St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, Owings Mills MD
March 5, 2023
Year A: The Second Sunday in Lent
Genesis 12:1-4a
Psalm 121
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
John 3:1-17
The Journey to New Life
When you’re a professional church person like me, Sundays can often blend into each other. But last Sunday was one that I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
First, we had a wonderful, and rather brisk, annual meeting. It was a time to share lots of good news – an opportunity to tell the story of renewal here at St. Thomas’.
So, that was great.
But then, on Sunday evening, a bunch of us attended a most beautiful supper, right here in our Parish Hall.
We had invited everyone who has been involved in the Afghan Project to enjoy a meal together – our own parishioners and the parishioners of St. Mark’s On the Hill – as well as members of the two local synagogues who are also sponsoring Afghans – and of course our new Afghan friends themselves.
Just like anytime you welcome guests – especially guests we don’t know well – there was some nervousness on our part.
We worried, were we serving the right kinds of food and would there be enough for everybody?
Since we come from different backgrounds and have different traditions, would we all get along OK? Would someone inadvertently say or do something offensive to others?
And, the biggest question of them all: would people actually show up?
Well, as usual, there was no cause for worry.
As I was concluding the 5:00 service, I glanced out the window and saw that our guests were pulling into the parking lot and making their way into the hall.
Everyone stuck on their nametags and began mixing and mingling, introducing themselves, and, over and over, marveling at how blessed we all have been to welcome strangers, to make new friends.
There was lots of laughter echoing through the room and a gaggle of kids running around, having a blast.
The food was delicious and plentiful – there was even ice cream for dessert!
At one point, I looked around and thought, what a journey we have been on – a journey that has brought together Jews, Christians, and Muslims – a journey that gathered these children of Abraham to break bread in love and peace and gratitude.
Jesus often said, “The Kingdom of God is like…”
Well, the Kingdom of God is like our beautiful supper.
The Kingdom of God is like taking a journey together – a journey to new life.
In today’s first lesson, from the Book of Genesis, we heard the very beginning of our journey.
God issues a history-changing call and makes an eternal promise to Abram (later renamed Abraham).
God’s call is a call to leave the familiarity and comfort of home and journey to an unknown land. God promises to bless Abram. God promises that Abram will be a blessing to uncountable multitudes.
Of course, the true miracle of the story is that Abram answers God’s call - he believes in God’s promise – and he makes the journey to new life.
And then in today’s gospel lesson, we meet someone else who is on the journey to new life: Nicodemus.
We’re told he’s a Pharisee – he’s a teacher and a leader among his people. And he’s someone who is drawn to Jesus – intrigued by this Teacher who has clearly been sent by God.
But, Nicodemus is not quite as bold as Abram – at least, not yet.
We’re told that he visits Jesus under the cover of night – maybe that’s because he’s afraid to be seen by others – maybe it’s because he’s been pondering Jesus all day and finally decided to go ask for himself – or maybe his night visit symbolizes that he’s still in the shadows of confusion and uncertainty.
I love this nighttime conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, especially the Pharisee’s almost comical misunderstanding of what Jesus is saying.
Jesus speaks of rebirth and new life… and Nicodemus wonders how this might be possible.
The teacher Nicodemus seems unwilling or unable to learn. Even Jesus the Great Teacher does not get through to him, at least not yet.
If you read this passage carefully, you’ll see that eventually Nicodemus just sort of fades away. Maybe he was still there, silenced by all that he was hearing.
Or maybe he walked off, shaking his head in confusion, still wandering in the shadows, his journey continuing.
But, as Nicodemus fades away, Jesus begins teaching all of us.
He offers what has become the most famous and popular of all Bible verses – John 3:16 – a one-sentence summary of the Christian faith:
“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.”
And then that’s followed by John 3:17, which is just as important and should be just as well known:
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Long ago, God issued a history-changing call to Abram – the call to leave the familiarity and comfort of home and journey to an unknown land.
God promised to bless Abram – and God promised that Abram will be a blessing to multitudes.
Abram answered God’s call – he believed in God’s promise – and he made the journey to new life.
God also called Nicodemus, drawing him from shadow to light – revealing that God loves the world and wants to save the world and not condemn it.
And I believe that in our time of trouble, when fear and hate and cruelty and violence are on the march, God is also calling us – not to leave Baltimore, necessarily, but to leave behind familiarity and comfort and to set out on a journey to new life.
God promises to bless us, and promises that we will be a blessing
And, you know, every once in a while we get a glimpse of our final destination, we get a taste of new life - like last Sunday evening, when the children of Abraham – Jews, Christians, and Muslims – overcame fear and uncertainty, and moved beyond our complicated often painful past and our many cultural differences.
We gathered in love and friendship, breaking bread together, enjoying a feast with more than enough for everybody, dwelling in God’s kingdom.
God loves the world and loves us.
And, especially during Lent but always, God calls us on a journey to new life, promising to be with us for every step.
Amen.
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