there would be no other explanation for Lazarus’ resurrection than the power of God.

Jesus knew that timing matters. It’s kind of like in stand up comedy. My brother was a stand up comic for a while, and sometimes the difference between a joke being hilarious and flat is waiting a half second more or less before delivering the punch line. Or for a simpler example, Knock knock! Who’s there? Interrupting cow! Interrupting cow – MOO! If you wait too long for the punch line, it’s no longer an interrupting cow! Timing matters. And my fourth grade self would be very proud to know I worked that joke into a sermon as an adult.

Change God’s Timing

So God cares about time. Time is the only thing that is called “holy” in the Creation story. And Jesus cares about timing. He knows that it’s not just about what he does or says, when he does it matters, too.

But what’s fascinating to me in this text is how many people were trying to change Jesus’ timing. Apparently they thought Jesus needed their input. The disciples at first were cautioning Jesus against going to Bethany because they were afraid.

When Jesus finally got close to Bethany, Mary and Martha had different ideas as well. Martha rushed out to meet Jesus before he arrived, and she told him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” She wished Jesus had been faster, though she would settle for now over never. And she couldn’t wait for him to arrive on his own timing – she rushed out to meet him on her own.

Mary waited until she was summoned, but she, too, proclaimed, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Hurry on up, Jesus.

Have you ever wished that Jesus would hurry on up? Have you ever wished that Jesus would just do something already?!? We are prone to want to speed up Jesus’ timetable.

But sometimes we are also prone to want to slow Jesus down. Martha did this twice in our text. She wanted Jesus to hurry up at first, but then she wants Jesus to slow down. When Jesus asked her about the resurrection, she replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Slow down, Jesus! Resurrection is something for the future, not today!

And then later when Jesus said to roll the stone covering the tomb away, Martha reminded him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Slow down, Jesus! We don’t want to make a scene here!

Have you ever wished that Jesus would wait? When I was younger, I used to hope that Jesus’ return would wait at least until I had lived most of my life. I wanted to do things! To see things! To experience things! Slow down, Jesus! From my current perspective, I’d take Jesus’ return any time! No need to wait.

But Jesus works at his own pace, with his own sense of perfect timing. I have yet to figure out how to hurry him up or slow him down. And I’ve also learned that Jesus’ timing is always the right timing.

Faithful Timing

That doesn’t mean it’s easy to trust Jesus’ timing. I mean, we’re a couple of weeks away from Easter. That’s the biggest Sunday of the Christian year. That’s the whole of the Gospel wrapped up in one day. That’s the cornerstone of our faith. And yet we won’t be able to gather together. Jesus, why did you let the timing of this virus coincide with Easter?

I don’t know how it’s all going to play out. But I believe we will look back on this Easter and hear the same thing that Jesus told Martha: “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” I believe we will see the glory of God in this very different Lent, in this very different Easter. I don’t know what Jesus is going to do, but I am very confident that he will do something new for this new day.

And here’s something for all of us to consider. If Jesus’ timing is always perfect, when would Jesus want you to call that person who’s been on your heart lately? When would Jesus want you to write that letter of encouragement or thanks? When would Jesus want you to do something special for someone in your life? When would Jesus want you to speak the hard truth from a place of deep love? When would Jesus want you to start living the new life he has called you to?

Jesus might tell you that today is the right time to do one of those things. Jesus might tell you to wait. But you won’t know the right timing unless you ask and listen and follow faithfully wherever and whenever Jesus leads.

Summary

Sisters and brothers, God cares about time. Time can be holy. Jesus cares about time and timing. The right thing done at the right time is holy. How might Jesus call you to use your time…at the right time…to show that someone else is worth your time? That would be holy. Amen.

Lay Reader = John 9:1-12

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. ²His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. ⁴We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. ⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, ⁷saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.

⁸The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” ¹⁰But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” ¹¹He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” ¹²They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

Introduction

We are continuing our Lenten series looking at the ways we are prone to wander away from God and how Jesus points us back in the right direction. And this is our second week of video worship. Last week, Pastor Carol shared how worship can be in unexpected places and with unexpected people. This week we are looking at how Jesus upended people’s expectations of “normal.”

Now this is a difficult topic for me, because “normal” is a word that has rarely been applied to me. I’m more familiar with “odd,” or “strange,” or “weird.” Although my mom says I’m “special.” But as odd or strange as you might think I am today, you can’t even fathom how “not normal” I was in high school. I am very glad that my wife did not meet me when I was in high school. I don’t think she would’ve liked me. So it was God’s grace that we didn’t meet until after college.

All of this is just to say that I’m not entirely sure what “normal” is. I’ve never been normal. I’ve heard of normal, but it’s more of a rumor to me than a reality.

But I can tell you what the religious leaders in our text today thought was normal, and what they thought was strange. And I can tell you what Jesus’ disciples thought was normal and what they thought was strange.

We started the story in our first reading today. We heard how Jesus’ disciples wondered whose sin caused this man’s blindness – that was part of their definition of normal. And we heard how Jesus made mud with his spit and healed the man’s eyes. Can we all agree – that’s not normal? Yeah. Gross. And now we’ll pick up the story again as the man is brought in front of the religious leaders.

John 9:13-38

¹³They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. ¹⁴Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. ¹⁵Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” ¹⁶Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. ¹⁷So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.” ¹⁸The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight ¹⁹and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” ²⁰His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; ²¹but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” ²²His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. ²³Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” ²⁴So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” ²⁵He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” ²⁶They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” ²⁷He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” ²⁸Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. ²⁹We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” ³⁰The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. ³¹We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. ³²Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. ³³If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” ³⁴They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.

³⁵Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” ³⁶He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” ³⁷Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” ³⁸He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him.

Suffering

“What did I do to deserve this?”

That’s a pretty common question when we’re suffering, right? “What did I do to deserve this?” Maybe some of us have been wondering that over the past week. Maybe some of you will be thinking it this week. It’s a very common question.

But that question makes some assumptions about the universe. These are the same assumptions the disciples had when they asked Jesus in our first text today, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” In other words, “What did HE do to deserve this?” Or since he was blind from birth, “What did HIS PARENTS do to deserve this?”

The assumption here, which is the same assumption we make when we ask, “What did I do to deserve this?” – the assumption is that bad things do not happen to good people. The assumption is that bad things happen because someone did something bad. The assumption is that the universe in general or God in particular is vengeful. You mess up? You get what’s coming to you!

That’s the assumption. But is it a valid assumption? Is our God vengeful? If you mess up, do you get what’s coming to you? Did you do something to deserve this? Did this blind man’s parents do something to deserve this?

Well Jesus gave his answer in our first text today. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” So we see that Jesus has a different set of assumptions. This man did not do something to deserve this. This man’s parents did not do something to deserve this. God is not vengeful in this way.

Instead, Jesus assumes that God’s glory can shine through any circumstance. God’s glory can shine through any situation. God’s glory can shine through suffering. That’s a very different assumption.

Jesus assumes that God can be found, doing good things, even in the midst of suffering that wasn’t deserved. Think about that assumption. God can be found…doing good things…even in the midst of suffering that wasn’t deserved.

“Normal”

But that wasn’t the assumption of the religious leaders in our text. This was a sabbath day, which in Jewish culture meant there were rules to be followed. Work was not supposed to be done on the Sabbath. In fact, over time a system had developed whereby 39 categories of work were prohibited.

For a contemporary example, manipulating electrical switches is now considered “work” for orthodox Jews. So what if you live in a high-rise apartment building and you have to take the elevator up thirty-nine floors. Climbing that many stairs would be work. Pressing the buttons on the elevator would count as work. Both would be violating the Sabbath.

So elevator companies created the Sabbath elevator. It runs on an automatic pattern to every floor without requiring pressing the buttons. So an orthodox Jew can get on the elevator and keep riding it until it reaches the correct floor before getting off. No electrical switches? No work! Who cares if you had to ride an elevator that stopped on 38 floors before reaching yours?!?

I share that only to show the level of detail that Jewish culture and Jewish law have about the Sabbath. So for Jesus to heal someone on the sabbath was very abnormal. It was downright strange. Even stranger than me in high school.

So when this formerly blind man came before the Pharisees, they didn’t celebrate his healing. No, they asked him, “How did it happen?” And they kept at this! They attacked his parents! They attacked the man! They accused him of being a sinner while they were righteously perfect! And they cast him out of the community! All because the healing wasn’t done in the “normal” way on the “normal” days.

The religious leaders in our text today assumed that God could only be found in the “normal” ways. In the “normal” places. In the approved forms. God can only be found after these seven forms have been filled out properly. And you better cross your T’s and dot your I’s!

But do you remember Jesus’ assumption? Jesus assumed that God can be found, doing good things, even in the midst of suffering that wasn’t deserved. And that means God can be found, doing good things, anywhere.

Seeing God Now

Let me share with you some of the ways I have been seeing God, doing good things, even in the midst of incredible disruption.

One example starts somewhere around the year 1997. I can’t remember exactly, but around that year I started thinking about what spiritual formation might look like using this new tool called “The Internet.” I was fourteen at the time, and I had started working with a designer to create websites for businesses. So I started a concept called “VR Church.” That stood for “Virtual Reality Church.” It sounds stupid now, but it was catchy at the time.

In the twenty-three years since that initial foray into digital faith formation, I have tried many different models. I have run pilot groups. I have examined the successful online churches. And around Christmas I received a stirring from the Holy Spirit to pick up that idea again.

For the last three months or so, I have been making notes about faith formation over the Internet without meeting in person. And so when we had to cancel worship services last week, I had a grab bag of ideas which I had already contemplated deeply.

I see God doing good things in that long preparation and that heads-up I received back around Christmas. God was with me there, even though I didn’t know we would need it this soon.

I have heard from many of you that you miss seeing each other. You miss your Bible study group. You miss choir. You miss worship! Video worship isn’t “normal!”

But I believe God has already been present, doing good things, even over a video. I heard at least one person who felt like Pastor Carol’s video sermon last week was speaking directly to them. God was with us.

I have heard from several of you who were feeling down, and you felt uplifted by the video worship even though it was very different from “normal.” God was with us.

I heard how the Shabby Sheep women’s group have been checking to see if anyone needs shopping help. Relationships have continued on the phone. A couple of the leaders asked me to train them on video conferencing so that the group might continue meeting digitally. That immediate response, that immediate compassion – God is with us.

Right now we’re working on getting teams to reach out to those who are most isolated and most lonely. A weekly phone check-in for support isn’t “normal” connection like visiting someone in person. But God will be there, doing good things, in a weekly phone call.

It’s pretty easy to notice what’s not normal right now. It’s pretty easy to notice what’s wrong right now. It’s pretty easy to notice our complaints, our inconveniences, and indeed our true sufferings. Those are easy to notice.

But rather than spending our attention on those easy “abnormal” observations, I encourage you to try to notice where God is present, doing good things, even in the abnormal, the strange, and in suffering that is not deserved. Jesus assumes God will be present, doing good things, in the midst of the abnormal. Where do you see God present, doing good things?

In fact, here’s something you can do this week to respond. Think of someone in your life, someone from this church, someone in your neighborhood, who might be feeling isolated or lonely or exhausted or depressed. Call them. Share with them where you see God doing good things. Ask them what good things God is doing around them. Be the relational presence over the phone that you can’t be in-person. Your phone call might BE the good thing that God is doing.

Maybe, maybe, we can put the emPHAsis on a different sylLAble. Instead of spouting in bitterness, “What did I do to deserve this?” maybe we can wonder in thanksgiving for God’s goodness, “What did I do to deserve THIS?” Amen.

View the Whole Worship Service

Sermon begins at the 2:01 mark after the music

Lay Reader = Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

4What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? 2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” 4Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. 5But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. 13For the promise that he would inherit  the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law  but through the righteousness of faith. 14If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. 16For this reason it depends on faith, in  order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his  descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who  share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us,

17as it is written, “I have made  you the father of many nations”) —in the presence of the God in whom he  believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things  that do not exist.

Introduction

We are continuing our Lent series looking at the ways we are prone to wander away from God, and how Jesus points us back in the right direction. Last week we  heard the three things that actually tempted Jesus, and how he decided to trust God’s plan through those temptations. This week we are following Jesus and three of the disciples as they go up to a high mountain. If you have ever heard of the phrase, “mountaintop experience,” this was the first one.

Matthew 17:1-9

17Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is  good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here,  one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5While he was still speaking, suddenly a  bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This  is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 6When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” 8And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. 9As they were coming down the mountain,  Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of  Man has been raised from the dead.”

Mountaintop Experience

I finally made it up to the mountains to ski, and you know I love to ski. But one of my favorite moments of skiing at Loveland comes early in the day. I take the Chet’s Dream high speed lift up one side of the mountain, ski down to lift number four, keep going past the first drop-off point all the way to the top. When you get off that lift, you’re not quite at the top ridge, but you’re pretty close. You’re inside this kind of bowl area near the top of the mountain, and when you turn around you are greeted by this snow-covered vista of the mountain and the broader valley.

Early in the day, there aren’t many people there, so it’s like this hallowed, holy moment for me. It’s a reminder that God is good. That this world God created contains epic beauty. And, as an added bonus, at that moment at the top of lift number four, I am as far away from anyone who wants to ask me to do something as I can be. It’s beautiful on several levels!

But you know, it’s not quite as awe-inspiring as the first time I went up that lift. The very first time I had that mountaintop experience, I just stood there for several minutes taking it all in. It felt like the space between heaven and earth was thinner than normal at that place at that time. It’s still good, but it’s not quite as good as it was the first time.

So I have a plan to recapture the magic of that first experience at the top of lift number four. I went back and found a weather report for that specific day and time. So I know it was 23 degrees. I know the wind was mild that day – only 10-15 miles per hour. That’s pretty good for Loveland. I know there wasn’t a cloud in the sky that day. I know that the mountain had received 12 inches of snow the week before I arrived, but no snow on that specific day.

So here’s my plan. I’m going to watch the weather report, and if I ever see 23 degrees with 10-15 mile per hour winds on a cloud-free day where the mountain has had 12 inches of snow in the last seven days, I’m going up there! Because surely if I get everything just right, I’ll feel exactly the same way I felt that first time up lift number four. Right?

If you’re thinking that story was a lot of setup for very little payoff, you might be correct. But I believe we are actually prone to doing that in our lives. When we notice that the magic seems to be missing, we are prone to long for and prone to try to recreate that magic moment.

I was on an airplane recently, which allows me to see movies I would never see otherwise. I was watching JoJo Rabbit, and the boy, JoJo, asks his mom what love feels like. And she said, “Love feels…like butterflies in your stomach.” And that can definitely be true – I bet many people here have felt those butterflies in your stomach when you first started courting your spouse. But I also bet most of us no longer feel those same butterflies when that person walks through the door today.

I always warn my premarital couples that love feels differently at different phases of life. Those butterflies are partially because of some chemicals that your brain is kicking out, and scientists have studied those chemicals and we know that your brain doesn’t keep kicking them out forever. You should expect for love to feel differently at different phases of life. There’s nothing wrong with your relationship if it doesn’t feel like it used to. Chasing that original feeling would just keep you wandering from one relationship to another whenever your brain decides to stop kicking out those butterfly chemicals. Those butterflies in your stomach are like a mountaintop experience. They’re fantastic! But if you keep chasing that feeling, if you keep trying to stay on the mountaintop, you’re bound to keep searching forever.

When we experience something great, when we feel something amazing, when we reach the mountaintop, we are prone to want to stay there so it never ends. Just keep the good times rolling. Just keep everything amazing and great and fabulous forever and ever amen! But we see in our text today that those experiences and those feelings don’t last forever. And we see in our text today that we aren’t meant to keep chasing the mountaintop experiences. Jesus has something else in mind.

Fleeting

The scene in our text today is absolutely mind-boggling. Can you even imagine what it would be like to see Moses, Elijah, and the glorious, transfigured Jesus standing in front of you? That’s unfathomable! But Peter is a man of action, even when he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do. So basically, he blurts out, “Hey Jesus! This is awesome! Can I build some tents so we can stay here forever?”

I find it fascinating that the exact moment Peter decided to try to grasp this experience, this emotion forever, that was the moment when the vision ended. When he moved from enjoying the experience to trying to possess and control the experience, it all ended.

I spent several years teaching middle school and high school students about the faith, and I still vividly remember the best lesson I ever gave. I decided to try a different approach that Sunday. We were going through a book of the Bible one chapter at a time. To start off our first week, I studied the book overall and the first chapter in particular. I created a handout that listed some interesting observations, some ideas for reflection, and some ways the text could apply to our lives today. I told the story of how that book of the Bible came to be – as vividly as possible. And using that handout, I tried to get the students to ask questions aloud. It was a more like a rabbinical dialogue than a lesson.

And it was fabulous! The students were engaged – even the ones who were normally trying to sneak a few text messages in while I was speaking. After youth group, I felt like I had finally discovered my style. I had hit a home run. The youth group leaders reported that their small group breakout discussions were the best they had ever had.

So I tried to keep the good times rolling. I prepared just as deeply for the second chapter of the book as I had for the first. I created the same kind of handout. I had the same group of kids – maybe even a few more the next week. I used the same style of rabbinical dialogue. And this week the students responded with…silence! Crickets! Nothing! It totally bombed! It was a mountaintop experience one week, but when I tried to replicate it the next week it was terrible!

Like Peter, I knew that first week, that mountaintop experience, that was good. Like Peter, I wanted it to last forever. Like Peter, I wanted every week to be a transfiguration, a revelation of God’s glory. But that glorious feeling was fleeting. It was great, but then it was gone.

And that’s when I started to learn what Jesus taught Peter, James, and John in our text today. Jesus touched them, told them to “get up and do not be afraid.” And then they walked down the mountain, and Jesus told them not to tell anyone else about it for now.

We aren’t meant to live our lives up on the mountain. The mountaintop experience isn’t a gauge of our faith, and the lack of a mountaintop experience isn’t a reflection of our lack of faith. Jesus didn’t even want them to talk about this experience until his resurrection. Also remember that nine of the twelve disciples of Jesus didn’t experience this particular mountaintop.

Maybe you’ve had a mountaintop experience. Maybe you have no idea what I’m talking about. Maybe you’ve seen the glory of the Lord. Maybe you haven’t. If you have, it’s not because you had more faith than someone else. If you haven’t, it’s not because you had less faith than someone else. And if you had a mountaintop experience and then it faded away, it’s not because you did anything wrong.

It’s because we aren’t meant to live our lives on the mountaintop, chasing that fleeting feeling. Jesus takes them off the mountain and back onto the plain. Jesus led them off the mountain, and took them back to the city. Jesus led them off the mountain where they were with the Son of God, the Lawgiver Moses, and the Prophet Elijah, and he led them back to their everyday relationships.

Faithfulness is about the everyday, not chasing the once-in-a-lifetime forever. When we experience something wonderful, we are prone to seek that feeling, to chase that experience, to worship that moment instead of Jesus.

I’m harping on this so much because I’ve seen people’s lives go off the rails when they fail to grasp this. I’ve seen people wander after those butterflies in their stomach, even though it made them wander away from their spouses and their children.

I’ve seen people wander toward any substance or any relationship that makes them forget about their pain for a while. But the pain is still there the next morning, and whatever made you forget your pain comes with its own new pain as well.

I’ve seen people wander from church to church to church trying to capture the magic worship moment. Usually that really means they never develop rooted relationships that would nourish them far more than a magical worship service for one hour on Sunday morning.

I’ve seen people wander from job to job to job trying to find the perfect environment, even though the grass wasn’t really greener on the other side the last five times they tried to switch.

Paul says in Philippians 4, “I have learned to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

In other words, we can celebrate the mountaintop experience if it happens. We can survive the valley of the shadow of death if it happens. Faithfulness is when we remain grounded in Christ whether we are up or down, whether we are on top of the world or feeling six feet under.

Summary

What have you been chasing? Where have you been looking for greener grass on the other side of the fence? Is it really greener? More importantly, is Jesus standing over there or right next to you already?

We are prone to wander away from Jesus and instead worship that great feeling, that mountaintop experience, those butterflies in your stomach. But all of those things are fleeting. Jesus is lasting.

What have you been chasing? Is Jesus really over there, or already standing next to you? Amen.

Sermon begins at the 3:07 mark after the music

Lay Reader = Romans 5:12-19

  ¹²Therefore, just as sin came into the  world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread  to all because all have sinned— ¹³sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. ¹⁴Yet death exercised dominion from Adam  to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of  Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come. ¹⁵But the free gift is not like the  trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more  surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one  man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. ¹⁶And the free gift is not like the effect  of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought  condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings  justification. ¹⁷If, because of the one man’s trespass,  death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those  who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness  exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. ¹⁸Therefore just as one man’s trespass led  to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to  justification and life for all. ¹⁹For just as by the one man’s  disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience  the many will be made righteous.

Introduction

This is the first Sunday in Lent, which is when we prepare our hearts for Holy Week and Easter. Before Christmas we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of the King – that’s Advent. It’s a pretty happy time.

Lent is a bit different. We’re preparing our hearts, not for the birth of the King, but for the crucifixion of the King. We know his resurrection is right around the corner, and that makes Easter another pretty happy time, but this season is very different from Advent. If Advent is a party, then Lent is a gut-check. It’s a time to hold up the mirror to our souls.

Lent is patterned off of Jesus’ experience in our text today. To set the mood, just listen to these first two verses. “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.” Doesn’t that just sound happy?

To understand this text and our whole Lenten journey, we must understand what the wilderness is. In Colorado, what comes to mind when you hear the word “wilderness?” Maybe a forest? Or maybe skiing out of bounds? Our wilderness in Colorado is not the same kind of wilderness that Israel has.

The wilderness in Israel is more like the arid parts of New Mexico or West Texas. It’s dry, but not as inhospitable as wandering the sands of the Sahara Desert. You can survive in the wilderness, but it’s not pleasant, and it’s not easy, and it’s not an entirely safe place, either.

So that’s the geography of wilderness – it’s a difficult place, but you can survive there with a lot of effort and a bit of luck. What about the theology of wilderness?

In the Bible, the wilderness is where people go to be transformed or tested by God. You enter the wilderness one way, but you never come out of the wilderness the same way. When God made the Israelites wander for forty years before allowing them to enter the Promised Land, where did they wander? The wilderness. In fact, the three ways that the devil tempts Jesus in our text today are three major ways the Israelites failed during their wandering through the wilderness for forty years.

The wilderness is the kind of place, the kind of season of life, where you can only focus on what truly matters. Every nonessential must be left behind, because you can’t afford the time, the energy, the effort of maintaining those other things. That’s why the wilderness is a spiritual place. That’s why Lent is an important season for us.

It gives us a reason to pause and reflect on what’s most important in our lives and in our faith. I’ve heard it said that when we have wilderness times in our lives, our faith never stays the same. We might draw closer to God, and we might wander further away from God, but that’s largely our choice. When you’re barely surviving, will you turn to God as the most essential thing in your pack? Or will you discard God like a dead weight?

Our sermon series this Lenten season will focus on the ways we are prone to wander away from God, and how Jesus points us back to our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.

Matthew 4:1-11

4Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ²He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. ³The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” ⁴But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” ⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶saying to him, “If you are the Son of  God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels  concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you  will not dash your foot against a stone.’” ⁷Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” ⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; ⁹and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” ¹¹Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

Blaming God

Well Bart and Lisa Simpson were once so mad at each other that it had come to a fistfight. But their mother, Marge, was fed up with all their fighting. She threatened them that there would be serious consequences for whomever started the next fight.

Shortly thereafter, Bart and Lisa were furious with each other once again. But, shockingly, they remembered their mother’s words. So Bart yelled at Lisa, “I’m going to start swinging my arms around like this, and if you get hit it’s your own fault!” And Lisa yelled back, “Well I’m going to start kicking the air like this! And if you happen to feel that air, it’s your own fault!” Then they closed their eyes, starting swinging and kicking and walking toward each other so they couldn’t be blamed for starting the fight.

I’m pretty sure that’s what Marge had in mind, right? As long as I can’t be blamed for it, we can still fight!

We as humans tend to be rather focused on the question of blame. The author Robert Bloch once said, “The man who can smile when things go wrong has thought of someone else he can blame it on.”

But another author said, “One of the annoying things about believing in free will and individual responsibility is the difficulty of finding somebody to blame your problems on. And when you do find somebody, it’s remarkable how often his picture turns up on your driver’s license.” Ouch!

Since we all tend to be rather motivated to find someone or something to blame when things go wrong, I believe God is one of the easiest targets of our wrath. After all, we can’t see God. Much easier to lob verbal hand grenades at a faceless distant entity who usually doesn’t send any verbal barbs back our way.

One of the ways we are prone to wander is by blaming God for everything that is difficult or wrong in our lives. Have you ever found yourself looking to blame God?

Now if anyone had a case to blame God, surely it’s Jesus. Listen again to our first verse today: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” The Holy Spirit led Jesus to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil! May that sentence never be uttered about any of us, right?

Tempting Jesus: Bread

So it was God’s fault that Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted. But to me there’s a more interesting question in this text. What could possibly tempt Jesus? What would tempt the all-knowing, all-powerful Son of God?

The first temptation is to turn stones into bread. I don’t think the Adversary was trying to tempt Jesus by getting him to feed himself. I believe the Adversary was tempting Jesus to use his power to meet all of our physical needs. Feed yourself, and feed everyone. Don’t let anyone suffer, Jesus! That might tempt Jesus.

Jesus’ response is from Deuteronomy, but I think the full context is interesting. So I’m going to read you the full text from which Jesus drew his response to that temptation. Deuteronomy 8:3 – “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, God allowed them to hunger and then fed them with supernatural manna that they couldn’t hoard and couldn’t cultivate themselves. God did this to help them realize their ultimate dependence on God.

When we have everything we need and want, we are prone to wander away from God and worship ourselves. It’s tempting for Jesus to turn stones into bread and feed us all, but from God’s perspective that wouldn’t help our souls.

Think on your life. When have you felt closest to God? And when have you most felt how much you need God? Usually we realize how much we need God when something in our lives is broken.

I know that’s true for me. I am much more likely to remember how much I need to pray, how much I need to journal, how much I need to reflect on Scripture when I need God’s help or guidance. If I’ve been drifting in those spiritual practices, I am reminded of how much I need to prioritize them when life goes off the rails. How about you? What reminds you of how much you need God? What reminds you how much you need Jesus?

When life is going off the rails, when we are hungry or thirsty or suffering, we are prone to blame God and wander away. But Jesus shows us that those are the times we can draw even more closely to God.

Tempting Jesus: Prove Yourself

The second way the Adversary tries to tempt Jesus is to have him jump from the Temple and have angels catch him. The Adversary even quotes Scripture for this temptation – out of context, of course. So why would this tempt Jesus? Was he a skydiving daredevil looking for a cheap thrill? Of course not!

Jesus was tempted to prove to everyone that he was the Son of God. He was tempted to leave no doubt. He was tempted to prove himself rather than requiring faith.

The context here is another scene from Israel’s wandering in the wilderness. So first, let’s remember what it was like for the Israelites who were wandering in the wilderness. This people had seen the Lord appear as a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud. They had seen the Lord split the Red Sea so they could cross it. They had seen the Lord send ten plagues upon Egypt. The Lord provided miraculous manna to feed them along the way.

But they were thirsty. So they did what was only natural for a people who had seen the Lord’s faithfulness and tangible presence so often: they wondered if God was still with them and threatened to stone Moses if he didn’t give them water. God tells Moses to strike a rock and water gushes forth, but God is very mad with them for putting him to the test and wondering “Is the Lord among us or not?”

So Jesus is tempted to prove himself, to not require faith, to pass the test that people would want him to pass, to be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, to be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! Be the superhero people want you to be, Jesus!

Don’t you wish Jesus would appear before your very eyes, resplendent in his glory, leaving no doubt? That would be nice, right? But, I’m going out on a limb here, I’m willing to wager that there aren’t many of us who have had that kind of experience. But it tempted Jesus to do just that.

We finished the My Gospel class a few weeks ago, but we got to hear people’s stories over the last two weeks of class. Some people have seen God answer prayers miraculously. Some people have received guidance they couldn’t have thought up on their own. Some people have had a profound sense of peace wash over them during trying times. Some people had their lives turned around thanks to God sending the right person at the right time.

We don’t usually get an angel with a flaming sword proclaiming the existence of God. But if we look at our lives we can all find moments – big and small – where God was very present and impactful. When has Jesus shown up in your life? Where can you see God’s fingerprints?

When we start doubting the existence of God or start doubting whether Jesus is God, we are prone to blame God for being too distant and wander away. But Jesus shows us to look for the small moments throughout our lives to draw us back to God.

Take Control and Skip the Cross

For the last temptation of Jesus, I want you travel with me in your mind to Peru. Maybe you’ve heard of Machu Picchu? The famous Incan ruins? It’s on my bucket list. Very high on my bucket list, in fact. There are several ways to get to Machu Picchu. One way takes you up about a hundred flights of stone stairs. It usually takes 3-4 days to hike. But that’s only one way up to Machu Picchu. There are other much simpler, much faster, much smoother paths. Which one would you want to take?

Well that depends on your purpose. Those other trails were built to enable commerce for the city. They were llama trails. The multi-day, stair-infested route was not intended for commerce. It was intended as a religious pilgrimage.

Let’s come back a little closer to home. Anyone here been to Red Rocks? There are two basic ways to get there. You can drive up to the top, or you can hike up to the top. If you just want a quick trip to see the amphitheater, you might want to drive. If you want a beautiful hike that ends in a quick trip to the amphitheater, I recommend hiking all the way up. Your purpose determines which way you choose to go.

For the last temptation of Jesus, the devil shows him the kingdoms of the world and says, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Why would this tempt Jesus? What’s going on here?

Well how does the story end? When the final Amen rings out at the end of the book of Revelation, what happens? The whole world has been recreated and redeemed, and God is in charge directly, right? Well wouldn’t it be tempting to Jesus to skip the unpleasantness in between? Wouldn’t it be tempting to Jesus to skip his death on a cross, and just jump right to being in charge? All he has to do is switch out who’s on the throne! All he has to do is choose to take charge earlier than planned!

But being in charge of the governments of the world wasn’t Jesus’ purpose. He had his sights set on something bigger. Something more important in his mind. He didn’t want the shortest path. He didn’t want to drive to the top. He took the stairs. He took the hike. Because his greater purpose was the redemption of our souls. And for that to happen, he had to take the hard way. The way to the cross.

Jesus looked at your heart, your soul, and decided it was worth more than all the kingdoms of the world. We might look at the dysfunction in our world, and we might be prone to blame God for letting things get out of hand.

We have a partnership with the Presbyterian churches in Zimbabwe. Their government has essentially imploded the country’s economy. They can barely find food to eat. Wouldn’t it tempt Jesus to throw out that kind of government and take the crown himself? But Jesus looks at you and me and our partners in Zimbabwe and says, “That person’s heart and soul are worth more to me. They’re worth dying for.”

Summary

Sisters and brothers, we might be prone to blame God for the parts of our lives and parts of our world that just seem bonkers. It was tempting for Jesus to take care of our every need. It was tempting for Jesus to prove to us who he is instead of requiring faith. It was tempting for Jesus to skip the cross and just take over the world directly.

But he had his sights set on a bigger prize: our hearts and souls. Jesus did not come for our comfort. Jesus did not come to meet our expectations of God. Jesus did not come to take the easy way out and take charge of things directly. Jesus came for our hearts and souls. He judged our souls to be more valuable than anything else. When we are prone to wander away from God during difficult times, Jesus shows us how God had his sights set on a different prize. Our very souls. Amen.