From Earning to Receiving - Lent 3

This week we continue on our Lenten journey with a marvelous reminder: We do not have to earn our status as God's children!  We are called, not to work for God's love and acceptance, but to receive it, along with abundant grace and mercy.  This is not a message we, with our strident work ethic, can easily take in or accept.

The Scripture passages include a beautiful invitation to come to God for whatever we need: water, food, security: "Whoever has no money, come, buy food and eat!." We do not have to earn this food, nor have the ability to pay in any way.  It is available for the taking. (Isaiah 55:1-9).  We also read the Psalmist's song of praise to God for having supplied all our needs "My mouth speaks praise with joy on my lips...because you've been a help to me..." (Psalm 63:1-9). How wonderful to hear these assurances from the ancient books of the Hebrew scriptures.  The New Testament passages are Luke 13:1-9, the parable of the fig tree that didn't bear fruit, and its gardener who didn't give up, and 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, a reminder that all the Israelites were led out of Egypt, the faithful and those who just came along to escape slavery. We also hear a call to be like the faithful, even though good and bad times fall on all people.

In today's day and age, we assume everything has a cost.  If someone offers us something for free, we have a tendency to look for a catch, a hidden cost. The old adage: "If it looks too good to be true it probably is" rings in our ears as companies tout their wares, assuring us that they have the best deal for us. Generally we expect that, if we want something, we are going to have to work to earn the money to pay for it. This is just the way the world works.  

Then we are reminded of the verse from Isaiah 55 (v8) "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord." When it comes to faith we are not bound by the way the world works.  God's way is grace and love and mercy freely given.  God's way is so much love that there is no way we could ever earn it, or deserve it.  God's way is us being adopted, with no catch or cost, as God's own beloved children. 

Too often people who bear the name "Christian" seem to forget this message.  Too often we are told of actions we should take and those we should avoid at all costs. Too often salvation is presented as an accounting ledger where we have to earn enough positives, do enough good, to balance out anything we may have done wrong. These are not the messages we are reading this morning! These are not the messages God gave us through Jesus.  When Jesus said "blessed are they that mourn" he was saying that those who happen to be in mourning are also blessed - not that we had to go out and be sad and dejected. How did blessings turn into to do lists? Jesus tells us that God so loved the world, not just people who do good deeds. Jesus tells us that God wants us all to enjoy eternal life as a part of God's family. Jesus tells us that God loves us and, from that place of being loved we can share that love with others.

Yes ethics can be important. We want to know how to please God. We want to live lives that express our gratitude to God for the abundant love and gracious gifts we have received. Yes we care about others, because Jesus has shown us that every person is important.  But nothing we do changes the fact that God loves us and wants to be in relationship with us. No law or commandment is going to make us more worthy of being a child of God. Nothing we do changes how much God loves us. Nothing we do will make God love us any less, nor will anything we do make God love us any more.  The love of God is already at the level of infinity; it cannot be diminished or enhanced.  God loves us that much.

So let us celebrate this third Sunday of Lent.  Let us turn from worrying about being good enough for God - we can't be. God loves us anyway. Instead, let us rejoice and give thanks for God's amazing love. 

May you feel God's love surrounding you and lifting you up as you go through your day and week.


Here are some songs based on this morning's OT passages:

Isaiah 55:  O let all who thirst come to the water.

Psalm 63: Oh God you are my God


 p.s.  I know I didn't expound on the New Testament passages Today - Here are a few thoughts:

 The image of the gardener patiently tending a non fruitful plant is a powerful one, but I hope and pray that none of us is that tree that does not give fruit. Even so, I trust God is working in each one of us to help us bear some fruit - even if it is not immediately obvious to ourselves what that fruit is.  The love that God has for us is not dependent on that fruit - but rather allows whatever fruit we do bear to be abundant and rich.

The treatise on the Israelites all travelling together is a reminder that we don't always know what is coming for any other person.  It may look like all is well with someone who, in our eyes, doesn't deserve it, but we don't know what is going on inside that person nor what the future will hold for that person - and we don't have to.  God's love is so great, why should it bother us if someone undeserving is loved as well? It doesn't diminish God's love for us. How do we even determine if someone is undeserving? Are we deserving? Do we really think we deserve to be loved more? We already are loved more than we deserve.  I admit the prose is confusing, but in general it seems to be saying we all suffer, and we all have joys, and it is not for us to try to be the gatekeepers for God.  God welcomes all.

Happy Lent 3

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