“In This Way…”
Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17
Rev. Tiare L. Mathison, Pastor & Soul-Tender
I am always fascinated by the history of translation when it comes to Scripture. What we take at face value, for instance, ‘ For God SO loved the world…’ So is a 17th century King James interpretation of the Greek word houtos - which is better translated ‘in this way’. These days, we use the word ‘so’ as an adjective like very or to a large extent. But in this passage, Jesus says something much more broadly: “For God loved the world in this way…”
Just before this, Jesus references Moses lifting up the bronze serpent to save the people from their own sin, Numbers 21:8; in this way, after they had grumbled for the umpteenth time and snakes had take over the encampment! God has Moses take the death-dealing snake power and turn it into the saving pole of life. Jesus alludes to his own upcoming lifted up on the cross, where the favorite instrument of torture and death used by the Romans will be redeemed. He is talking with Nicodemus, a student of Scripture, well-versed in Israel’s theology and history and story.
To give his only son? It is what God asked Abraham to do, his test, passed with extravagant elegance. First God promised Abram to be the father of all nations, then asks him to sacrifice his son. In fact, rabbi scholars suggest Psalm 121 comes out of the mouth of Abraham as the knife is in his hand. “I look to the hills from whence does my help come?” My help comes from the Lord, who keeps me.” And the ram comes out of the bushes.
In this way, Jesus underscores God’s incredible generosity and devotion to save humanity from its own prideful self-destruction. Sin is fundamentally a rejection of the limits of being made human, a severing from our rootedness in God. Our fallenness blinds us to the presence of ‘prevenient grace’ as John Calvin says it. God is busy in the world all the time, stopping the demonic, shielding believers - even when it looks particular bad to us! Yet God will do something so incredible its hard to believe: He gives Himself in Jesus. He gives His only Son so that we can gaze upon the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, healed, instructed IN THIS WAY, to live a life of faithfulness, by believing in our deliverance. For Jesus did not come into the world in this way to condemn the world, rather for the world to be saved through Him. “In This Way…”
Born again. Two little words that have been co-opted to mean MY WAY is the only way to God. Your way is wrong, lets face it. There is a tensive point here that we must address: It is not my way or yours - it is God’s way and God is free to operate Her plans of salvation through any means She chooses! Let’s take a bird walk to John 14: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places, mansions we use to say. This is the wide open invitation of Dear Jesus. We should be humbled that He includes the likes of us, and grateful that the Holy Spirit is busy showing forth Jesus all over the world. Can someone be saved through other religions? We have to say yes, because we are limited, we do not have capacity to see all the ways God is working Her plan. Understand this: my proclamation of the gospel is fully rooted in my being saved by Jesus Christ and His death on the cross. But, I am a limited human being and the great God of the universe seems to like to mess things up, do things Her own way, make demands that challenge every ounce of our intelligence, heart and faith! “In This Way…”
On our pilgrim journey in Lent, we are called to examine our beliefs and our practices to de-clutter the files titled Rules & Should’s, the ones marked false or narrow, through the process of the smaller journeys of our everyday. The complete promise in Christ is we will be made whole, stitched back together, every rent repaired, on that day, when we take our last breath. In the meantime, the Holy Spirit dwells inside us and in our communities and in our world to straighten us out, clean us up, show us a better way to go.
‘From whence does my help come?’ Names our anxiety and exposes our deep neediness - we are not making it on our own. That is the lie of the ages, especially here in the United States, where we have generated idols of so-called self-made athletes, movie stars, news anchors and entrepreneurs. We are instructed to worship at the feet of the rich, the powerful, the influencers that show us their narrowed way - our minds, our bodies, even our souls- are given to their definition of beautiful, strong, and faithful. It is hard for us to hear the Pilgrim pace of this Psalm, this step by step procession. Takes me right back to the Camino I have to admit where I got to live life at a walking pace for a whole month. “In This Way…”
From whence does my help come? The first answer is Creator - this is who will help, keep, protect. The One who has made you will guard your going out and your coming in. A jarring note when your life is going to hell in a hand basket, right? We must develop the capacity for the long-haul vision and a certain faithfulness that helps us look backward and go, “oh, in this way. There You were. Did not see it at the time, but now we know…’
The next answer is this: we are not throwaways! God has staked a claim on us, permanent, forever. Even when we let go of God, She does not let go of us. We can simply rest in this truth and then get up and get moving again. The Lord will keep your life - even in death. It will not be meaningless, no matter if it happens soon or a long time from now. How do we know this? He sent His Son to show us the way. “In This Way…”