Sermon – Second Sunday in Lent
2017
St Anne’s Brown Edge
Nicodemus
knew, just as we all know that for something to ‘be born’ it requires a
preceding act.
When all was sin and shame,
a second Adam to the fight
and to the rescue came.
Two
ideas are carried in the image of being born of water. One is the natural process
of birth when we are quite literally born of water. The other idea is spiritual
cleansing as in Baptism.
Imago Dei - the
image of God, in the faces of those
around you today.
In those who have been born of
the water and of the spirit.
There is a
line in a beautiful and very meaningful contemporary worship song ‘In Christ
Alone’, that has caused some controversy -
Let
us pray…
This
is the season for spring lambs and spring calves. This only happens because
some time back around October the ewes were put to the tup and cows if not AI
then to the bull around June time last year. Even in agriculture, the seed has
to be planted and fertilised, it will not grow sitting in the dark in a barrel
or bag.
For
humans beings the most important preceding act goes back to Genesis 2.7 – ‘then the Lord God formed the man of dust
from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man
became a living creature. ‘
For
many Christian this was referenced on Ash Wednesday to mark the beginning of
the Lenten Season with the Imposition of Ashes with the words,
‘Remember o
mortal that you are dust and to dust you shall return.’
In
John’s Gospel 20.22 we read ‘And with
that he (Jesus) breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.”
This
is quite literally a life giving second breath, a second birth – offered as
gift.
When Jesus
talks about being born again, Nicodemus begins to think through the mechanics, ‘how can you enter your mother’s womb a
second time.’
However,
in the wonderful prologue to John’s Gospel we read, …’But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He
gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husbands will, but born of God.
Our inherited breath from Adam is tainted with sin and brings death; the second
Adam offers us the breath of new life – a life that offers life in all its
fullness. (cf. John 10.10)
O loving wisdom of our
God!When all was sin and shame,
a second Adam to the fight
and to the rescue came.
O wisest love! that flesh
and blood,
which did in Adam fail,
should strive afresh against the foe,
should strive, and should prevail;
To
be fully, gloriously and wonderfully human we need to born of the water and the
spirit. which did in Adam fail,
should strive afresh against the foe,
should strive, and should prevail;
With reference to Abraham,
Paul argues in the passage we heard from Romans about grace and the life of
Faith being a gift that we cannot earn.
‘For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed
God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Now the wages of the workers are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation.
This is
picked up even stronger in the Letter to the Ephesians,
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and
this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance as our way of life.… Ephesians 2.8-10
For we are God’s
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance as our way of life.…
There
is a tradition in the Orthodox Church called Theosis,*
which is about our
growing into the very likeness and fullness and stature of Christ, picking up
passages such as we find in Ephesians
4.13,
‘And so we shall all come together to that oneness
in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God; we shall become mature
people, reaching to the very height of Christ's full stature.’
What
a joy, what a calling and what a privilege to be the image bearers of God
towards His good creation and towards others – Imago Dei reflected in the mirror you look into.
In those who have been born
again.
In those who have opened up
their hearts and said…
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
There is room in my heart for Thee.
The
second century St Irenaeus said, ‘the glory of God is living man.’
(“Gloria Dei est vivens homo.”)
That is our true destiny,
our one true calling – to reflect back glory to God through our humanity
enlivened by God’s Spirit.
Just
what might that mean, to reflect glory back to God in each and every situation
we find ourselves in.
In
each and every conversation we have.
In
each and every engagement that we have with people.
In particular
just what does that mean, to reflect back glory to God, when we face
challenging or difficulties – as surely we all do from time to time.
There is a
line in a beautiful and very meaningful contemporary worship song ‘In Christ
Alone’, that has caused some controversy -
Till on that
cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied
Some change that line that talks of God’s wrath and
instead sing…The wrath of God was satisfied
Till on that
cross as Jesus died,
The Love of God
was glorified.
‘For God did not
send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through
him.’ (John 3.17)
Even as he
was lifted up, as Moses lifted up the snake to bring healing to all who looked
upon it, so Jesus, in his death brings healing for all who will look to him
with the eyes of faith and accept by grace that we can now be inheritors of the
Faith of Abraham. Born not of flesh and blood, as ethnic Israel, but rather
born again of the Spirit of God.
As we go out
into the world this coming week, to our places of work, to the school, at
various clubs and gatherings, and to the shops, how we going to testify that we
have been born again and reflect glory back to God.
Maybe by
heeding Matt 5.16…
‘In the same way, let your light shine before
others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who
is in heaven.’
Therefore,
the question to each and every one of us here this morning is just how bright
is the lamp of faith in our lives?
O
Holy and Ancient of Days, Good Father and Mother to us all; we thank you that
we are most gloriously made and most wonderfully born again in Christ. May we
reflect your glory in all that we do, think and say and help us to call forth
from your creation your praise and glory. To the end that Your Kingdom may come
and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen
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