Fifth Sunday in Lent - The New Covenant of Grace is Near

Welcome Statement

The Past Few weeks this Lent we have reflected a lot on the different Covenants that our Father in heaven has made with his people. The Covenant with Noah, with Abraham, and the one with Moses.

Let us neither forget the Covenant with David, the greatest of the Kings of the Israelites, who showed the people of Israel what it meant to truly be followers of God, but as we witnessed previously in Samuel as well, was also a person who could falter to the passions of the world. Because of these struggles, these passions that hold us back and the sin they bring on, we find ourselves desiring a new thing. The Prophet Jeremiah, has been described as the “Weeping Prophet”, Jeremias, the bearer of bad news, by scholars due to the amount of trials he undergoes both in the Book of Jeremiah and Lamentations as he has the painful task of announcing divine judgement on the kingdom of Judah through the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the people to Babylon. He reveals much more about himself in his writings than any other of the prophets. I find most heartbreaking is his lament in Jeremiah 20 after he was persecuted by Pashhur the priest, where he wishes he was never born, and denotes how he has become a laughing stock and a mockery and a fool. Well. Jeremiah, blessed be the work that you paved, because you were never a fool, for what we are about to read, is the work that our father in heaven called you to proclaim, so that we could know, this was all planned in the beginning. That New Covenant. Let us Read:

Old Testament Reading - Jeremiah 31:31-34

Jeremiah 31:31–34 (ESV)

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

A Proclamation that all of Humanity will Know God

This proclamation is interesting. This new law, is being written on people’s hearts. Not on tablets, or paper. Not in legalese, but in our conscience, in our spirits. What Does it mean that people will no longer teach neighbors and brothers saying “know the lord” for they shall all know me? Evangelism still has to happen right? People still have to be taught about our faith? Well of course! That is not what this is talking about, at least not for the moment we are in. This is talking about how people will begin to intrinsically know the Lord not by a game of Telephone, but directly through an imprinting of the Spirit on their hearts, a fire will be lit in them. They will no longer have to rely on Moses having to relay instructions to them, they can begin to be independent followers of God, still in community, but they will find themselves more in tune with God than ever before, a new believer, born again in the Spirit. From the Least to the Greatest, position, money, power, won’t matter. It won’t matter if you have access to classes to afford the education necessary to read. I think the Modern church has pretty much realized this through evangelism. If you go online, there’s multiple websites you can go and order for free paper-back new testament bibles. Talk about the least to the greatest being able to know the lord! Of course, this scripture isn’t talking about access to physical scripture, but this is a manifestation of the fruit of the spirit being realized in the idea of this. By faithful Christians who truly believe this Good News is that important, and needs to be realized. God essentially forgets our sin, that’s whats amazing about all of this, this is why he doesn’t turn away, his bearing of the weight of our sin makes him forget, he isn’t holding it in a side pocket to bring up later as a reminder or as a gotcha when we mess up. It’s cleansed, completely, purified, sanctified, reconciled. We come to this altar, not having to come with any physical sacrifice, but we come to surrender our entire selves, because that’s all he desires. He is a Gracious God indeed! Let us reflect on this idea further in scripture.

New Testament Reading - John 12:20-33 ESV

John 12:20–33 ESV

Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

New Testament Point #1

What did these Greeks want from Jesus? They were obviously interested in signs and miracles as with all others. Philip was very hesitant, and asked Andrew to relay the Message to Jesus. Jesus then tells this Message. This paradoxical statement that seems to be sort of a nonanswer altogether.

A Grain of wheat dying alone bearing fruit? What does this even mean? How can GRAIN bear fruit? Obviously the death of the grain is being transformed into something new, At least that is my interpretation. It’s a paradoxical statement to make people really think about what it means to bust your own ego.

One thing we can surmise is, that Jesus could not be distracted any longer as the time of his death was coming upon him, he had to make a decision to focus on the spiritual world, and give a greater answer to the cause than a worldly answer. This is difficult. How many times do we find ourselves rashly responding in a worldly way saying yes to something. When God would obviously expect us to respond no and protect our temples? But at the same time, we aren’t simply expected to say no, by God, but show a third way in our answers, Just as Jesus did here. That there is something more important going on. Jesus has many meta-commentaries or meta-narratives like these all throughtout the bible, where he is trying to explain to people how insignificant the squabbles and wordly affairs they are stressing themselves over are, and yet, people cannot shake themselves away from their human condition at all. They can’t get themselves to surrender to their savior. It is also possible, that he had also declined the Greeks, as this was not the time for Jesus to meet them, he had not drawn all people yet as was stated here, until he paid his price. Gentiles would not become available to the message so freely until after the ultimate sacrifice, and Paul would go on to do his many mission trips.

Sometimes it is about watching and waiting, and preparing, getting ready for those bigger trips in our lives, instead of getting caught in the daily ordinary work, that sometimes can make us lose sight of what really matters. Christ continually reminds us, we need to stay in sight of the present, with this covenant of Grace, and look while in the present with our feet planted firmly on the ground in creation, look towards the Kingdom of Heaven expectantly for our savior. Let us Pray

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, Thank you for the reminder of your new covenant in the proclamations by your Prophet Jeremiah. If it weren’t for this Covenant, we would be a lost people, a people without a single direction, all walking aimlessly, in different directions, all without knowing what life means. You have given us purpose, you have given us the realization of why we temper our worst aspects, why we give ourselves a little grace, and why we love others daily. We thank you for the gifts of your mercy and grace that you bless us with this lent season, as we prepare for your Resurrection once again.

Amen.b

Doxology / Benediction / Closing

As you Go out this week, reflect on how Christ has helped lift you out of the ordinary and mundane, into more important and spiritually fulfilling things. How has this covenant of mercy and grace, lifted your burdens, your guilt, and emboldened you to be a new person as a child of God? What is it you can do when people ask you to do something you know will be a distraction to your health and your plans, and more importantly God’s Plans for you, and how can you offer a better third option that points to God in those scenarios? It is not easy, but sometimes, God challenges us to insert him into our lives in the most unlikely of circumstances.

May you Have a Blessed Sunday, and rest of your Week! Amen!