"You will not abandon me to Sheol"

Psalm 16

Pastor Tom Johnson, April 27, 2014

The first Christian sermon ever preached had two texts: Joel chapter two and Psalm 16. Peter proclaims the resurrection to 3,000 people at the Temple in Jerusalem. Verse 10 of that Psalm is repeated three times in our readings and worship service this morning. It's and restated twice in Peter’s sermon. That is a cue that verse 10 is very important. “For you will not abandon me to the grave, nor let your holy one see the pit.” The Hebrew word here for grave is Sheol. The New Testament translates it as Hades. The translators of the King James Version made the unfortunate decision to translate the word as hell. The Revised Standard Version realized how loaded this word is and so kept it in the Hebrew Sheol. I suppose they did this in the hope that people would do a little research as to what this word means—especially in context of biblical literature. But I think few people do this research. And, as a result, most people go on assuming that Sheol is talking about a place of eternal torment. And to top it off, the English word hell and the Greek word hades are both rooted in spiritual worldviews that do not have their origin in the Hebrew or Christian Scripture. And so, these extrabiblical ideas have a way of creeping into our thoughts and theology, namely, that Psalm 16 is talking about a netherworld of neverending punishment. Thankfully, this is not the case.

 

And really, all of that to say that I feel badly that so many people miss just how comforting this text this! “For you will not abandon me to Sheol—the grave—, nor let your holy one see the pit.” This Scripture is talking about one of the most universal fears that visits the human race: the thought which may haunt you as you lay on your bed at night and as you drift off to sleep. This fear may have brushed up against any of us through illness. Perhaps it was an averted accident where life and death flashed before your eyes. Or maybe it is simply a clear and sobering realization of our mortality. To be specific, this is the terrifying thought that death has the last word. That is exactly what sheol —or better—the grave is in the Bible—death as a menacing power that wants to swallow up life. Think of an open grave as the mouth of death and you will come close to this biblical idea of the threat of death. Think about the depths of the earth as death’s stomach and, no matter how much it is filled, its hunger never goes away. This is the Hebrew Bible’s description of death—as a monster that wants to consume all of life. For Israelite believers, their fear was personified by the gaping mouth of a stone tomb that wants to swallow us up forever. This is the idea that Peter personified as a predator when he warned us to “be alert and sober minded, for our adversary the devil is a roaring lion prowling around seeking someone to devour.” It’s the very real and human fear of Jesus who prayed in the garden of Gethsemane for the cup to pass him by—“yet not my will, but your will be done, Heavenly Father.” This was the cup that was going to pour out the last drop of his lifeblood. It’s the bone chilling conclusion that atheists have about the natural world: that we are alone, death is inevitable, and there is no God to rescue us from the insatiable hunger of the grave. We confess in the Creed that Jesus “was buried and descended into hell.” Again, the word hell is an unfortunate choice; the word grave is far better. Nevertheless, with this phrase, we affirm the truth that Jesus went into the mouth and stomach of death itself. He went into the grave and the pit for us. But the story does not end there.

 

We are still in Easter! “For you will not abandon me to the grave, nor let your holy one see the pit.” God will not leave us as orphans—uncared-for children. He will not allow us to sink into the unrelenting gravity of the black hole of death. Do you remember our earlier discussion of the picture of the menacing power of death—as the grave with it’s open mouth and bottomless stomach? Think for a moment how God has turned that image on it’s head! Celebrate with me how God has changed that terrifying picture of death into resurrected life! “For you will not abandon me to the grave, nor let your holy one see the pit.” The tomb is empty! He is not there! He has risen! “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” Like Jonah who went through the mouth and into the stomach of a whale, so Jesus went through the mouth and into the stomach of death. And like Jonah who was spit up on the third day to bring forgiveness to Nineveh, so Jesus springs out of the grave to bring good news of forgiveness and triumph over death.

 

The tomb of death has been burgled! Death has been robbed its victim. God has the last word and that word is life in his Son. “Death could not hold him!” Scripture says. And in him we have the hope and assurance that God will not abandon us to our graves nor let us his holy children sink into the bottomless pit. The empty grave and pit beneath it no longer can consume and swallow us and have us for breakfast. It is now the mouth and lungs of the Gospel. The gaping stone mouth now proclaims victory over death! The stone cries out “You will not be abandoned. Death will not swallow you up. In Christ we have life forevermore!”

"Like lightning"

Matthew 28:1-10

Pastor Tom Johnson, April 20, 2014

The two Marys go to visit the place where Jesus was buried in the twilight early that Sunday morning. The dawning of a new week was moments away. The sun is already sending its light from behind the horizon—a foretaste of a new day! But before this light reveals itself, there is a flash of blinding light and a loud crack. It is followed by a huge boom that shakes the ground. The source of this earthquake is an angel sent from heaven to earth. When this angel completes his supersonic, inter-dimensional journey, he rolls away the huge stone that covered the mouth of the tomb where Jesus once lay. The angel sits on the conquered stone ready for his next mission—to extend the earthquake from shaking the ground to rattling the bones and skulls of the guards. This was such a visceral shaking of their being, that their fear drove these trained soldiers into a catatonic state. They went from mighty men guarding a tomb to powerless, lifeless creatures laying on the ground—“like dead men” our text says. The angel’s appearance was “like lightning.” His entrance from heaven to earth was like a thunderbolt that extends from the highest heaven we observe to the ground beneath our feet. Like lightning, the sound and force of impact is so great it that it shakes the ground and feels like it will overwhelm you.

Last year, my family and I saw a bolt of lightning hit the top of a building in Austin, Texas as we drove through. It was just ahead of us. It burned the retina so that when you blinked you still saw the negative of the brilliant image. Traffic slowed. Smoke rose from the building. Years earlier, Johanna and I were moving into married student housing for graduate school. It started raining so we weren’t able to bring our things in. So we sat in this empty shell of an apartment—tile floors and cinder block walls and ceiling with the windows open since it was a very warm day. A flash of blinding light and a cannon blast of sound poured into our room! I remember the ringing in my ears and the electric tingling of hair on my arms and head standing on end.

When the experience of this finally grips the two Marys—and with the two soldiers  laying there stunned on the ground, the angels first words to them is “Do not be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.” (I hope the guards heard every word!) Like the lightning that burst into their lives moments before, so the news of of the resurrection infuses them with joy and mission. According the Matthew’s account, these two women are privileged to be the first to proclaim the good news. They leave the tomb “with fear and great joy,” our text says. Their fear is no longer the dreaded terror of the blast of angelic lightning but the awe and wonder of God who raised Jesus from the dead.

“With fear and great joy” they run to tell the disciples the glad tidings: “Jesus, lives! He does not trail behind us in death. He goes ahead of us in life and victory!” On their way, they are struck by another thunderous encounter—Jesus himself who suddenly appears before them and says, “Shalom!” They fall down now, not as those who are struck in deadly fear, but reverential worship of the risen Lord. They take hold of his feet and cling to him not wanting to let him go—he who so strongly took ahold them into his loving grip. But they must go. Jesus sends these evangelists on their way. Fear and joy compel them. The love of Jesus fuels them. The good news of a God who goes before us to meet us drives them forward. “Go to Galilee! Jesus will meet you there!” Like the angelic lighting that brought in that new day early, early Sunday morning, their message will bring hope and healing to the grieving disciples.

Lightning is many times brighter and many times hotter than the surface of the sun. It is just a millisecond flash here one moment and gone the next, so the angel quickly came and disappeared. So is the news of Jesus risen from the dead. It is a foretaste of the glory to come. “Fair is the sunshine, Fair is the moonlight, Bright the sparking stars on high; Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer Than all the angels in the sky!” John’s vision of Jesus is of a person that outshines any light of creation. Even the seraphim and cherubim—these angels of light—must shield their eyes from the blinding light of the risen Savior. In the new heaven and earth, there will be no need for sun and moon, for Jesus the Lamb of God will be the lamp and light of our eternal home. And we are his children of light, like lightning, who will shine more brightly than the midday sun!

“Jesus lives! The vict'ry’s won! Death no longer can appall me; Jesus lives! Death’s reign is done! From the grave will Christ recall me. Brighter scenes will then commence; This shall be my confidence” (LSB #490, v. 1).

"A good Friday"

John 19

Pastor Tom Johnson, April 17, 2014
 

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul says that his primary goal in his ministry is to preach the Cross. He writes, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2). An overstatement? Not at all. The Christian faith has as its core the Cross of Christ. We call this day “Good Friday;” for this is the day Jesus was crucified on the cross on Golgotha. The word “good” seems a little strange. The night before, Jesus prays that He might be spared the crucifixion. He prays, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). Mysteriously, it was the Father’s will even though it grieved him.  And, although Jesus did not want to suffer and die, his love for us and his desire to please the Father were stronger. The book of Hebrews says that it was “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2). Remarkably, for Jesus, Good Friday was joyful Friday. The Heavenly Father answers Jesus’ prayer for His will to be done. And so it is. In John’s Gospel reading this evening, there are those constant reminders that Scripture is being fulfilled by His crucifixion and death. God’s will is done—his will is accomplished even though the world is at its blackest—even though humanity is at its worst.

Meditate on the contrasts with me. We see humanity’s worst treatment of God; we see God’s best treatment of humankind. We see witness the world’s worst transgression—crucifying the Son of God; we see God’s greatest Gift—victory over all our sins. The innocent Blood that day should have cried out for God’s vengeance and retribution; instead his Blood cries out peace and forgiveness. The inscription above Jesus reads, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The chief priests want it changed to “This man said, I am King of the Jews.” We don’t know if Pilate put “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” as a sick joke or because of a breakdown in communication. But for whatever reason, it is correct for He is the King, not only of the Jews but of heaven and earth. The soldiers want chance and fate to decide who gets Jesus’ tunic—they are gambling over a condemned Man’s possession. Jesus, on the other hand, is not on the cross by chance or fate but by God’s eternal decree—He isn’t gambling but purchasing the souls of all condemned humanity.

Only five disciples had the courage to stand at the foot of the cross that day. You think our attendance is sparse tonight! We have easily surpassed the attendance of five that Good Friday. Four are women—three of whom are named Mary. And one is John. But John does not identify himself by his name. He identifies himself as “the disciple whom [Jesus] loved.” John could have identified himself as “the disciple who had the courage to be there” or “the disciple who did not betray or deny the Lord.” Instead, John identifies himself humbly and evangelistically as “the disciple whom He loved.” All of us should boldly identify ourselves as just that—those whom Jesus loves. Just look upon the Cross.

Back to contrasts...

The world tears away a mother’s son—Mary watches as her own flesh and blood is executed. Jesus, on the other hand, gives John His mother. And, by His death, makes us all true sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father. The world offered Jesus sour wine—vinegar—while He suffered and died. Jesus, on the other hand, offers us the best wine at Cana and His true Body and Blood with the bread and wine of Holy Communion. Jesus drinks only the bitterness of this world—wine that has lost all its sweetness. But we drink the best of wine—the bitterness of Christ’s suffering and death but also with the sweetness of God’s forgiveness, new life, and eternal salvation.

The only thing good, by the world’s standard, that Jesus receives is a good burial—a good priest to bury him, a good embalming, and a good tomb. Jesus, however, gives us new life, new bodies, and a new home in heaven. It is Good Friday, indeed.

"Unless I wash you"

John 13:1-15

 

Pastor Tom Johnson, April 17, 2014

Tonight our Gospel text is about service—divine service—the service of our Lord. The washing of the disciples’ feet is, in Jesus’ words, given as an example. It is not another sacrament but I think a vivid illustration of the Sacraments. Sometime during the Last Supper, Jesus lays aside His outer garments, ties a towel around his waist, pours water in a basin, and washes the disciples’ feet. Everything is going smoothly—that is, until He came to Peter. And what is there not to like about Peter’s response? He is thoughtful, sensitive, and pious. “You shall never wash my feet,” he says. We should put the best construction on Peter. He had a high regard for his Lord. He knew Jesus was the Christ, the promised Son of God. Jesus was Peter’s King and Peter was the King’s subject. Kings are served by their subjects—not the other way around.

But this is no ordinary king. Jesus tells him, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with Me.” Peter’s willingness to obey his King is evident when Peter replies, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” If submitting to his Lord means going beyond the call of duty, Peter is willing to do so. When Peter is told to jump, he asks, “How high?” But he still misses the point. He is determined to serve his King not be served by his King. But as we have been reminded so often before, Jesus “did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

During my year at our Seminary in Fort Wayne, there were a few times when my jaw hit the floor. One of those times was when a Professor said, “The highest act of worship is receiving the forgiveness of sins.”  He went on to talk about something else. I wouldn’t let him. I raised my hand and asked, “Can you please repeat what you just said about worship?” “The highest act of worship is receiving the forgiveness of sins.” 

True worship is receiving divine service. Such divine service does not deny that we have our service to Him. Jesus says at the end of our Gospel, “For I have set you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” He calls us to follow His example—to love those around us—to lay aside our pride as Jesus does his outer garment—to stoop down and serve one another in humility. Getting on our knees is uncomfortable and a dirty job. Washing feet is an appropriate picture of the work of the Church. It illustrates why we continue to need the Lord’s forgiveness—and why we need one another. And it also illustrates that serving one another can be an uncomfortable and humble service.

But our ongoing need of cleansing does not mean that we have strayed away and have been lost. It simply means that God has provided a way to bring us back into the fold and assure us time and time again. Jesus tells Peter and the disciples that they do not need to have their whole bodies, heads, and hands washed. They are completely clean. Jesus, no doubt, is referring to their washing with water and the Word in Holy Baptism. The disciples are already clean. We the baptized are already clean. Our Lord says, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean.”

Before the eyes of God the Father, those who have been baptized are dressed in the perfectly white robes of Christ’s righteousness. But we still live in bodies tempted and stained by sin. As long as our feet tread this earth, they will be contaminated  We still need a place of cleansing. And that place is here—in the communion of Saints—here Christ still serves His Church. We still need the ministry of the Word—in the reading and preaching of God’s Word. Jesus said a few chapters later in the Gospel of John, “Already you are clean because of the Word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). He still serves us through the ministry of the Lord’s Supper—where Christ gives his true Body and true Blood for the forgiveness of sins.

That is why Jesus washes the disciples’ feet the same night He institutes the Lord’s Supper. He wants us to see dirt being removed from the disciples feet as an example of what our physical eyes cannot see—guilt being removed from our consciences—all flowing from what he began in our Baptism. This washing and forgiveness is only possible because of what will happen tomorrow on Good Friday. It is the shedding of His own blood—the pouring out of his water and blood to cleanse us. Our Lord’s willingness to serve us is truly astounding. As John writes at the beginning of our Gospel reading: “Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”

Tonight, he willingly lays aside His outer garments—just as he laid aside his divine glory years earlier to become Human. And, tomorrow, He will lay aside his outward glory again. He will be stripped, beaten, and crucified for us. He lays aside His glory temporarily in order to serve us, wash us, and bring us into that same glory forever. Let him serve you. Let him release you from guilt. Let him wash you.

"He emptied himself"

Philippians 2:5-11

Pastor Tom Johnson, April 13, 2014

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” This Scripture invites us to reflect on the life of Jesus so that his humility would change our thinking and our behavior. In many ways, this is another variation of what we have been talking about in our Lenten midweek series: “Love as I have loved you,” Jesus says. Paul makes use of an early Christian hymn. It may be that they were already familiar with these words in their worship and devotional life. By singing these words, they sang the truth of the gospel even deeper into their hearts. Music not only adorns words with form and beauty; it also helps us remember the words. It helps us slow down and meditate on profound truth. Singing moves us from contemplating to celebrating God’s love for us.

The story of Jesus begins before creation. From eternity and before the universe was made, the eternal Son of God sat at the right hand of the Father. Before time and space came into being, he was in the form of God. He is the Alpha and Omega, the great I AM, who is, who was, and who will be. “...who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited.” As the Second Person of the Trinity, he was and is and will be God forever. It was okay that this truth was hidden from public knowledge or covered with the veil of divine mystery. Instead of a campaign to promote the divinity of the eternal Son of God—instead of publishing his omnipotence—instead of making a fuss about his greatness, God made an even stranger move in the direction of humility. “...who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.”

It’s not very flattering to us humans to think that God taking on a human body was a step downward. But it is good for us to be reminded the Babe born in the manger in Bethlehem is the Immanuel—God with us. He is one Person with two natures now—God and Man. By taking on human form, Jesus emptied himself. He surrendered the right for people to immediately recognize him as God.  Those who met Jesus, experienced a human being. And though his divinity was veiled behind his flesh and blood, people also experienced God. They heard the good news of forgiveness through Baptism. They saw him perform miraculous healing. They heard him explain the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.

But his journey did not end there in humbling himself: “And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.” That is what is so striking about today’s worship service, songs, and Scripture reading. It begins with what we know Jesus deserves—welcoming him with palm branches, shouts of Hosanna, and public recognition. Even though this story is so familiar to us, we still know that Jesus deserved to be treated as a beloved Teacher, loving Friend, faithful King, and eternal God. Instead, he is treated as an outcast and criminal. He endures this to his death.

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” The effect God wants is for us to be humble. God wants us to empty ourselves of what we may consider to be our right to be known and respected. The goal is not to beat ourselves up or put ourselves down. It is to serve one another and build each other up. Even for Jesus, it was not an exercise of fruitless humility. He emptied himself so that our forgiveness and life would be full.

“Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Now is the time for the name of Jesus to be placarded for the whole world to see. Now is the time to proclaim and sing the glory of the eternal Son of God. Now the veil has been lifted and we have a glimpse of the majesty of the Second Person of the Trinity. The time is coming—and the time has come when all heaven and earth will bow their knees before the throne of Jesus. And together we will give thanks and praise him for who he is, always was, and forever will be—Lord.

 

“Can these bones live?”

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Pastor Tom Johnson, April 6, 2014

God takes Ezekiel on a field trip. He leads the prophet into the middle of a valley. And there, scattered all over this vast expanse, are human remains—the remains of soldiers who fought and died. It is the tragic end to a lost battle long ago. It appears that no one survived this battle to bring word back to their people. Their bodies were never recovered. They were left without the dignity of a proper burial. Exposed to the elements, their clothing, hair, flesh, muscles, and tendons slowly decayed, turned to dust, and blew away. All that remained were the chalky white skulls and bones of an army long forgotten.

Happy Confirmation Sunday!

And if this vision isn’t a disturbing enough, God tells Ezekiel: “Mortal—you who have death haunting your future—these bones are the bones of the house of Israel.” This is a picture of the despair, unbelief, and hopelessness of God’s people. These bones are the remains of the people of God. Those littered across this field are the Church. This disturbing vision is God’s answer to something people were saying to each other: “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” These words—perhaps a bit overstated—are nevertheless words of utter despair and hopelessness. They seem to come from a people who believe God had abandoned them— Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.”

When Ezekiel sees the valley of dry bones, he is seeing the horrific nightmares and worst fears of the people of God. What they said allegorically about their condition—our bones are dried up—now appears to Ezekiel in stark, literal reality. In some ways, it is disturbing, isn’t it, that God hears our most desperate cries? He knows our deepest doubts. He sees our worst fears. “I am wasting away—I don’t know if I have strength to move on. There seems to be no end to my troubles—no light at the end of this terrifying tunnel. I feel that God has abandoned me—and left me as an orphan.” “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.”

Ezekiel’s vision takes a very different turn with a bit of excellent catechesis! “Mortal—you who are vulnerable to the sting of death—mortal, can these bones live?” Is there any possibility, no matter how remote, that these scattered bones across the field could run, play, and dance again? It is a ridiculous question: “Can these bones live?” And, Ezekiel, the catechumen says, “O Lord God, you know.” “O Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Rather than tell Ezekiel. God has Ezekiel tell the bones. It would be as ridiculous as my showing up to Wunders Cemetery this morning instead of First Saint Paul’s! And for God to tell me to preach there instead of here! “Prophesy—preach to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” And that is exactly what happens.

God builds his beaten down, discouraged, and hopeless people from the bottom up. Bones begin to rattle. One bone begins to rejoin itself with another. Sinew starts to snake around the bone. The bones begin to pink with muscle with blue and red blood vessels. Skin begins to cover those bodies with its protective shield. Hair sprouts and grows. And God says, “Command the wind.” And like God who breathed life into the nostrils of Adam, Ezekiel gets to preach life into God’s people. Mouths gape open. Chests suddenly rise with a desperate breath. Eyes begin to blink open. One by one they sit up. Then stand. And what was once a vast graveyard is now a vast multitude of the living!

“Can these bones live?” Can God give faith to those who doubt? Can God give hope to those in despair? Can God give comfort to those who grieve? Can God give peace that transcends understanding? Can God encourage the most troubled soul? Remember the dry bones—the field of shattered dreams. Know that God hears our cries of desperation. He envisions our worst nightmares. And he meets our troubles, doubts, and struggles at the most profound level.

He stimulates the growth of pink muscles on our dry bones and renews our faith. He grows blue and red blood vessels to deliver his nutritious Spirit to our whole being. He shields us with the skin of his protective care and legion of angels. He breathes on us his Holy Spirit! He fill our lungs with the oxygen-rich breath of the Word—the Word that is living and active—that has power to build our broken lives from the ground up. We will fear no evil. His rod and staff, they comfort us! He leads us to say with confidence, “Yea, though I walk through this valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For Thou art with me. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

"Awake, O Sleeper!"

Ephesians 5:8-14

 

Pastor Tom Johnson, April 4, 2014
Concordia University, Chicago, IL

"Therefore it says, 'Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!'" I love the fact that the Apostle Paul quotes an early Christian song, thereby elevating these lyrics to Scripture. Paul employs a poetic epistemology to capture what propositional statements often fail to do—to use, not only our reason, but also our senses and imagination to grasp what it means to answer God's call:  "Wake up, sleepy head and experience the resurrection of the dead!" Paul reminds us that we live in the twilight of passing spiritual darkness and the dawn of Christ's redeeming light. It's time to wake up! It is time to get busy! We live in the new day of God's re-creation!

This is not the time to be apathetic and lethargic. It's not the time to let the world lull you back to sleep with its empty but intoxicating promises. Don't be deceived by the grogginess calling you to spiritual unconsciousness. Wake up and face the challenge of this New Day. It's why we sing the Scripture "This is the day the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it!" It's why we are comforted by the Proverb "Weeping may tarry for the night but joy comes in the morning!" Open your eyes, rub the sleep out, and get moving!

You'll remember Jacob who was weighed down with guilt and fear late one night. He knew dawn was coming and would meet his estranged brother Esau after many years. He legitimately feared for his life and the lives of his family. He did not slip into a slumbering denial of what could come but stayed up and struggled with God all night in prayer. He insisted that God bless him. He prevailed. And he received a new name, Israel, which means "wrestles with God." Follow the example of Jacob. Don't try to sleep off your struggles, guilt, and fear. "Cast all your anxiety upon the Lord, for he cares for you."

You'll remember Peter who denies Jesus three times. He is physically awake but  spiritually snoozing through the night. At dawn, the rooster crows at the very moment Jesus says it would calling Peter to face his sin and unbelief. Throughout Germany and Scandinavia, churches of the Reformation replaced crosses on top of the spires and put golden roosters. Why? To remember Peter and call worshippers to come out of their spiritual slumber as Jesus says in Revelation (3:2): "Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God." Follow the example of Peter who was so roused awake by the sight of the resurrected Jesus days later, while still in the fishing boat, jumps into the water, and swims to his Lord. Jesus restores him with a sobering question, "Do you love me?" repeated three times paralleling his denials so that he would know he is forgiven but also get busy with doing the work of the ministry.

You'll remember the Bereans who were more noble than those in Thessalonia. Because the the Bereans did not lazily receive God's Word from the Apostles. They received God's Word dynamically--spiritual wide awake and alert--searching the Scriptures to see if what they were teaching them was true. Follow the example of the Bereans who did not let doubt fester in their subconscious minds, but courageously and consciously addressed their questions and so walked in the bright light of Christ's truth.

Don't hit snooze and roll over again. Don't let the weariness of this world keep you on your backs. Don't pull the covers over your heads with the hope that your troubles will go away. Come on. Let's get up. It's time. You'll soon adjust to the Light. Jesus, the Light of the World, not only will strengthen you but will transform you by the same power that raised him from the dead.

"Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!"

“Surely we are not blind, are we?”

John 9:1-41



Pastor Tom Johnson, March 30 2014

The disciples and Jesus pass a man born with a condition which prevented him from interpreting the light that bounced off objects around him. That is what eyes marvelously do—light enters through the lens, is projected upon the retina, various cones are stimulated, and they send electrical signals to the brain. Something in this process either did not develop or was damaged in the man very early on. This is what leads Jesus’ disciples to ask a very troubling and heartless question:

“Someone sinned, Jesus! Was it his or his parents’ evil deeds that robbed him of his sight?”

Perhaps the notion that someone deserves their impairment is easier to manage. We can eliminate the need for compassion toward someone if we can explain away peoples’ troubles as the just deserts for their actions. What we observe with our senses cannot always be trusted. It can lead to very wrong conclusions. We pass a person by. And if we smell, hear, see, or touch something that is irregular, we can run the risk of becoming judge and jury. “They must have done something wrong to be that way. If not, their parents must be the blame.”

Jesus says, “No one’s sin caused this!” And then he adds, “I am the Light of the World,” as if to challenge the idea that this man is unable to receive the light into his life that really matters—the light of the Gospel. What Jesus does next is odd, earthy, and pretty gross. The blind man hears Jesus gather up spit in his mouth, propel air out of his lungs to send the watery mass to the ground, use his fingers to makes a paste, and then felt Jesus caked fingers stick a grimy wad into each eye. I don’t imagine that is what they teach in medical school. I’m pretty confident that Jesus just violated even the most primitive rules of sanitation. But he puts this man into sensory overload. It is genius. Jesus puts a part of himself—his saliva—and a part of ordinary creation—the mud—and puts it into the eyes of the man. Jesus smears the truth of what he said earlier—that he is the Light of the World—he smears his healing truth into the visual receptors of this man. It’s as if he is saying, “This man will experience the Light of the World.” Jesus gives him word to go to the water. And the water, the Word, and the Spirit cleanse his eyes with baptismal grace.

What follows is, to put it mildly, hilarious. The community to which this man belonged is thrown into confusion. His lifelong neighbors cannot verify that this is the same man that used to sit and beg. They don’t recognize him. Their eyes are now playing tricks on them. The man keeps repeating, “I am the man” over and over and yet, they don’t seem able to hear the truth of what he is saying. They want him to explain the mechanics of how he gained his sight. But he is just as perplexed as they are. “Jesus spit, made mud, stuck it in my eyes, told me to go wash in the Pool of Siloam. I did what he said. And now I see.”

Then the religious leaders get involved. They two want to verify his former blindness. Odd, isn’t it, the length they go to establish that he once could not see? They even find his parents and they seem unable to speak. The religious leaders conclude that Jesus is not from God because he healed on the Sabbath. And as they discuss these theological matters, the formerly blind man speaks: “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” The formerly blind man is amazed at their lack of perception. “What an amazing thing!” he says. “God does not do good and miraculous things through evil people. It is absurd to say that Jesus is not from God because of the day of the week he chose to heal me!” In some ways, the story goes full circle. Because the religious leaders—the Pharisees—say, “You were born in utter sin. And you want to instruct us?!” They throw the man out. They say that his parents and he are sinners—so much so that he was born in that condition.

When Jesus shows up again, he reveals himself as the Messiah and Light of the World. The formerly blind man falls to his knees and worships him. And Jesus says he came “that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the religious leaders overhear Jesus and respond, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” “Because you insist that you can see,” Jesus says, “you cannot see.” They are, because of pride, unable to perceive their spiritual poverty.

Here is the heart of the lesson of the man born without physical sight, I think. When we rely our senses and reason to judge people, we will often be blind to our own prejudice and contempt for others. We become proud and self-righteous. But when we open our spiritual senses and live by faith and not by sight, we humble ourselves, recognize our spiritual poverty, and see the beauty of the Gospel at work in our lives. “Surely we are not blind, are we?” “Yes we are.”

The good news is that we experience the Light of the World who becomes flesh—who is formed out of dust and clay like our father Adam. Our earthy Savior takes the initiative; he puts his healing hands into the place we need it most. He sends us to the water and by his Word and by the Holy Spirit washes away our spiritual blindness. We fall on our knees before Jesus out of humility, faith, thanksgiving, and love. Our story is simple. Our confession is profound. “I once was blind; now I see.”

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost; now I’m found. Was blind; but now I see.