Lent 2 / 2nd Sunday in Lent
2/17/2008
Series A
Genesis 12:1-9
Psalm 121
Romans 4:1-8, 13-17
John 3:1-17
Luke 15:17-24
Last week we learned the Prodigal son departs. He goes to a place none should dare go. And once there, with his face disappearing with the pig's, WE HEAR THAT THE SON ARISES AND RETURNS.
Luke: 15:17-24
"But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants." ' 
20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate.
St. Peter's, living with your vicar isn't the easiest thing. My wife knows it. Oh men of God, you may get excited to speak the Good News. But do the people lose? Hopefully not their patience, nor their tongue. Yes, it's not just the press or the media… God's people too seem to do an annoying thing. They talk. And talk. And if they aren't talking, their asking and asking. Both teachers and students exchange what seem to be senseless blatherskite. You should know that the vicars I gab with are concerned with speaking well. We aren't yet experienced as our care-keepers. But hopefully time will tell.
But none compares to the sight we have in John 3: "Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him."
Nicodemus came to give this rabbinical teacher named Jesus a compliment. Jesus recognizes his midnight guest and "CONTINUES" the conversation. Verse 3: Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
This makes no immediate sense. Nicodemus is praising Jesus about His signs, yet Jesus seems to berate Nicodemus about babies? Let the old yentas and new moms chit-chat about newborns. 'Jesus, come now, let us talk about more sensible things, such as your signs and teachings.' verse 4: "Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" This newborn stuff… How peripheral, how disjointed. I was born so long ago. How could that have anything to do with me in this moment? Y'all know by now, Jesus is up to something good, right?
But poor Nicodemus doesn't have a clue what's going on with Jesus. He is the good Pharisee, out of many bad Pharisees, the one who soon stands against the other Pharisees in John 7:50, "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?" He's an honest guy, who doesn't need to be poked and prodded by Jesus' senselessness.
Telling this respectable Jew that he needs to be born again disrespects the honorable line Nicodemus hails from, as if his Jewish birth was not good enough. A sensitive listener may even hear Jesus even dissin' Nic's mosaic circumcision of the flesh. Indeed, there seems to be a pattern emerging. Nicodemus is trying to make sense of this Jesus. He's patient but confused. And God's voice doesn't seem to help his confusion. In fact He seems to insult Nicodemus with each passing verse!
Jesus says in verse 6: That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." 9 Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" 10 Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?"
Pushy, pushy. If it seems hard to be around religious types, no wonder. It's really hard to be around THE religious type-origanale, that all else try to imitate. Jesus truly seems to discount Nicodemus. Furthermore, Jesus has distrust for all mankind. Just a few verses before today's Gospel, St. John records for us: "23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs that He was doing. 24 But Jesus on His part did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for He himself knew what was in man."
We sometimes forget this God is fully man. That He knows what troubles are in our heart. He knows what is in man. Trouble. We are the center of everyone else's universe, aren't we? Valentine's Day, a day of love recalled may be the day we leave love behind.
In our world where love is dulled of its power, Jesus raises Valentine's Day out of the ashes. Oh Nicodemus look, Jesus is leading you not into more confusion, but back to your senses, back to the Father's home to celebrate. The prodigal son has departed from his home in heaven and is head-deep with swine. (This God does cast His perfect pearl before swine.) Pigs(,) you weren't allowed touch… Jesus breaks the rules. Love breaks through darkened reasoning. Love breaks through darkened senses. Love speaks and you hear, you sense, …you know, you believe.
Ok, Nicodemus comes to Jesus, calling him Rabbi. He's right, Jesus is a Rabbi at the very the least. He's the teacher alright. So listen to the teacher. What's He saying? He's teaching you that He's much more. That guy feeding the pigs is a servant, but so much more. He's the Son. He's the Son. And His Father is impossibly rich, that even if He throws away HALF the inheritance on just one Son, there's more than enough inheritance for the entire world …all His children.
Having heard Jesus speak, Nicodemus is a son of the Father. In Adam, all mankind departed from the Father's house. Even in Moses, even in the law, we left love behind; skipped out God's inheritance given for us. All prodigals who eat pig-feed, listen up. Hear Jesus speak. It may be confusing. It may go over your head. Your lack of understanding does not make these words any less good and rich. Even before you came to your senses, God was your father... because Jesus is the Son who left his heavenly home: He is the Son who promised, "I will arise and go to my father." Hey long before "you gave your heart to Jesus," before you were confirmed, before you passed (or failed) a test, you were born in God's house:
For God raises up the temple on the third day. You do not need to build another house, rebuild Jerusalem, nor remake yourself. You've spent all the good you have. We are broke as swine who have no inheritance to offer back to the Father we stole from. He is the patient and good Father that all earthly fathers could only to hope to mirror for our beloved. The house was rebuilt, after being down in the ground for only 3 days. For Him to NOT rise up and go to the Father, that would be the senseless thing. God wills no one to be trapped outside heaven. So it's a real shame and embarrassment to reject the gifts of His riches. Listen to the parable and hear the impossible treasure that God does give you through His Son:
22 But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate.
As you're a vicar, I'm looking forward to being called, as Pastor has, to prepare the meal. Soon, we celebrate in heaven. For now we celebrate here in God's house, our little corner of God's house on earth, where he feeds us. In His house we receive the gifts of being His children. For this "my son was dead, and is alive again." "How can this be?" For he promised, "I will arise and go to my Father's house."
As we sense our feet firmly on the ground beneath us,
............................................somehow,
............................................beyond senses,
we are brought heaven, safely home with the Father.
............................................Somehow?
............................................[head nod slowly yes]
Thanks be to the Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen!
May the peace of God that transcends all understanding create and sustain faith wherever the Word is spoken.
Amen.
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