Sunday, March 14, 2021

Fourth Sunday of Lent
Numbers 21:4-9
Psalm 107:1-9
Ephesians 2:1-10
John 3:14-21

For he satisfies the longing soul. He fills the hungry soul with good.

A few weeks ago the weathermen and other experts predicted that we would experience an historic storm like none most of us had ever experienced. We did what you do when expecting to be stuck in your house for a few days: we went to the grocery store and stocked up on plenty of food. We filled the freezer, the refrigerator, and the pantry. We were ready for the storm.

We rushed out to the grocery store before a huge weather event because we don’t want to be trapped without food. The trouble is we could probably survive just fine with what is already in our pantries, refrigerators and freezers. In the United States, most of us have more food than we can possibly eat. We go shopping before those storms not for survival, but for comfort food. We want snacks to eat during the movies we will watch if our electricity doesn’t go off. We want snack foods. We buy milk and bread, but really want chocolate and wine. We buy food that will sustain us, food that can be eaten even if we can’t cook, but we usually eat the junk food because it makes us feel good.

My preparation didn’t really do us any good during that storm. We lost electricity for so long that not only was it difficult to cook, but most of the food in our refrigerator and freezer was lost. We didn’t starve because we had enough. We weren’t very hungry anyway because of the stress of the situation. We couldn’t find anything that would satisfy when we looked for food.

We do that under the best circumstances, though, don’t we? We all have to admit that there are times we go to our pantry or refrigerator and think, “There’s nothing to eat,” despite the fact that we couldn’t fit any more food on the shelves. We can’t find something because there is nothing looks good. Nothing seems worth the work and time it would take to cook it. Everything looks bland and unappetizing. We manage to settle for something, but we think about all the things that would taste better. Sometimes we don’t even know what would satisfy, we just know that we don’t have anything that will.

The Israelites had plenty to eat, but they were tired of eating the same old manna day after day after day. I can see them as well as I can see myself standing in front of the refrigerator saying, “There’s nothing to eat here!” They complained about everything. They complained against Moses and God. They wanted to return to Egypt. Did they really expect that everything would be better back in Egypt? They were runaway slaves and life would never have been better if they returned. Did they really think that the food for slaves would be better than the manna of freedmen.

God was disappointed by their lack of faith and trust. The Israelites wanted control. They felt helpless. Moses had led them into the wilderness away from their homes and everything they knew. Their life in Egypt was not comfortable; they were oppressed and worked to death as slaves to the Pharaoh, and they hated their life. When Moses led them out of Egypt they were excited to be alive and free, but the Promised Land was not right around the corner. The wilderness wandering became such a burden that they began to look back on their sojourn in Egypt with fond memories. Even though God was providing them with all that they needed, they hungered and thirsted for the familiar.

Today’s story takes place well after Mt. Sinai, but the grumbling began just days or weeks after they crossed the Red Sea. They grumbled constantly during their journey which was meant to teach them how to trust. It was a hard earned but shortly held lesson. God’s people fell to unfaithfulness over and over again. When they did, God used the world to help them to look to Him again. Whether it was war, exile or oppression, the suffering they faced was given as a gift to bring about repentance and faith.

Today’s Old Testament lesson is the aftermath of one of those moments. Numbers 21:1-3 tells the story of their first battle as a new community under God’s grace. The king of Arad attacked the wandering nation as they passed near to his land and captured some of them. Israel vowed a vow to God: “If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” It wasn’t enough for their people to be set free; they wanted to destroy those who had harmed them. God gave the Canaanites over to the Israelites and they completely destroyed them. God made it happen, but we get caught up in our successes. They believed they had the power to defeat a great enemy.

Moses next led them a roundabout way to avoid Edom. The people were upset by this route; they were impatient and thought it was a waste of their time. Why shouldn’t they go into Edom and use their new found strength to take what they needed? They could find fresh food and water; they could eat something besides manna and quail. The Israelites exaggerated their needs. “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loathes this light bread.” They were sure they were going to die. I didn’t think I was going to die, but I must confess that during that storm, I exaggerated my complaints to God about my suffering.

The Promised Land was not right around the corner but they weren’t going to die from starvation. God provided for them: the manna and quail filled them, and they had enough to survive. They didn’t want to just survive and their desires turned them away from God. The Israelites wanted control; they spoke against God and Moses. They complained the way we complain when we can’t find something we want to eat in the pantry or refrigerator. Manna was not food to these people even though it filled their bellies. They imagined that back in Egypt they would be eating comfort foods like chocolate and fine wine.

The people exaggerated the dangers they faced in the desert, especially since they had the God of creation, the God of their forefathers, protecting and leading them. All they could see was what they had left behind. Sure, they had been slaves, but they had food other than manna and quail. God had to remind them that they were not in control.

This story of snakes is hard for us to accept. It doesn’t fit with our expectation of God. Why would He do such a thing? Why would He send dangerous snakes into the camp? Why would He allow so many to die? The poisonous snakes were a way of getting their attention before they did more harm to themselves by rebelling and returning to Egypt. Would Pharaoh welcome the slaves back with open arms and a huge barbeque? No, they would go back to their own deaths, and they would be alone, without God. If they turned back to Egypt, they turned their back on their Savior. Returning to Egypt would have been worse than poisonous snakes because it would have led to the annihilation of God’s people.

The snakes got their attention. The people went to Moses and asked him to pray for them. Moses did pray and the LORD heard their pleas. Did He remove the snakes? That certainly would have been the most logical solution to the problem, but in His mercy God did not remove them. Instead He commanded Moses to create a bronze snake on a pole. When the people were bit, they looked at the snake to be healed. Ironic, isn't it? Looking to the very thing that brought death would bring them healing and life. God gave them the sign so that they could have a visible reminder of His salvation and deliverance. As Christians we have a similar sign to remind us that we need not complain when things are not going our way because God provides all we need.

Our Gospel lesson for today is one of the most beloved of all the scriptures; John 3:16 is probably one of the most quoted (and misquoted) verses of the Bible. Yet, there is more to this passage than God’s love for the world. This is a passage is about light. Jesus Christ is the light, and without Him we live in darkness. We like the world in which we live even if there is darkness because we enjoy the things of the world. Yet, peace, hope, and life are found in Jesus.

My cousin fell in with the wrong crowd when he was a youth. He acted out against everything and everyone. He used illegal substances and did illegal things. One day he was hanging out with friends, under the influence of something, and they decided to burn down a dilapidated old house on their street. The house was worthless because it was empty and falling apart. It was an eyesore and a health hazard. It didn’t matter. What they didn’t know is that the house was not empty; a homeless man was sleeping there to keep warm and he died in the fire. No matter how they justified the fire, they could not justify murder.

My cousin spent many years in prison paying for his crime. He could have responded to this defeat by living in darkness, turning to revenge and hatred and more crime as happens to so many who go through the prison system. They learn how to fend for themselves, growing more ego-centric as they sit alone in their cells pondering their lives. A few, perhaps very few, realize that they have done wrong and they look beyond themselves for hope and redemption. They seek healing and peace.

My cousin wrote to me on several occasions about how thankful he was to have been caught. He believed that the life he was living was leading him toward death. Prison helped him see the reality: that he was a sinner in need of salvation. My cousin grew up in a Christian household. His mother was very active with her church and she encouraged her children to follow her footsteps in the faith. They attended worship together and went to Sunday school. But everything he learned about God in those younger years was lost to his self-centered occupation of trouble as he grew older. He forgot that his Savior had already saved him. In prison he was set free from his selfishness and pettiness so that he could live truly free in the world. He saw that his trouble was not only because his actions were sinful, but that his attitude was a reflection of his sinful nature.

It would have been very easy for him to stay in the darkness as many prisoners do. Too many return to their old lives when they are released and act out against the society that had imprisoned them. The crime builds, from minor infractions to major ones, from assault to murder, from theft to armed robbery. They take the lessons learned in prison and use them not to do good things, but to do bad things better. Fortunately, my cousin caught a glimpse of the Light in Jesus he had known as a child and turned back to it. He believed that prison was God’s way of calling him back to Himself.

God could have saved every one of the Israelites who were bit by the snakes, taking away the poison and making them well. He didn’t need to give them a snake on a pole to look at when they were ill. He could have even removed the snakes, driving them back into the wilderness and away from His people. However, they had to learn how to look to God in their trouble. They needed a sign of God’s presence to help them look toward Him when they were losing hope. They needed a glimmer of light in the darkness to remind them that they were never alone.

We also need a reminder when we are caught in the midst of trouble. We forget that our worldly problems are temporary and we sink into despair. Like those prisoners who return to crime when they are released, we often get more self-centered when we are faced with difficulties. We don’t understand why God won’t just take it away and set us free. God can do it; He could make life nothing but chocolate and wine for us, but what kind of life would that be? God has given us the freedom to live as we wish in this world, but our desires often get us in trouble. So, He also gives us a reminder of His presence and love in our lives. He lifted Jesus on a pole, just as Moses lifted the snake. We need only look to Jesus on the cross to find healing and peace. He calls us to this life of thanksgiving, looking toward the One who is the Light of the world.

Nicodemus was a teacher, a Pharisee, and a member of the ruling council. A man like Nicodemus knew God’s Word. Yet, he understood God only from the perspective of law and tradition. Jesus pointed him to the well known story about the snakes to show Nicodemus how God would give a sign to His people. The Savior would be lifted just like that bronze snake in the wilderness. Jesus would be lifted on the cross and those who look to Him will have eternal life.

The image of the cross is no more comforting than the snake on a pole. We wonder why it was necessary for Jesus to die. Couldn’t God have simply forgiven our sins and let us continue on our journey? No, it would not have been enough. We would have been like those Israelites eventually. Even in a state of salvation we continue to sin over and over again. Along our journey we would wonder about whether things were better before we were forgiven. Isn’t it more fun to live according to the ways of the world? Isn’t it more exciting to follow our own desires, to seek the good things in life? Isn’t it better to be in the comfort of Egypt rather than wandering helpless in the wilderness?

God had to do something more than get our attention; He had to finish the work. He had to pay the price. He had to provide His Son who would guarantee eternal life to those who believe. The issue in the desert was not hunger or starvation; it was trust. The issue for us is not living by the law; it is about trusting that God provides true life. Nicodemus didn’t understand how anyone could be born again. He probably didn’t even understand why; he thought everything he needed could be found in good works and right living. He thought he could trust in himself. But just as the Israelites had to trust in God to be healed from the snake bite, we have to trust in God to be reconciled to Him, even if His method seems out of character.

Thankfully, God gives us something to look at, to remind us of His grace. He could have taken the snakes away, but how long would the Israelites have continued to trust in Him if He had? He gave them the bronze snake so that they would keep looking to Him. Would we trust in God if He took away sin and made us perfect? Adam and Eve certainly didn’t. How long would we last? How long would we remember God and look to Him? Instead of letting us wander in our own wilderness, in our own selfishness, God gave us something to remind us of His grace: the cross. When we look to Jesus, we see the Light that reminds us that all God’s promises and covenants are real.

The psalm for today is a call to praise God, given to those who know God’s salvation. The psalm names several groups of people, including those who are wandering in the wilderness. Did God really hear the cries of His people? They were grumbling about the conditions. They were tired. They were sick of the manna. They were thirsty. They were beginning to fear what was ahead. They wondered if the Promised Land would be everything they expected. The wondered what suffering they might experience next. They worried about how many would die along the way. God answered their grumbling with poisonous snakes.

Yet, despite this unexpected answer, God did lead them to the Promised Land. Despite our grumbling, God answers our prayers, too. The answers to our worries are not what we expect. We don’t always get healed of our disease nor have our problems fixed. Unfortunately, the answers we want often lead us away from God and His salvation. He answers so that we will learn to trust Him and give Him control over our lives. The psalmist sings, “Let the redeemed by Yahweh say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the adversary.” No matter our circumstances, we’ve been set free to praise God and glorify Him to the world.

Paul begins today’s epistle lesson with a rather strong statement: “You were dead.” They weren’t physically dead; this isn't the first scene from some zombie movie. As a matter of fact, they were probably living a fairly decent life in Ephesus. They were dead not because their heart stopped beating and their brain stopped working. They were dead in their sin; they did not believe in God. They were living in darkness and Paul wanted to show them the Light.

There is a very real “us versus them” attitude in the words of this epistle. The “you” in verse one is directed toward the Gentiles, those who lived according to the desires of the flesh, following the ruler of this world: the devil. In verse three Paul refers to the Jews who were called to be God’s chosen nation.

Marriage is more than the joining of two people; it is the joining of two families. These families are often very different, especially when the couple meets somewhere far from home. The families often have very distinct cultures. City girls marry country boys. Boys from New York marry southern bells. California babes marry Texas oil sons. In each case, their worlds are very different, and though they get along as a couple, it is harder to bring together their families.

Christianity is the joining of two very distinct families. The Jews had rules to live by and that did not include interaction with the non-believers. The Gentiles did things that made them “unclean.” They ate food that was unacceptable. They worked on the Sabbath. They followed other deities and practiced objectionable religious traditions.

The early Christians had to deal with this marriage of two very distinct cultures. They had to find a way to live together, to work together, and to worship God together. It was hard for them, and it is still hard for us. Despite two thousand years of trying to work out these issues, we still have many Christians who find it difficult to get along. “We” look at “them” and do not understand their culture or religious practices. These may seem minor to those on the outside, but they can be major stumbling blocks for those of us trying to deal with this incredible marriage between cultures.

The Ephesians were dealing with their own issues as we do today, but Paul focused on what we all have in common. We are all sinners in need of a Savior and we all have faith in that same Savior, Jesus Christ. God loves us all. It isn’t by our traditions and practices that we are saved. It isn’t the way we say the Lord’s Prayer or the form of our worship that brings salvation. We are saved by grace and are made alive together in Christ Jesus. We may have to be like those families that don’t get together but love one another because we have that common love of Christ. We may, sometimes, be able to find the courage and humility to gather together for His sake, despite our differences. Whatever happens in the family of Christ, we are who we are because of what God has done, and as we remember this we will look at our “in-laws” with a whole new perspective: through “Jesus-colored glasses.” Despite our differences, we can work together to do God’s will in this world, if we look together at Him on the cross.

We truly see the God of mercy on the cross. Could God have removed the serpents from the camp of the Israelites? Of course He could have, but He didn’t. Instead He gave them a way to be healed. Could God forgive without the cross? Why didn’t He find another way to save us from our troubles? I don’t have the answer to that question, for I do not know the mind of God. I do know that when I need to know God’s presence, I can look to the cross and Jesus will draw me back by His grace. It is there I can most clearly see God’s love. In the cross I see my sin and my sinful nature and I see His mercy and His grace. Any freedom I have, or peace, or joy, or hope, or even faith has nothing to do with me. Everything is a gift from God, given not because I’ve done anything right, but out of His deep love for me. As a matter of fact, I was dead, and He died so that I might live.

We continue to do things our way, to rely on ourselves and put our trust in the things of this world that will perish. Yet, we need not fall into despair when things seem to be falling apart around us. There is hope that has been lifted up above a messed up world. His name is Jesus. He satisfies and fills the needy soul with everything we need.