Sermon for 4th Lent Sunday
God is still Here
By The Rev. Eric Christopher Shafer -
She is an active member of a Lutheran congregation. She really believes our Lutheran theology of God’s grace and love for everyone and that God’s love and care for her and everyone is all the time, not just some of the time. She understands that we do not earn our salvation, that salvation is a free gift from God, the heart of Lutheran theology. And, she knows, she really knows that things do not happen to people on this earth because of bad or good things they have done. She really believes that.
And yet. And yet. Her pre-Lutheran church upbringing taught her something else. It taught her that if you behave, good things will happen to you and if you misbehave, watch out. It taught her the lie that bad things happen to people because of God’s judgement to them, on them, here on earth.
And it is so hard to get beyond that lie. She knows it is not true. God does not work that way.
If this young woman read today’s Gospel lesson from St. John, the story of Jesus healing “a man born blind,” she would understand the disciples’ reaction, even the Pharisee’s reaction. “Who sinned” that this man was born blind? She knows that Jesus’ response, that no one sinned to cause the unnamed man’s blindness, that Jesus’ response is the right response. But she would certainly understand the feeling behind the disciples’ and even the Pharisees’ responses.
Sometimes it seems that life would be easier if it worked the way some Christians teach – bad things happen if you are bad, good things if you are good and God above is keeping track. And if you only pray hard enough or well enough, well you know the rest of that lie. But it sure seems sometimes that life would be easier, that life would be simpler if when we did good, we’d be rewarded and if when we did bad, we’d be punished.
However, we all know that is not how it works. Very bad things happen to very good people. Ask anyone who has watched a family member die of cancer or any other horrible disease. Or parents of a child shot at school or on the street. Or, these weeks, anyone in this world who has watched a loved one die of this terrible disease. Or, well, this list could go on and on. Very bad things sometimes happen to very good people. And the converse is also true and sometimes even more difficult to accept – very good things sometimes happen people whom we would judge to be very bad.
It certainly would make the Coronavirus easier to understand, wouldn’t it, if we could connect this global pandemic to some sort of evil in this world. Not that some haven’t tried, calling this virus the “Chinese disease” or falsely claiming that it is God’s judgement for any behavior they consider sinful.
Sure, there is lots of blame to go around relating to government’s and people’s response to this virus, but that is certainly different from blaming any particular group or behavior for it. That is just not how God works, promised by God from the days of Noah – God would never, will never punish the world in this way.
The blind man in our text is as confused as everyone else is, but he is interested in thanksgiving not blame and he knows that Jesus gave him his sight and he believes.
Lord, I believe, says the formerly blind man.
And, we say it, too, “Lord, we believe.” But, if we are honest, we add that such belief is not always easy, that such belief is sometimes even often very hard.
I was speaking with Samantha before we taped this worship service for you and I shared that I have thought a lot this week about Jesus’ disciples, especially the 11 disciples gathered together in that room after Jesus’ resurrection.
Think of that time – they are all fearful. They are huddled together with doors locked. Their leader, Jesus, has been taken from them. And not just taken, but court-marshalled, tortured and executed. And not just executed privately, but publicly in the most humiliating way, the way most painful to Jesus and to his Mother, disciples and other friends who watched it all happen.
And now, just days after Jesus was executed, there are wild rumors about. Somehow Jesus’ body has disappeared. Some women in their group believe Jesus has come back from the dead, they are certain they have seen Jesus back from the dead.
The disciples do not know what to make of it. Their first century mans-plaining doesn’t allow them to accept the women’s report as valid. But, one thing they know, that they are certain of - they continue to be in danger. There is some wishful talk of just going back to their pre-Jesus lives, but they must be wondering if that is even possible, given the uncertainty and the politics of their time.
We understand this all too well in these times, times when we are asked, even ordered, to stay indoors. Now, no one is going to arrest us for leaving our own locked room, but the fear is still there. If we leave, we won’t have Roman soldiers seeking us, but we do have a dreaded disease that we know is out there among us. And, we have no idea who is carrying this disease and who is not.
So, we get the fear in that first locked room.
It was a room full of fear. And, what did Jesus do? Jesus showed up, walked into their midst with comforting words, “Peace be with you.”
“Peace be with you.” Those are Jesus’ words for his disciples.
And, they continue to be Jesus’ words for you and me, in these terrible times and in all times.
In the midst of our fearful homes, while we are asked to be “safer at home,” in the midst of our lives, Jesus comes to us with his continued words, “Peace be with you.”
This is the Jesus we can “see” in our midst. This is the Jesus we know loves us in good times and tough times. This is the Jesus who is always with us, even when very bad things happen to us or those we love.
Jesus is with us today and all days. Jesus will not leave us or judge us.
God did NOT send this virus to earth to judge or punish us. God sent his son Jesus Christ to love and save us.
Have no fear, God is still here. This is what we believe and know to be true.
Amen.
The Rev. Eric Christopher Shafer
Senior Pastor - Mt. Olive Lutheran Church
Santa Monica, California
March 21 & 22, 2020
