The Fourth Sunday in Lent

The Rev. Tommy Thompson

The Fourth Sunday in Lent

18 March 2012

"Just Look Up!"

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

We are well on our way into the wilderness.  We are beyond the point of turning back -- just over half way through the church’s annual trek through the lenten desert.  I don’t know about you, but for me this is not easy.  Fasting and penitence falls under the category of “spiritual discipline” for a reason!  With Israel, we cry out, “we want real food and real drink...we are sick and tired of this miserable wilderness food!”  “We are sick and tired of going without...we want out of the wilderness.”  

If that’s you, that’s okay...I think in some ways the purpose of the journey is for us to cry out like this...

Israel had been wandering in the wilderness for quite some time now, too...and when you’re wandering in the wilderness for a long while, it is easy to forget who and whose you are...It is easy to return to the very things that we were called to turn from at the beginning of the journey -- those pacifiers of life...those things that do nothing but temporarily plug the voids in life that truly can only be filled by the Holy of Holies.  After so much wandering ...after so much discipline, we want to suck on those pacifiers again -- for all we are worth.  We want comfort...we want a quick fix.  

For Israel this meant learning the hard way...you’ve heard the story rehearsed time and time again.  Israel complains...God fulfills...Israel forgets...Israel complains...God fulfills.  In our reading today the same pattern occurs except this story includes poisonous serpents!  Sounds pretty mean on God’s part doesn’t it...Yes, your people are complaining...but isn’t it a bit cruel to teach them a lesson by throwing a bunch of poisonous snakes at them!?  

Before we go too far at dismissing the story, we should remember firstly, that this piece of theologized history is not meant to focus on whether or not God’s action of ‘sending poisonous serpents’ is just or not.  The original hearers would’ve never asked such questions.  For the most past, all of them had a high view of the sovereignty and providence of God.  If they would’ve walked upon a beautiful oasis surrounded by a fragrant garden of roses, they would’ve attributed that to God...and if they walk upon a slew of poisonous snakes they would’ve attributed that to God.  The reason for the former would be their faithfulness/righteousness and the reason for the latter would’ve been understood to be on account of their sin or unrighteousness.  

But we shouldn’t get bogged down there as we so easily want to as modern/post-modern readers and hearers.  Instead, we should hear the story and focus on what it truly is wanting us to focus upon...there’s a lesson to be learned in the wilderness full of complaining people and poisonous snakes.  

The people of God’s impatience and complaining in the wilderness for the ‘food of Egypt’ -- for the old way of life rather than the new way in which God is leading them, leaves Israel with a real-life snapshot of what life without God’s leadership looks like...you want it your way, this is what your way looks like!

Our kids want it there way sometimes, but we know if we let them have their own way, the end result won’t be too pretty, will it?  

Without God leading and discipling God’s way, the people of Israel are hindered from making any progress on the journey.  They are stuck in the middle of the desert attempting to make progress upon a road that is made of live, agitated rattle snakes...good luck treading upon that road!  

And that’s exactly what we look like when we suck on the pacifiers...when we return to the food of Egypt and the way of Egypt...when we live as if we are unbaptized.  All our efforts in moving forward in real life is like treading upon a road made out of poisonous serpents...we don’t get very far do we?

Here’s how Paul describes it: ‘You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient.  All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else.’  

Yes, the Lenten journey can be very arduous and the wilderness can get hot and we do become weary...but whatever you do, God says through St. Paul, don’t go back to the old way...that old road will only fill you with venom...be careful who you follow...the one who makes it sound easy...the one who says he can save you from the wilderness without taking you through it, don’t listen to him...instead, let God refresh you on where you’re headed...for Israel it was the land and she could only get there by going through the wilderness...and for us, it is resurrection into new creation and we can only get there by following Jesus through the wilderness these forty days into Jerusalem, being crucified with him in hope that we will rise into newness of life with him afresh this Easter.  

The purpose of those serpents in Numbers was to teach the people of God the only way they would make it to the promised land...stop complaining...stop pretending you know the way on your own...stop pretending your own wisdom and righteousness is good enough.  If you want to live, all you need to do is look upon that which Moses has lifted up in the wilderness...you can’t do anything about those serpents...no matter how hard you fight...no matter how hard you work, you will die...all you need to do is look upon the serpent of bronze and you will live...that is God’s mercy...and it is for you...

I like that scene in the movie “Finding Nemo.”  Dori and Marlin are flopping about on the dock and all of those annoying sea gulls (also known as ‘rats with wings’) are flying towards them crying out ‘mine mine mine.’  That’s a pretty hopeless situation for those too little fish out of water isn’t it!  But then Nigel, the most awesome Pelican ever, shows up and says, “Okay, don’t make any sudden moves...hop inside my mouth if you want to live.”  For Marlin, that sounded preposterous, but when he finally got inside the mouth, he was saved from the ravaging flock of rats with wings.  It wasn’t too good to be true...it wasn’t too easy and it wasn’t a trap!  Marlin and Dori were saved from what seemed to be sure death.

...I wonder how many thought that was just too good to be true and kept on fighting and kicking at venomous fangs rather than accepting what God had provided for their healing -- for their life?  

And how many of us are struggling through lent, forgetting the purpose of the wilderness, making it all about how good we are at keeping the fast...trying our hardest to earn God’s favor by a few extra good works here and there?  How many of us are doing nothing but kicking one serpent out of the way only to be bitten by the one right beside it?  

God has an invitation for you...for us: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have everlasting life.”  

It really is that simple.  That’s what God’s wanting to teach us this morning.  No, you can’t do it...your cries are right.  the journey is too difficult.  That’s why Jesus did it for you and for me and for WHOSOEVER is willing to look up and believe that you are loved and cherished.

God wants us to stop looking to the pacifiers...to stop working our butts off for something we cannot possibly earn and simply look upon His Son, who will truly satisfy and save.  Follow him and only him...His being lifted up upon the cross is God’s loving response to our sinful disobedience that has had us treading upon snakes for way too long.  His resurrection and ascension is the gate to God’s life -- the fulfilled life being opened wide for all of us...His righteousness is victorious and His righteousness can be our righteousness if we only stop fighting those serpents long enough to look, behold, and believe that Jesus is as He has been revealed.  

I think St. Paul sums it all up quite beautifully: 

“But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ: by grace you have been saved.” How have you been saved again?  by grace you have been saved.  and God ‘raised us up with Jesus and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus...could he emphasis with Jesus and in Jesus any more!?  And he did this ‘so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.’  This way of life we are being led upon is leading us somewhere -- to new creation...the world overflowing with the immeasurable riches of God’s grace ...God’s kindness.  

It seems Lent is too hard sometimes...sometimes it doesn’t make sense...we’ve got our own ideas about where we should go...but God is ridding us of the pacifiers and re-directing us to the cross for a reason...he is making a masterpiece out of us...and one day it is going to make more sense than anything ever has ever before...so keep on following...keep on living in grace....keep on depending on nothing for your healing and salvation except God’s never-ending mercy.  Because it is by grace that you have been saved through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ--THIS IS NOT YOUR OWN DOING. No, it is the GIFT OF GOD!  NOT THE RESULT OF WORKS so that NO ONE MAY BOAST.  For we are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand to be our way of life.  Keep living that way of life this lent and watch what God makes out of us.  

Amen.