The Love of God - You Are Enough

John 3:16 (NRSV)

For God so loves the world, God gave God’s one and only, unique, begotten Son that anyone who believes in him might stop dying and live an abundant never ending life.

Enough. It might be the word you say when you push back from the table after a big meal. It might be the word you shout when your kids have just spent the last thirty minutes of a road trip arguing about whether or not the color green smells more like lemons or apples or farts. It might be the word you pray when you are awake at 2am wondering how you will pay your gas bill, buy your groceries, and pay the rent. Enough is when any more would be too much, when any less would not satisfy. It is the word of the tipping point between ok and not ok - the maximum amount that can be tolerated, held, eaten, or taken on without being too much or too little.

It’s not really a word we think of when we think of who we are as people, or at least until recent years, I had never thought of it as a way to describe myself. But a friend who does board paintings made these wall hangings that are silhouettes of a parent and child that say “You are enough” and it made me think about it differently. It reminded me of all the times I have felt inadequate or worthless as a parent, when I would compare myself to the Kindergarten room mom who was at every recital and baked all the snacks when I was doing my best to drop my kids off with lunches and coats on my way to the office. Or when I would yell at my kids for something that wasn’t their fault, or even now, when my young adult children aren’t as successful or as independent as they could be and I wonder how did I screw that up? And that sign reminds me, that what I see as failings, what I see as misses, what I remember as all the horrible and wrong and messed up - most of the time my kids don’t even remember at all. Instead, my kids know they are loved, know they can come to me for anything, know that screwing up happens and when it does, we own it, we admit it, and we do better next time. And no matter what your parenting style is, no matter who you are as a parent (or a person) in your day to day life - you are enough. You give what you can and you do the best you can and at the end of the day what matters is that you are there, you are doing the things, whatever they are in your life and home to keep on keeping on. You are enough.

What does it mean, spiritually for us then, when as we look at John 3:16 to say “I am enough” or “You are enough” or “We are enough” in the context of faith? How does it help us understand the gospel? When I first started studying this verse at the beginning of the year and thought about the best way to convey it, I wasn’t sure it was the right phrasing either. But there is one thing about “enough” as a concept that I think does fit the gospel, and applies to how we can think about this verse: enough means don’t add anything else, don’t do anything else, don’t be anything else, don’t try anything else. You see being enough means that we don’t have to do more, do less, do something - we can just be and guess what? The grace of God, the love of Jesus, the good news is for us.

Being enough means that no matter what we have done, no matter who we are, no matter what we HAVEN’T done or who we aren’t - it is OK and it is perfect for what God has to offer us. Especially, my friends, when we consider that who we are and who we aren’t is known by God already. Our gifts, our limits - God knows them, God helps us see them. God delights when they are used for the kingdom, God wants us to be everything we can be. But God’s love for us is not dependent on them, and in fact, they aren’t mentioned in this summary of the gospel at all - instead we see that little “believe” word and no other requirements. No list of moral behaviors, no list of church tasks, no list of any kind - just a bestowal of grace by virtue of nothing more than belief.

We don’t really like grace that looks like that, do we?

We want it to cost us something. We want grace to be hard. We want grace to require something of us. We do not think grace should just be available. Especially because all “those” people will probably abuse it. They’ll grab grace when they haven’t earned it and don’t deserve it…except all grace is unearned and undeserved, so yeah, ‘they’ and ‘you’ and ‘we’ can all grab the grace we don’t deserve and haven’t earned and it kind of puts us all on a level playing field, doesn’t it? I can’t condemn the guy who stole something if I am receiving the same grace he is for my pride and jealousy. I can’t point the finger at that person being given grace, if everyone is given grace in the same way - because God chooses to grant it.

Dr. Busic, our Church of the Nazarene General Superintendent, talked about grace this way:

Grace to you: there is nothing you can do to make God love you more and nothing you can do to make him love you less. It is not transactional. It is being treated better than you deserve on the basis that God. Loves. You.

I hang out on TikTok from time to time - watching videos that make me laugh mostly, but every now and then someone will have a rant or a story about someone who did them wrong. One of those videos struck a chord, not because I remember all the details, but at the very end the person said something that made me pause - speaking to his adversary, the person he was angry with, he said “May you have the life you deserve” and like the aphorism “May you live in interesting times” it sounds like it could be a blessing, doesn’t it? After all, most of us feel like we deserve good things most of the time, so suggesting that we get the life we deserve doesn’t sound awful. But the reality is that all of us have some reason to be concerned about getting the life we deserve. All of us have said or done things we know are wrong, things that would put us potentially on the wrong side of that kind of benediction.

And the truth is, God says the complete opposite. God says “May you have the life you don’t deserve” May you be treated to an abundant, never-ending life. May you have certainty that you have been set free when you should be in chains. May you get better than you deserve, not because you have done anything more or done anything less, but simply because you have believed.

When we talk about belief, even, whatever belief you have is enough. In Mark, there is the story of a desperate father bringing his son to Jesus’s disciples and to Jesus for healing. Jesus says to him “Do you believe that I can heal him?” And the father cries out “I do believe, help my unbelief” and it is one of the most powerful and most “ENOUGH” statements in all of scripture. All he wants is for his son to be well. And he wants to believe but he’s also just seen the disciples fail. He is a complicated person and his six words demonstrate that. And Jesus does what he asks - heals his son. It isn’t because this guy had some great amount of faith, it isn’t because he had done some huge quest to prove his devotion, it isn’t because he donated a ton of money, or lived a life of piety - it was solely because in his raw and honest answer, Jesus gave grace for the limits and welcomed the enough of a loving father.

And so - when we look at this passage in John, we can read the grace, the life we don’t deserve given not because we are some spectacular specimens of sanctification and sinlessness, but because whatever it is we bring in honest surrender is enough. We are enough.

Let us pray.

Gracious God - you have given us the gift of yourself and the gift of a grace we couldn’t earn and don’t deserve. You speak to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, telling us over and over that we are enough, just as we are. You cannot love us more because of something we do, and you will not love us less because of something we do. Your grace takes what we offer and grows it into an abundant life in your presence. We don’t deserve it, we can’t earn it, and yet you give it freely and often.

Holy and gracious Father:In your infinite love you made us

for yourself, and, when wehad fallen into sin and become

subject to evil and death,you, in your mercy, sent Jesus

Christ, your only andeternal Son, to share our human

nature, to live and die asone of us, to reconcile us to you, the

God and Father of all.

He stretched out his armsupon the cross, and offered himself,

in obedience to your will,a perfect sacrifice for the whole

world.

On the night he was handedover to suffering and death, our

Lord Jesus Christ tookbread; and when he had given thanks

to you, he broke it (breakbread), and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take,

eat: This is my Body, whichis given for you. Do this for the

remembrance of me."

After supper he took thecup of wine (raise cup); and when he had given

thanks, he gave it to them,and said, "Drink this, all of you:

This is my Blood of the newCovenant, which is shed for you

and for many for theforgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink

it, do this for theremembrance of me."

Therefore we proclaim themystery of faith together:

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again.

We celebrate the memorialof our redemption, O Father, in

this sacrifice of praiseand thanksgiving. Recalling his death,

resurrection, and ascension,we offer you these gifts.

Sanctify them by your HolySpirit to be for your people the

Body and Blood of your Son,the holy food and drink of new

and unending life in him.Sanctify us also that we may faithfully

receive this holySacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy,

and peace; and at the lastday bring us with all your saints

into the joy of youreternal kingdom.

All this we ask throughyour Son Jesus Christ: By him, and

with him, and in him, inthe unity of the Holy Spirit all honor

and glory is yours,Almighty Father, now and forever. AMEN.

And now, as our Savior

Christ has taught us,

we are bold to saytogether,

Our Father, who art inheaven,

hallowed be thy Name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our dailybread.

And forgive us ourtrespasses,

as we forgive those

who trespass against us.

And lead us not intotemptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever. Amen.

(Facing the people, theCelebrant says the following Invitation)

The Gifts of God for thePeople of God.

(Everyone comes up to receive)

Let us pray.

Celebrant and People

Eternal God, heavenlyFather,

you have graciouslyaccepted us as living members

of your Son our SaviorJesus Christ,

and you have fed us withspiritual food

in the Sacrament of hisBody and Blood.

Send us now into the worldin peace,

and grant us strength andcourage

to love and serve you

with gladness andsingleness of heart;

through Christ our Lord.Amen.

Benediction: Remember this: Grace to you! there is nothing you can do to make God love you more and nothing you can do to make him love you less. It is not transactional. It is being treated better than you deserve on the basis that God. Loves. You. Go with the knowledge that you are loved, you matter, you are enough. You are dismissed.