Faith first!

A Sermon Preached on Sunday, March 16 at St. Augustine's Church, Wiesbaden

Second Sunday in Lent: Genesis 12:1-4a, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, John 3:1-17, Psalm 121

Perhaps it is because it was traditional to give up meat for Lent that the Church gives us such meaty readings to hear and reflect on? In today’s extract from Paul’s Letter to the Romans for example we were introduced to that great Reformation topic: faith vs. works. What makes us righteous before God, our faith or our good works? Paul’s answer is clear, and Martin Luther loved him for it: Faith – “To one who without works trusts (God) such faith is reckoned as righteousness.”

Unfortunately the example Paul chooses, the story we also heard this morning of how God commands Abraham to leave his home and promises to bless him and make of him a great nation, is not so clear cut. Sure, God’s promise comes first – God doesn’t say “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you … and then we’ll talk again and I might have something special for you.” And Abraham certainly shows great faith, great trust in just doing what God commands without knowing where he is going or where this great nation God promises him is going to come from – he’s already 75 years old!. But works still play a role, for as a result of his faith in God and God’s promise he does as commanded, and goes to Canaan. Faith comes first, but faith is followed by ‘good works’ as both a sign, and expression of faith.

Anyway, what Paul is trying to do in his letter to the Romans is not to make a complicated theological point, but to expand God’s Covenant. He wants to lower the bar and remove restrictions so as to welcome all people in. The works that he is arguing so strongly against are the cultic, ritual, and dietary rules of the Law. Paul is fighting the so-called Judaizers, those who insisted that someone must first become a Jew, including being circumcised, before becoming a Christian. In fact that’s what verses 6-12, the section that has been cut out of the reading, if you’ll excuse the pun, is all about: circumcision.

No, Paul says, you don’t have to be or become a Jew, look at Abraham. He was right with God through his faith, not by circumcision and not through dependence on the Law, which didn’t exist at that time, but by virtue of God’s promise. All it takes to become a Christian is faith, faith in one God and trust in God’s promise of new life through God’s only Son, Jesus Christ.

Paul goes on to redefine the membership of Abraham’s family. God’s promise and covenant are guaranteed to all of Abraham’s descendants, but they are no longer just his descendants according to the flesh, no longer just those who adhere too bthe Law, but also “those who share the faith of Abraham.” (Romans 4:16) Anyone can become a Christian; membership in this new covenant people is open to all regardless of nation, gender, economic status, political beliefs, and whom we love. The sole requirement is to believe in God, “who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.” (Romans 4:17) That is in the God who raised Jesus from the dead, after first sending him to offer us new life, a new creation, and a new birth.

Although the author of the Gospel according to John uses different words, we find the same questions and ideas in today’s gospel. What sets us right with God? What makes us Christians? For a start Nicodemus clearly has the right idea about works when he says, “for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” (John 3:2) Jesus’ works, his miracles, are signs of a deep faith and of God’s presence in him. That is their value and meaning.  

As an aside, having a conversation with Jesus does not seem to be very easy, does it? You never get a straight answer. Here Jesus’ reply, “very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above,” (John 3:3) does not seem to have a lot to do with Nicodemus’ statement about signs and clearly throws him off track. This happens quite often. Later in John’s Gospel (12:20-23) the disciples Philip and Andrew go to Jesus to tell him that some Greeks have asked to see Jesus ….. and “Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” That was probably not quite the reply they were expecting. And Jesus often also responds to a question either with a question of his own or with a parable. This is because Jesus does not just want us to do as we are told, to obey a commandment without thinking. He wants us to understand, to think things through, and to do good deeds out of our inner conviction – out of our faith.

So what does Jesus mean when he tells Nicodemus that no one can see or enter the kingdom of God without being born from above or to use another translation born again? This second birth is one we choose, this rebirth stands for the conscious choice of faith in what is above – God – and in the one who has descended from above, from heaven – the Son of Man.  When John has Jesus emphasize that this new birth is of the Spirit, not of the flesh, it is his way of saying that what counts is the new spiritual rebirth, not the natural birth into a particular tribe or nation. Just like Paul the point he is making is that anyone can join the kingdom of God, not just Jews. Like the wind, the Spirit blows where it chooses. In fact in Hebrew it’s the same word. The Spirit is always on the move and knows no human restrictions.

The idea of being born again reminds me of Jimmy Carter, the 39^th US president between Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. Especially in Europe people made fun of him both as a peanut farmer and because he was a born again Christian. Looking at his record both as a president, and even more so afterwards with his engagement for global health as well as for peace and reconciliation, I see in him an example for someone who has done very good works and deeds out of a deep and sincere faith. 

Good works flow, or even overflow, from faith. If we believe in a God of love, then the love of the other is the only possible expression of that faith.  If we believe in a God who heals and brings new life, then we will strive to heal and renew the world and everyone in it. If we believe in a God who offers unlimited and unconditional forgiveness, then we will want to forgive those who have hurt us. And if we believe that Jesus was sent not to judge or “condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him," (John 3:17) then we cannot avoid wanting to pass on and proclaim that Good News to the world.

We see this reflected in our service of rebirth, the service through which all Christians are born again of water and Spirit – our Baptism. The first public questions concern our faith, when we, or our parents and godparents on our behalf, were asked: 

Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Savior? Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love? Do you promise to follow and obey him as your Lord?[1]

Then and only then – and after the congregation reaffirms their faith using the words of the Apostle’s Creed – come the questions concerning the good works that are an expression and a sign of this faith.

Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?[2]

Good works are not then a condition for becoming a Christian, nor do we have to belong to a particular nation or group, nor do we have to worship God in any particular way, however much we may like the way we worship! Faith is the sole condition and our good works are a sign of that faith and commitment. Next week you will all receive a letter from me, the senior warden and the treasurer asking you to consider making a financial pledge to this particular part of God’s Church. As we will say in the letter, a pledge is a sign of commitment: of your commitment to God’s church in this place and to the work for God that your pledge makes possible. We want the church of St. Augustine of Canterbury to be a strong witness to God’s love in Wiesbaden by continuing to “proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ.”

Amen

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[1] BCP, 302

[2] BCP, 305

Lenten Discipline

Sermon preached on March 9, 2014 (First Sunday in Lent) at St. Augustine's Church, Wiesbaden

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-19, Matthew 4:1-11, Psalm 32

For some years now there has been a debate about whether it would be better to take something on for Lent, rather than give something up. I bet, at least I would do if I hadn’t given up betting for Lent, that you have heard at least one sermon to this effect. The preacher will have suggested that you take on a spiritual discipline during Lent: perhaps read a devotional book, attend special services, like our weekly ‘Way of the Cross’ devotional service, or participate in Lenten study groups, like our program “LoveLife: Living the Gospel of Love.” And they are right and you should. 

But there is also nothing basically wrong with giving up something for Lent. Like everything we do it will depend on the motivation. There are good reasons, and bad ones. Perhaps you want to share in and relive Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness through a symbolic fast. Maybe you want to test your resolve and commitment. Or you might want to show solidarity with the poor and donate the money saved by fasting from alcohol or chocolate. And of course a fast can be an aid to prayer and reflection. 

But there are also bad reasons, at least in a spiritual context: using it as a form of self-punishment or just for health reasons, for example as a means of losing weight. I also wonder if sometimes we do not use giving up little things to forget the dangers of the big, the real temptations. While we congratulate ourselves on having resisted having a beer, a piece of chocolate, or in my case a bag of potato chips/crisps, we forget about the big temptations that we can so easily fall prey to: putting ourselves and our own desires before the love of God and of the other.

This week’s readings are all about temptations, both those that were resisted and those that were succumbed to. The reading from Genesis reminds us of that first, all too successful temptation in the Garden of Eden. The temptation to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and by doing so, at least that’s what the serpent suggests, to become like God, to gain power through knowledge and wisdom, despite an explicit command from God to the contrary. It’s no surprise then that for Paul this first act of disobedience is the root of all evil, the way in which sin enters the world and with sin, death. Death stands here both for physical death and even more importantly for spiritual death: for separation from God. Not as a punishment but as a result of humanity’s choice to put their own will above God’s.

In a very roundabout and complicated manner Paul compares and contrasts Adam and Jesus. Adam is the one man through whose disobedience death and sin were made possible, a possibility that humanity then made very extensive use of, while Jesus is the one man whose act of grace and righteousness, whose act of love, leads to justification and life for all. Adam’s sin estranged us from God, Paul says, Jesus takes that away and offers us all the chance of a renewed relationship with God.

Jesus’ 40 days and nights in the wilderness show him resisting the temptations that Adam and Eve succumbed to in Paradise and that the people of Israel succumbed to during their 40 year trek through the desert to the Promised Land. It’s no coincidence that all of Jesus’ answers are taken from the book of Deuteronomy that describes their odyssey and in particular from chapters 6-8, which contain God’s promises of blessings for obedience as well as clear warnings not to forget God in prosperity. How strange that we never forget God in adversity? Moses tells the Israelites: “Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today.” (Deut. 8:11)

That’s what the devil or tempter wants Jesus to do of course, to forget God:

-        To rebel against God’s will, to show impatience and to abuse the power Jesus has as the Son of God by turning stones into bread before his time of fasting and preparation is over.

-        The devil wants Jesus to test God’s care and love by throwing himself off the pinnacle of the temple.

-        Finally Jesus is presented with the option of putting power, wealth, and might above the love of God.

In essence all the temptations are about sinning against the one great commandment, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, choosing good over evil, all our soul, choosing life over death, and all our might, choosing God over power, wealth and possessions.

Adam and Eve were unable to resist the temptation to eat the fruit that was good for food, a delight to the eyes, and able to make them wise like God. Out of hunger the Israelites wanted to turn back and return to Egypt, they made themselves little gods, idols, that they could have power over, and they vied for power and influence.

Jesus resists all these temptations on our behalf, he does what Adam and Eve and the Israelites could not do, and he cleans the slate for us. Through disobedience, Adam was unable to fulfill his vocation to till and keep the garden – to be a steward of creation on God’s behalf. Through disobedience, Israel was unable to fulfil its vocation to be a light to the world. By being obedient to his vocation to show us God, to bring salvation, and to be a servant to the world, Jesus gives us the chance to fulfill the vocations God gave to humanity through Adam and the nation of Israel. Humanity is renewed by Jesus’ life, teaching, example, and obedience. Jesus’ act of righteousness and obedience unveils grace and life in the place of sin and death.

Satan, the tempter, the physical presence of evil, wants to stop Jesus from being true to his vocation and to prevent him from carrying out God’s mission, the mission that he has just been commissioned for at his Baptism when the voice from heaven announces that Jesus is “my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

The temptations we experience are also meant to distract us, to turn us from the path of servanthood that we committed to at our Baptism, they are meant to stop us from choosing renewal and new life. Baptism does not make us perfect or holy, unfortunately. We have to continue to resist evil. The big, the real temptations are not the little pleasures we try and do without during Lent, but us putting something else above God. Moses’ injunction, “take care that you do not forget the Lord your God,” is still valid.  

So, whether you fast or not, whether you give something up or just take on an extra discipline, use Lent to “renew your repentance and faith.”[1] Own up to the temptations we have not managed to resist in the past, repenting, and asking God for the forgiveness that is guaranteed for all who truly repent.

Follow Jesus into the wilderness and follow his example there. Follow his lead in living by Gods’ word, in trusting God, and in worshiping and serving God alone. Follow Jesus out of the wilderness to Jerusalem and the pain of Good Friday, follow him to the glory of Easter Day, and follow him into the new life and the renewed relationship with God that he came to bring us.

Amen

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[1] BCP (Ash Wednesday Liturgy), 265

Clothe yourself with Christ

A Sermon preached at St. Augustine's, Wiesbaden on Sunday March 2, the Last Sunday after Epiphany 

Exodus 24:12-18, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Matthew 17:1-9, Psalm 2 or 99

Helau! I am a little disappointed. I was hoping to see a church full of costumed people, to look out over a sea of ‘Pappnasen,’ so to speak. At least I’m in costume! Is it perhaps because of carnival, this time of joy, merriment, dressing up and changing our outward appearances, that we heard the story of the Transfiguration today? About how Jesus is changed, about how his very appearance is transformed, and how he seems to be wearing a “costume” of dazzling white clothes? Well no – the same passage has or will be read even in more sober parts of the country. And anyway it is not really Jesus who is being transformed, but his disciples who are now ready to see him as he is, in his glory, as the Son of God. This experience on the mountain simply opened their eyes and hearts to see Jesus as he was and always had been.

But let’s take a step back first. If not because of carnival, why now? Those of you who know their way around the prayer book, or have read it during a boring sermon, not that we have those here, might know that we celebrate the ‘Feast of The Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ’ on August 6. So why do we also always have readings about the Transfiguration on the last Sunday after the Epiphany, just before Lent begins?

For one thing because it is an Epiphany story, it describes quite literally a sudden and striking realization of a truth previously hidden – that Jesus is the Son of God. And perhaps also because we need this vision of light and hope, this confirmation, this certainty about who Jesus is before we go into Lent. Before we enter that long season of penitence and self-denial when we remember Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness and which ends, initially, with Jesus’ death and suffering on the cross.

I think it helps us to understand the meaning of the event of the Transfiguration if we look at the similarities and differences between the two ‘mountain top’ events we heard about this morning. When the gospel authors were writing their accounts of Jesus’ life they did not just focus on the events as reported to them, or perhaps in some cases even experienced by them. They also wanted to integrate these events into Israel’s history and scripture, as they were convinced that Jesus’ story was the fulfillment of the salvation-history that had begun with Abraham and Sarah. Many Jews hoped for new great prophet like Moses – and one purpose of the Transfiguration story is to show them that Jesus is this figure – and much more. So we should not be surprised about the parallels:

• Both events take place on mountain tops – one on Mount Sinai or Horeb, the other, according to tradition, on Mount Tabor in Galillee. Mountains stood for proximity to God. In this morning’s psalm you heard Mount Zion, the site of the Temple in Jerusalem, described as god’s Holy Hill. 
• After six days waiting at the bottom of the mountain God calls Moses out of the cloud, and Moses goes up the mountain. “Six days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain.” So both encounters with God take place on the seventh day.

• God’s presence is like a cloud, a bright cloud, and the glory of the Lord like a devouring fire. In Matthew it is Jesus, God’s glory, who shines like the sun and there is no more devouring fire than the sun. 
•  And look at the people’s reactions. In Exodus – after the passage we read – the people are first afraid, the mountain is shrouded by cloud, they hear thunder and see lightening, and then impatient: Moses is up there for 40 days! The get so impatient in fact that, while Moses is receiving instructions on how to build a dwelling for the living God, they are already making and then worshiping false gods: the golden calf. Peter, James, and John are also fearful and nervous. In fact Peter is so nervous that he just needs to do something and so he offers to build dwellings or shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. This is probably a reference to the Feast of Tabernacles, a seven day holiday recalling how the Jews built small fragile huts or booths as shelter in the desert and later in the fields during harvest. 
• In both events God speaks directly to representatives of humanity, Moses or Peter, James, and John. He gives Moses the law and the commandment for instruction. In the Transfiguration God gives a person: “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him.” Jesus’ word is therefore more than the Law, his life and teaching are God’s instruction. 
•  And that is also the big difference. God is not giving humanity a new set of binding instructions, ones that got ignored pretty quickly the first time round anyway: the “ink wasn’t even dry” before they were being disobeyed! Instead God is giving of godself. God’s gift is Jesus: God’s Word, God’s Glory, and God’s Son.  If you want to find the way to God, then listen to Jesus.

Why did Jesus want Peter, James, and John to see him transfigured? Well, very soon Jesus and the disciples will be in Jerusalem and Jesus will be arrested, tried, condemned, and executed. The disciples will fear for and run for their lives, their dreams and expectations will be shattered, they will see their leader die. Today’s event or vision – we might call it a ‘sneak preview of the resurrection’ - is meant to confirm what Peter had already said, that Jesus is the Christ and God’s Son – even if that will soon seem difficult to believe. It is meant to strengthen the disciples’ resolve and to sustain them. Thanks to this experience, they will, eventually, be able to recognize the Glory in the Cross and to look back and see the Cross in the Glory of the Transfiguration. It will help them recognize that the shamed, naked Jesus, raised up between two thieves is the same as the Jesus on the mountain glorified, clothed in white, standing between the two great Jewish heroes.  

And what does the Transfiguration say to us today? It’s a similar message I think. We too need a vision to hold on to. We need to have something to sustain us, not just during the season of Lent, but also during the long, difficult and arduous task of transformation we are called to as Christians: the transformation of self, our communities, and the world, which is a tough, difficult, and sometimes seemingly impossible task. Both the Transfiguration experience and even more Christ’s resurrection strengthen us to bear our cross and remind us why and for whom we do it. Without vision and faith in that vision we can easily get lost. Without a vision we tend to let our own busy lives interfere with being open to God’s presence and God’s Spirit. Like the Israelites we are tempted to build and worship idols, or like Peter we get distracted by less important things, like the temporary buildings he wants to put up for Jesus and his visitors. God does not need buildings, God needs us!  Without faith, we can soon get frightened by the commitment we are being asked to give and the seeming enormity of the task we have been set.  

 

That’s why we too need to remember and trust in the message of the Transfiguration: “This is my Son, the Beloved... Listen to him!” Jesus is our vision and guide. For the disciples on the mountain Jesus’ touch and presence took away their fear: "Get up and do not be afraid," he said. We need Jesus’ presence in our lives to take away our fear. In a short while, you can also experience that presence and reassurance in the Sacrament of Jesus’ Body and Blood knowing that after receiving it, you can get up and not be afraid.

I encourage you to use the season of Lent to think about what idols or distractions, what barriers we might have put in the way of God and the other, about what might be separating us from God – because that’s what sin is. Pray for Jesus’ help to remove these barriers, pray that he will open our hearts so that we can listen to him and to one another, pray that through listening we can know Jesus better, and through knowing him, be transformed into his likeness.

In fact use Lent to practice “clothing yourselves with Christ,” (Galatians 3:27) clothing yourself “with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24). It’s much better than any costume you can get for carnival, it’s much more than a change in your outward appearance; instead it will transform your whole being!

Amen