First United Methodist Church
March 17th, 2024
Rev. Lauren Hall
Lent 5: Lift Up
In 1861, General George McClellan was given charge of the Army of the Potomac and considered he himself the savior of the Union. He is considered one of the best and one of the worst Civil War Generals by both experts and amateurs who analyze the war. As it turned out, he proved to be great at logistics, organizing armies, transporting them across hundreds of miles, keeping them fed and supplied — but not actually leading them into battle. Although McClellan was a brilliant military tactician, President Lincoln believed he was too cautious when it came time to lead the army into battle, and his hesitation often allowed the Confederate army time to reinforce and prepare their defenses.
As a result, Lincoln eventually fired him and replaced him with a general who would pursue the mission a little more aggressively. General McClellan was very good at preparing his soldiers for battle, but he lacked initiative when it came to engaging in the battles; therefore, he never actually did the things he was commissioned for.
By contrast, Jesus, despite his human fear expressed in the Garden of Gethsemane, had no intention of stepping aside from the onrushing events that would lead to his death but also to his Father's glory. In all the gospels there comes a point where Jesus, knowing the fate that awaits him, nevertheless sets his face toward Jerusalem and will not be deterred.
Jesus was able to overcome his fears and apprehension because throughout his ministry, he made sure he remained in close relationship with God, taking time each day to separate himself from the world and his followers in order to spend time in prayer. Because Jesus remained connected to God the Father, the source of his power and authority, he could focus fully on his mission and not allow the temptations and distractions he encountered to deter him.
Jesus’ message for us today is about being able to focus on our mission by staying connected to Christ as our source of spiritual power. How did I get there, you might ask?
In the gospel of John, we have to remember that there are layers of meaning. We’re in chapter 12, and in John 14 Jesus will begin his farewell sermon, leading to the statement, “I am the true vine” in chapter 15. (In order for a branch to bear fruit, it must be connected to a strong, healthy vine. If we are the branches, then Jesus is the vine and we must remain connected. But that’s theology for a different sermon.) Before his disciples, meaning us, can relate to what he is talking about, we have to get there.
In this passage, some Greeks show up and request to see Jesus. Jesus doesn’t actually meet with them, but instead announces that “the hour has come.” If we work through the layers, we can make the connection that the Greeks represent the world, which means that the word of Jesus, or Jesus’ word of grace has reached far and wide enough for him to feel confident that this part of his mission is complete and he can now move to Jerusalem with the confidence that he has drawn, and will draw, all persons to himself (12:32).
The next layer involves his statement that the hour has come. Up to this point, John’s gospel has been emphasizing that the hour has not come. In fact, we aren’t supposed to know when that hour will be. But now, he turns his face toward Jerusalem and claims that the hour and time of glory has now come. Of course, we know that Jesus’ glory is not what we consider glory – not Olympic glory or Big Ten glory, or promotion glory, or Valedictorian glory. It is cross glory, or suffering glory. We might even throw in obedience glory. In other words, Christ’s glory is not glory as the world defines it, and this leads right into Jesus’ next statement, “Those who love their life must lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (12:25). “Hate,” of course, means “reject” here, and “life” means material values and world view, so in reality Jesus is suggesting that we shift our focus from the material world to the spiritual realm.
“Whoever serves me must follow me…whoever serves me the Father will honor.” Jesus wants us to have a Kingdom mindset, which is a way of thinking that recognizes God’s hand on our lives. Real and lasting joy comes from the confidence that, no matter what happens, we are inseparably connected to God.
The layers in this passage are thick, but ultimately, a few chapters later we get to the point – which is that by staying connected to Christ as our source of spiritual power, we are more able to focus on our mission. I could go deeper into this theology and really confuse everybody, but instead I just want to point out that Jesus is inviting us to consider with care what we have come to value, what we have come to accept as “the way of the world,” what we have come to define as desirable. In addition, Jesus promises that God is always at work, drawing life from death, and showing up in the darkest, hardest, loneliest places in our lives. That God can bring something good and beautiful from suffering. That God not only does not abandon us during the painful times of our lives but is at work using those moments for something good.
This past year a lot of people worked very hard to put our church back together so that we can once again worship in the space we call home. This journey has been difficult at times, but through it all, God has been with us. I can say that with confidence because despite the additional challenges we have faced, God has shown us possibilities in places we might have overlooked.
Three weeks ago, we weren’t sure if we would be able to worship in our building before Easter, and yesterday, we celebrated the life of Barb Miller in the church she grew up in, in the church that she loved. Who would have thought this would be possible? Well, God, of course.
There are a couple of things that still need to be completed, and we will worship there next Sunday, but we can’t forget God’s hand in all of this. God is here. God is at work. God is not afraid of challenges, or things that might hold us back. God will not give up. And neither can we. God has helped us to complete our journey so that we can begin to see the new possibilities for our congregation.
In everything we do from this point forward, we have to remember that God is on the side of life and love. When we have a kingdom mindset we will be able to recognize that the love, mercy and life that God offers is stronger than the hate, judgment and death that too often occurs in the world. Remember, to be lifted up is to be drawn into the love of God. We have been lifted up and offered grace; we have been given the resources we needed to accomplish our task, now it’s our turn to transform the gifts that we have received into ministries that will build God’s kingdom.
Friends, we are not finished with our journey. We have only just begun. God is with us! Amen.
