Acts 3: 12-19
NPMC
Psalm 4 3
Easter
I John 3: 1-7
April 26, 2009
Luke 24: 36b – 48
Anita Retzlaff
See, what love
Grace to you and peace from God the Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus the
Christ. In our moment of silent meditation this morning we remember the many,
many people who feel helpless and defenseless, right here in our city and flung
over the face of the earth. There are myriad reasons for the vulnerability of so
many and we ask for God’s presence with them: that they will somewhere, somehow
experience the human touch of mercy and compassion. Let us pray. Have mercy O
God. Restore safety, health and beauty to those who seek fullness of life. AMEN
Easter isn’t over. Easter is never finished if you think about it. If what we
mean by Easter is the event of the risen Saviour then Easter is never done. The
truth of Easter doesn’t stop suddenly. Resurrection light remains with us today
and into all the days that are yet to come. Jesus’ resurrection is a sign to us
of a power stronger than death; an influence in our lives that trumps even the
scariest things we can imagine.
We spend a lot of time worrying, being anxious about the way things could turn
out, being afraid that we might not measure up to some vague standards we think
others hold or we stifle ourselves and our interactions because deep down we
feel really lousy about ourselves. The power of Easter light has the potential
to chase away the shadowy fears and insecurities we harbor when we allow the
warmth of Jesus’ love to thaw away the icy grip of negativity that holds us
hostage. Resurrection light is the power of our connection to God or if you
will, resurrection light is a love that binds us to God, like family. Because of
our direct ties to the heart of God, fear of death, the daily anxieties that
come unbidden, will never become the ultimate motivator in our lives.
“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of
God…” (3:1): our text from 1 John this morning. I realize that I often speak
about love on Sunday mornings. Well, that is no mistake. Love and its
derivatives is where our biblical texts always take us and for good reason. We
have a terribly hard time taking love seriously enough to change the way we
think. That has been the case throughout history. It is often easier for us to
live in the shadows of Lenten guilt and remorse than to live in the full face of
God’s bright resurrection hope. Guilt and shame seems to be our “default
setting”; it is what we slip back into when life becomes uncertain. See, what
love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God. That is
why love is always the agenda.
What does it mean that we are children of God? What does it mean to you that you
are either a son or a daughter of God? Well, what does it mean to you that you
are either a son or a daughter of your father and your mother? Doesn’t that just
open a whole can of worms! I will tell you what it means for me to be a daughter
of Anne and Bernie Retzlaff. It means that I love theology, gardening, cooking,
family feasts and one-on-one conversations. It also means that I am short, wear
glasses (since I was 6 years old), have to watch my blood sugar, tend to gain
weight easily, have creaky joints and am on the lookout for osteoporosis. Being
a daughter of Bernie and Anne also means that I am surrounded by love and
compassion, that there is always someone there for me when I need support or am
afraid. As a child I was allowed to find new ways of thinking and being even
when I didn’t conform to the former and familiar ways. We could argue about
issues and possibilities as they presented themselves, we could disagree and I
knew that I was loved even though not always understood. Through divorce,
depression and now through the journey of illness, we are connected by blood and
family bonds because I am a child of Anne and Bernie.
In trying to describe to you the love that I know in my relationship to my
parents I am describing a quality of life, a quality of love. Not everybody has
the luxury of enjoying that quality of love and it isn’t always felt so
positively all of the time. I am describing to you the best and most intimate
ways in which we are connected, the ways in which being a child of my parents
has made life wonderful instead of merely something to endure. It is quality
that is important. I tell you about a kind of life that is not about simply
about existing but a quality of existence that is filled with joy and meaning; a
quality that makes my heart filled with gratitude and peace.
It is this quality of love and life that God invites us into and sets us apart
as people of faith. We are to know and be known as God’s children, not
indentured servants, not slaves, not duty-bound labourers but children, tied and
related to our creator, beloved!
Listen to Eugene Peterson’s translation of the text which always gives us fresh
eyes to see:
What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called
children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t
recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is and what
he’s up to.
But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the
beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is
openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who
look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life
as a model for our own.
All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major
disruption of God’s order. Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get
rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program. No one
who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do
practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They’ve got him all backward.
So, my dear children, don’t let anyone divert you from the truth. It’s the
person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous
Messiah.
Taken from The Message
The world does not know Gods’ quality of life and doesn’t recognize us or take
us seriously, according to Peterson’s translation, because the world has no idea
who God is and what God is up to. Add to this observation that Christ showed up
in order to get rid of sin and several serious questions become immediate for
us. What does the biblical writer mean when he says that the world has no idea
about who God is and who we as Christians are? In our pluralistic world we all
know a little bit about the varieties of belief in God or gods, in paths to
enlightenment and ways to inner peace. And why must the writer throw in the
ever-repeated accusation of sin that convicts us immediately; for we all sin?
This may sound overly simplistic but what I think the writer is trying to
communicate is that sin here refers to living one’s life as though God does not
exist. The world - meaning the structures and systems that operate on a macro
level all around us - have no mechanism by which to know God. These systems do
not collectively have a conscience or knowledge of divine love; that is not
their purpose. The world constitutes systems of justice, systems of education,
systems of agriculture, food production, security, health care, politics – all
set up to provide services to the people of this planet and we know that not all
are served. The systems of this world do not inherently speak to the quality of
a love relationship to the divine.
That is not to say that within our local structures of education, health care
and politics there aren’t people in them who have high standards of quality in
their work and a desire to provide for the good of as many people as possible.
But the systems of this world do not operate on the basis that God draws us to
himself as a parent lovingly enfolds a vulnerable and growing child. Our
institutions and programs produce products and most of our working relationships
in the world facilitate the distribution and utilization of these products.
Now sin, for the Christian, is living as though only the systems matter; that
all of life is centered around production while ignoring the quality of love, of
relationship, that makes life meaningful and fruitful. The ultimate difference
this makes in our world – this quality of love - is that every human being is
valued by God, not just some people; those who can make a lot of money, those
who can influence people, write books, those who cultivate celebrity, those who
have been born in a country of relative wealth and possibility. The tiny child
living in the slums of India, an old man in a nursing home, the family wiped out
by guerilla fighters in Colombia – each individual is loved by God with equal
love. And when we come to know God’s love intimately we act like God and extend
that quality of life to everyone we meet.
Our relationships are crafted in the image of God! Don’t waste the ones you
have. Go and seek out those in need of the depth and quality of God-like love
and do it now for the time is now! This is not irresponsible or naïve, it is the
fulfillment of our life in Christ. I think that is what it means when the
scripture says, “no one who abides in him sins.” No one who has experienced the
warmth of God’s love can withhold it from others. We apply this to all areas of
life when we imagine people in need: when we work to stop war and violence, when
we speak out against practices that destroy our earth. It sounds naïve in the
face of systems and powers that seek to control and come out on top of the heap
but it is not naïve or irresponsible when we attach the faces of individuals
negatively affected by systems yet loved by God; loved as much as we are loved.
Our conduct is important. As Eugene Peterson puts it, “the person who acts right
is right.” Often this means we will act in a way that is compelled by a
different understanding of what is ultimately valuable. I can work hard my
entire life, keeping current in a particular area of expertise, I can influence
people’s career choices and personal choices, I can wield a lot of power and
influence but if I suddenly turn around one day to discover that there is nobody
right beside me who knows me intimately and loves me dearly then I have missed
out on the greatest quality of life that there is. In the last few weeks of my
parents’ journey into Dad’s cancer diagnosis, its spread and treatment, our
family has come together to stand united to face the unknown. Dad said it all
when one day last week we were talking about the possibilities and the
uncertainties of his cancer progression. He simply said (and I paraphrase here),
“This journey is not nearly as scary as it could be because I have my family
walking with me every step of the way.”
See what love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God.
With this knowledge and strength we move into the places of our daily lives and
world and we become that love for others. This is the Easter light that shines
brightly into even the darkest moments of our experience. It outlasts the
duration of every hurt, every disease and every disrupted relationship. The hope
that comes to us in light of the resurrection continues on through all time, now
and forever. We know the love of God, the quality of life we have been given and
we daily recognize it in each other and share it freely and with joy. Thanks be
to God. AMEN