Worship Preview: 3.15.26 "Lent 4: Who Are We Following?"

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY: 10:30am.“Lent 4: Who Are We Following?” 

Scriptures: Psalm 23, Psalm 100,  John 9:1 – 10:21 Rev. Christopher Eshelman preaching.

On our Lenten journey on The Way we’ve been asking some questions. A couple weeks ago it was the impatience of: “Are We There Yet?” Last week we asked a deeper question: “Where Are We Going?” This week we are asked: “Who Are We Following?” We’ll focus on a well-known block of the Fourth Gospel that is frequently handled in two discreet units: the healing of a man born blind (9:1-41) and the “Good Shepherd” discourse (10:1-21). As I often point out, the chapter and verse designations came much latter than the writings. They certainly are useful, but also sometimes distract us by breaking up a flow of material that the writers of these texts considered together. For example, if, as is common, we start reading at the beginning of Chapter 10 we lack context. Who is the “they” referred to in verse 6 and what is Jesus illustrating to “them”? – we’ve clearly come in in the middle of conversation. Reading continuously from back in chapter 9, those questions have answers. Clearly these sections were meant to be heard together!

These extended stories in John 9 and 10 show Jesus debating who sinned and the consequences of sin with religious leaders – and healing a man who doesn’t instantly know who Jesus is, but who humbly and persistently shares his experience. From dirt and dust, Jesus makes some mud and applies it. The man born blind hears a command to “go and wash at the Pool of Siloam.” John tells us that Siloam means “Sent” – this Gospel was written for people who may not have known Hebrew or the layout of Jerusalem. The man goes – and his life is transformed! In recent weeks, we’ve heard the calls to Abram and Matthew to “follow me” and marveled that they do. They leave where they’ve been to go where they don’t know – trusting the call. They change. Here is another case of someone having the courage and faith to go. The man actively participates in his own healing.

Perhaps this longtime beggar has less to lose, but he still must have great courage. One of the things that stands out to me is how his own understanding of his experience – and thus his own faith – grows as he tells his story and as he admits to what he doesn’t know. In a profound scene where Jesus goes and finds him after he has been expelled from the Synagogue and asks: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man doesn’t have it all figured out, but he’s open to learning more, in sharp contrast to the religious authorities who insist they have all the answers even when presented with a healing they can’t explain, or explain away, and thus fail to see God in their midst!

Jesus then uses the illustration – having called himself the light of the world, he now uses the metaphors of “Good Shepherd” and “Gate.”  We’ll explore these images. “What is God like?” is another way of asking “Who are we following?” Jesus tells us what God is like – and Jesus is compassionate, unafraid, and persistent in both correction and loving kindness. Jesus consistently moves the margins and seeks those rejected. Jesus reveals that God is love!  And perfect love casts out fear! If your church or political leaders are preaching fear, anger, and control – and claiming to have everything all figured out, perhaps these stories from John’s Gospel invite you to think more deeply about who you are following.

We touched briefly last week on the “woes” that Jesus gives voice to in Matthew 23 and that John of Patmos hears from an angel in Revelation 18. Both were about the unjust religious, political, and economic systems and those who perpetuate them. They are not calls to violence; they are a rejection of the violence, greed, and idolatries of the world. They are a call to repentance! In a time when many cheerlead war as “bringing about the end times” or “speeding up Jesus’ return”– as if we are in charge of the timeline (hint: we’re not – Jesus says so “you know not the day or the hour (See Mark 13 or Matthew 25), these texts suggest we might want to be careful what we wish for. God has no use for our injustice, greed, and lack of compassion – but God will seek out those we have rejected! And while we are on that topic, we must caution against reading these texts as a rejection of “the Jews.” As I said last week, the Pharisees are not monolithic. In the time the Gospel of John was written, Christians were increasingly seen and identifying as separate from Judaism, and that “ugly divorce” is reflected in John’s Gospel. We see the same tendencies in the antisemitism (and blatant islamophobia) voiced by too many of our leaders. To avoid the pitfalls of sweeping generalizations and feeding such fundamentalism, in our reading, we’ll refer to “the religious authorities” rather than “the Jews,” lest we make the same kind of mistake of thinking we have all the answers and that God couldn’t possibly be working through someone who doesn’t follow all our understandings. As I said last week – there are more than two sides to the story, and as John 10:10 says – Jesus has “other flocks.” Ponder that. We do not control Jesus, who he calls, or his timeline, only ourselves and our own response!

Wherever you are on the journey, you are invited to bring your hopes, your fears, your doubts, and your full self to worship Sunday at 10:30am. Let us walk in the way of Christ! Amen!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

FEEDING FAMILIES IN HIS NAME: Wednesday, March 18 - A free, no obligation meal is served “to-go” style from underneath our portico from 5:15pm to 6:15pm each Wednesday (note our new official start and end times), prepared each week by our members as well as several area churches and community groups. We aim to provide 400 meals per week.

FELLOWSHIP LUNCH POTATO BAR: 11:30am Friday, March 27^th. Our last fellowship lunch for this winter will be hosted by United Women in Faith and they will offer a potato bar for a freewill offering to benefit their mission and ministries. Mark your calendar and bring a friend!

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING – Open to the community! On Saturday, April 18^th we will host the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center staff for a day of learning about how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance abuse challenges among adults. No cost, lunch provided with registration.

Register by calling Angie Smith at (620) 212-4404 or email adsmith@sekmhc.org.

HOLY WEEK SERVICES: March 29^th -Palm Sunday 10:30am. April 2 - Maundy Thursday 7pm. April 3^rd - Good Friday 7pm. April 5^th Easter: Sunrise Service at 7am at the Parking Lot behind the church (near 3^rd and Main) and then 10:30am for Easter Morning Worship. Join us!