John 3:14-21
This past week, the ELCA Conference of Bishops issued an official statement calling for the permanent bilateral cease-fire in Gaza… Adding its’ voice to the ever-increasing group of faith leaders across the world – including the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Pope – who, to put it bluntly, are fed up with all the violence and suffering in the Land we deem Holy… Urging President Biden and our nation’s legislators to do everything in their power to bring it to an end… to begin to lay the foundation for peace…
For those who haven’t been following the conflict as closely, in response to Hamas’ attack on Israel back on October 7th of last year – resulting in the death of 1,200 people – there have been over 30,000 lives lost in Gaza and more than 400 more in the West Bank at the hands of Israeli Defense Forces – tens of thousands of whom, women and children . As our Conference of Bishops put it – “the circle of violence expands and makes casualties of yet more civilians.”
Just two days following this statement, the Lutheran World Federation followed suit – reflecting, not only on the loss of life resulting from military efforts, but those lives lost due to the forced displacement that has ensued – “children”, quote, “dying from starvation and dehydration and the spread of disease…” LWF, like the Conference of Bishops – calling for an agreement that can pave the way for peace.
As we gather together this morning, for the fourth weekend in Lent, we read, from the gospel of John, what has become known as the worlds most famous Bible verse – what Luther famously described as “the gospel in a nutshell”.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.”
God gave the Son… out of love for the world… to extend eternal life… Out of love… That all who believe in him may not perish, but live…
Responding to this love from God, in his treatise – Concerning Christian Liberty – Luther reflects on the love of the Christian in this way; He writes, “therefore a Christian does not live in himself, but in Christ and in his neighbor, or else is no Christian: in Christ by faith; in his neighbor by love.” A Christian does not live in himself, but in Christ and in his neighbor… or else is no Christian… in Christ by faith… in his neighbor by love…
The Greek New Testament offers the faithful 4 different forms of love – love of family – parents, siblings, and children… love of close friends… love of spouse… and the love that God has, as we heard in today’s gospel, for all the world – the love Jesus calls his followers to have for all people – our enemies included …
And Gospel writer John, he has a lot to say about the subject – lifting up this call to love more than any of the other three, speaking of love more than 50 times. Making it clear, as Luther did – to be Christian isn’t simply believing in Jesus, but loving Jesus. And because of this love for Christ – loving neighbor and enemy alike…
While I wasn’t born until the 1980’s, thanks to the influence and musical taste of my parents, much of my own musical taste comes out of eras from before my birth – Cat Stevens, The Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, The Allman Brothers and The Who, and of course Simon and Garfunkel. As it is for many of you, the list goes on and on.
This past week marked the 60th anniversary of Paul Simon’s – The Sounds of Silence. What was originally deemed as a flop, would eventually become one the duo’s absolute best. While there has been great debate over the years on what the song is actually about, when asked the question, Garfunkel summed up its meaning as; “the inability of people to communicate with each other, not particularly internationally but especially emotionally, so that what you see around you is people who are unable to love each other.” The Sound of Silence; People, unable to communicate emotionally – unable to love…
In their call for peace throughout the Holy Land, Lutheran World Federation, in addition to raising concerns about the loss of life and humanitarian crisis, they raise concern for the polarization that this conflict has caused throughout the world – People, in their disagreements around who is at fault and how things should be handled, unable to communicate… unable to see that all the violence… all the injustice… all the death… is wrong, a tragedy. People, unable to love… exactly when love is what is needed the most.
As our gospel for today continues, John makes clear that the Son’s being lifted up wasn’t to condemn, but to save. To bring light into darkness, that those who believe in him would have eternal life. As St. Paul writes – to make us alive together with Christ.
This gift of eternal life, John writes of, comes in the present tense. It isn’t simply the life that comes to us in death, but in this moment… here and now… Not, we will have, but we have… And for the faithful it is life rooted in love – love for Christ. That leads us, not live in ourselves, but to live in Christ and in our neighbor.
As you leave here today and go about your daily lives – what would it look like for you to live into this eternal life of love? To live in Christ, not that you would live in yourself, but that you would live in your neighbor? Whether your neighbor is an Israeli or a Palestinian, a Republican or a Democrat, a person of faith or an atheist, rich or poor… if their sin is public for all to see or hidden… What would it look like for you to live into this eternal life of love?
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life… not to condemn, but to save…
With this, let us pave the way for peace. Let us love the world as God does. Let us love family, friend, spouse, even our enemy. Let us love ourselves. For God loves all of the above.
When you feel the urge to condemn, remember that the Son came to save. Bring light where there is darkness. Bring life where death reigns supreme. Be rich in mercy and extend grace. And remember, even in the silence, when people appear unable to love at all, God is there loving all the more. For this is the way of the cross – the promise of this Lenten season.
God has made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved – not by our own doing… as a gift… as the gift… Good works – to be our way. Our deeds to be done in God. That we too would lift up the world. Amen.
~Pastor Andrew Geib
Sermons at St. James Gettysburg 