Abel and Melchizedek Sacrificing,
Basilica di S. Vitale,
from Art in the Christian Tradition,
a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library,
Nashville, TN.
Basilica di S. Vitale,
from Art in the Christian Tradition,
a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library,
Nashville, TN.
March 22, 2015
I
have a confession to make: I don't much care for today's gospel reading; in
fact, deep down, sometimes I don't like it at all.
You
know, John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so
that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life."
Luther
once said, this verse is "the gospel in a nutshell."
However,
there is something troubling, even scandalous at the heart of this beloved
verse.
Notice
that God doesn't ask our opinion about all this first.
God
doesn't ask our permission.
God
doesn't even consult us.
God,
in fact, brooks no objection but just goes ahead and gives the Son over to
die...for us.
Do
you see what I mean?
Part
of me is incredibly grateful and part of me pretty indignant.
I
mean, how dare God!
How
dare God sacrifice so much for us and by doing so have such a claim on us!
It's
not just scandalous but, if you think about it, even offensive, as it leaves
absolutely no room for our hopes and plans, our wants or desires.
It
leaves us, that is, completely out of control.
Some
years ago I preached a sermon when I compared this verse--the giving of the Son
without our consent or consultation-to the scandal of infant Baptism.
After
all, we similarly bring young children to the baptismal font before they can
offer their consent and simply immerse them in God's love.
How
offensive, some might say, that we don't wait until they are "of age"
and can decide for themselves.
But
that's the heart of infant Baptism, when you think of it:
God
just plain adopts us, makes us God's own, and pledges to be both with us and
for us forever.
All
this whether we are ready, interested, or eager to receive it or not!
For
this reason, I went on, perhaps we should add four words to our service of
Baptism to highlight the scandalous, even
offensive,
nature of the sacrament: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit...like it or not"
A
week or two after I preached this sermon, Tom, a member of our parish, told me
a story.
Several
nights earlier, Tom's six year-old son, Benjamin, protested his bedtime.
Frustrated
by his father's refusal to budge, Benjamin finally became so frustrated that he
said, "Daddy, I hate you!"
Tom,
possessing the presence of mind I wish I more frequently had replied, "I'm
sorry you feel that way, Ben, but I love you."
And
then what do you think Benjamin said? "Oh, it's okay." Or maybe,
"Sorry, Dad. I love you, too."
Nope.
When
Tom told his son that he loved him, Benjamin yelled back, "Don't say
that!"
Surprised,
Tom continued, "But, Ben, but it's true--I love you." "Don't say
that, Daddy."
"But
I love you, Ben."
"Stop
saying that, Daddy! Stop saying it right now!"
And
then it came, Tom reported, almost completely unbidden: "Benjamin, now
listen to me: I love you...like it or not!"
Even
at six years old, you see, Benjamin realized that in the face of unconditional
love he was powerless.
If
Tom had been willing to negotiate--"I'll love you if you go to bed
nicely"--then Benjamin would have been a player:
"Okay,
this time, but I'm not eating my vegetables at dinner tomorrow."
But
once Tom refused to negotiate, refused to make his love for his son conditional
on something Benjamin did, then Ben could do nothing but accept or flee that
love.
The
same is true with us.
If
God makes God's great love for the world and us conditional, then we, suddenly,
have tremendous power.
We
can negotiate.
We
can threaten to reject God's love.
We
can even tell God to go take a hike if we don't care for God's terms.
But when God just loves us--completely and
unconditionally--and when God just goes and dies for us, well then the jig is
up; there's just nothing we can do to influence God.
And
that's just what happens in this verse.
Listen
to it once more: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so
that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
Indeed,
God
did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the
world might be saved through him."
And
there it is, in a nutshell:
God
in Jesus has made God's decision...and it is for us.
Yes,
we can run.
But
we can't change the fact that God loves us, that God in fact loves the whole
world more than we can imagine.
And
so no wonder this is the world's most popular Bible verse, because it is,
indeed, good news, even the best news.
But
first it's hard.
Hard
because we're not in control.
Hard
because it's not up to us.
Hard
because every time we hear how much God loves us we also know that we had
nothing to do with it, cannot influence it, and therefore are out control.
And,
sometimes, that can make us afraid.