Lent 4 B + Unexpected Jesus + 3.14.21
M. Campbell-Langdell
All Saints, Oxnard
(Numbers 21:4–9; Psalm 107:1–3, 17–22; Ephesians 2:1–10; St John 3:14–21)
For
God so loved the world that God threw up God’s arms in glee and pulled us into
a big hug.
For God so loved the world that God didn’t trip us when we passed God’s table
in the cafeteria, but instead passed out ice cream that tasted of eternal life.
For
God so loved the world… of course you know the real words, about giving his
only son so that everyone who believes in God will not perish but have eternal
life.
But I share these unconventional takes on the
phrase to prove a point. We expect John 3:16. Even those of us who didn’t grow
up memorizing Bible verses sort of know what to expect when we read the text.
It is about how Jesus gave his life for us, and we should all praise him,
right? Well, yes, but there is more to it. In reality this statement and our
response is quite unexpected.
Which brings me to Duchess Goldblatt, a twitter persona whose goal is always to
surprise the reader. She is not a real person, but the creation of a writer who
likes to write in the guise of an 81-year old best-selling author who is both
self-obsessed and endlessly loving and maternal to her followers. Here are some examples of her tweets:
“Sometimes I tie your words in linen with a little lavender and mint and use
them as a poultice for my weary old heart.” And one about coffee I quite like:
“Each day’s first sip of coffee is a confirmation: Yes, you’re my coffee and I
love you. The second sip, I suggest to you, is life itself.”[1] Just substitute beverage
of your choice if you are not a coffee lover!
Of course on the surface, these sayings are just
bits of whimsy that in some cases show deep wisdom or kindness or at least a
good sense of humor. But I love what she did at Lent- acting as a spiritual
counselor to her twitter followers, she advised different people to do
different things, very unusual as Lenten practices: for example, “Whenever you
see the color purple, I’d like you to take a deep breath and hold it for a
count of seven.” Or another: “I’d like
you to stop using the word ‘very’, and in so doing, pause in contemplation of
the gifts you’ve been given.” Or “I’d like you to pick up and write with blue
pens, not black pens or pencils. In so doing, contemplate what loving kindness
means.”[2] Now, these may seem fanciful
but what a great way to embrace mindfulness as a part of the Lenten discipline?
And they are certainly unexpected.
Now back to the gospel. Jesus is speaking with Nicodemus,
who has probably just seen him make some noise at the temple, casting out the
money-changers and sellers of animals. Nicodemus knows that Jesus is about
something different. And prior to the part of the conversation we hear today
there is some business about being born from above or born again. And it is
easy to see why Nicodemus was a bit perplexed by Jesus’ words. But the truth is
that Jesus’ words about God’s love would have also been surprising and
unexpected. First of all, God’s love? Yes there are a lot of mentions in the
prophets about how God and Israel are like lovers. And hesed or loving-kindness, is a key concept. But the predominant
feeling is that God is to be feared and obeyed and praised in much of the
Hebrew Scriptures. And that people have to show their entire commitment to God and
righteousness. This is a theme that continues in many Christian traditions
today. Hence the serpents that get sicced on the people who complain in today’s
reading from Numbers. People still find healing, but sometimes the God of the
Hebrew Scriptures is fearsome. So Jesus
is really flipping the script but talking about how God loves us. And I bet
that surprises Nicodemus. I can almost imagine Nicodemus like a teenage kid
embarrassed by their parent saying “I love you” who responds “OK.” And in
addition, to say God would sacrifice God’s only son for us so we can be saved
is mind-blowing. I mean, in so many other scenarios people must prove their
worthiness in order not to be destroyed. And here instead of wrath we get
mercy, undeserved? Before we have even fully repented (although that is what
the Baptist calls for), God in Jesus is saying, here is life? Thinking of God
as father is also unexpected, although there are glimpses of this concept in
the Hebrew Scriptures. How can God do this act of wanton love and sacrifice?
And it is not all about the cross. Although of
course the cross is important. So often we think of the lifting up of the son
and his sacrifice as the one saving moment. But no, the cross leads to the
resurrection, and new life. And the resurrection leads to the ascension, where
Jesus makes that new life available to all of us. Talk about an unexpected
gift!
But there are gifts we receive here and now,
also. One of the unexpected gifts I received this week was learning about
having compassion for myself and others via intuitive eating. All too often in
our culture one place many experience a lack of love is with themselves and
their relationship to food. But intuitive eating says that rather than focusing
on what one should or should not eat, the idea is to ask yourself what you
would feed a loved one who was not trying to either diet or over-indulge? What
balance would you strike with them and how can you translate that into how you
treat yourself? This is a way to show yourself the unexpected love God has for
you. And if you can find a way to do that, you will free up compassion in
yourself for others, too.[3]
So yes, we are expected to turn our lives to Jesus, to adjust our orientation
towards the lamb that was lifted up, this Lent. But God will always surprise us
with the unexpected. And that is the love that comes even when we don’t feel it
for ourselves. The compassion that pours out of Jesus’ side and his gaze. The
kindness that we experience in communing with other people of faith, whether
online or in person one on one. The compassion that we feel when we nourish
ourselves and others lovingly. God is with us. Look out for the unexpected ways
that God wraps God’s arms around you or sings a little silent serenade of love
to you this week. If you pay attention, you will feel it. You will hear it.
Amen.
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