The Texts for Lent 2014

1. The Texts for Lent 2014 • Lent 1: Gen 2:15-17; 3:1-7; Matt 4:1-11 (temptation of Jesus) • Lent 2: Gen 12:1-4a; John 3:1-17 (Nicodemus) • Lent 3: Exod 17:1-7; John 4:5-42 (Samaritan woman at the well) • Lent 4: 1 Sam 16:1-13; John 9:1-41 (blind man) • Lent 5: Ezek 37:1-14; John 11:1-45 (Lazarus—I am the resurrection) • Passion/Palm Sunday: Isa 50:4-9a; Matt 26:14-27:66

2. Lent 1—Genesis 2 and 3 • Life in God’s presence, in God’s garden, to till it and keep it • Freedom to eat of every tree, except of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil • Humans have limits, including death • If you eat of it, you will die (capital punishment)

3. Lent 1—Genesis 2 and 3 (continued) • The snake said: Did God really say: You (plural) shall not eat from any tree in the garden? • We can’t eat—or touch—the tree in the middle of the garden • Snake: “You will not die! Your eyes will be opened.” Yes, but is that good news or bad?

4. Lent 1—Genesis 2 and 3 (continued) • You (plural) will be like God, knowing good and evil-life without limits (which is not a good thing) • She ate and gave to her husband and he ate • The eyes of both were opened and they knew that they were naked • Making garments for themselves addresses only the symptoms of their problem.

5. Lent 1 Matthew 4:1-11The Temptation of Jesus • Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. • Fasted 40 days and nights--famished • If/since you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loves of bread. A human being does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Deut 8:3)

6. The second temptation • If/since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from the pinnacle of the temple. The angels will bear you up. (Ps 91:11-12). Do not put the Lord to the test (Deut 6:16). Choose a strategy: seek angelic help or practice obedience to God’s will that leads to the cross.

7. The third temptation • I will give you all these kingdoms, if you fall down and worship me. • Away with you, Satan. Worship the Lord and serve only him. Deut 6:13 • The devil left and angels came and waited on him. = The angels fed and supported Jesus.

8. Reflections • 40 days and nights—Moses fasted in Exod 34:28 • Israel, which is also “God’s Son,” went into the wilderness and failed Deut 8:2-5 • Jesus is hungry but remains faithful, without the miracle of manna. • There is a power of evil greater than our own inclinations. The Bible calls that Satan

9. Lessons to be learned • Jesus’ struggle came after his baptism. We struggle after our baptisms. • Jesus refuses to use his power selfishly and prefers the Word of God to material things. • Jesus shares the weakness of our human situation. • Jesus as the obedient Son of God and a truly human being • To be a child of God means to have a trusting relationship to God that does not ask for miraculous exceptions to the limitations of an authentic human life.

10. Lent 2—Gen 12:1-4a • The call of Sarai and Abram—and of you and me-- is in response to the total breakdown of relationships between God and humanity, and within the human family, in Genesis 2-11, and in our own communities • With their call comes the promise of land, nation, and name—and of divine blessing

11. Gen 12:1-4a (continued) • Through Sarai and Abram—and through us--all the families of the earth are to be blessed—that’s the purpose of our call, our election • Abram and Sarai obeyed God’s call in v. 4a: they went to the land • Contrasted with Nicodemus who “does not understand these things”

12. Lent 2-- John 3:1-17 • Vv. 1-10 dialogue of Jesus with Nicodemus at night; your “signs,” Jesus, prove you are a teacher. 11-21 discourse of Jesus • Jesus to Nicodemus (v. 3): You must be born anothen“from above” [NRSV] or “again” [NIV].

13. John 3:1-17 (continued) • Nicodemus focuses on being born “again” and claims that this is physically impossible. We get it and he doesn’t. • Jesus (v.5): You must be born of [both] water (physical birth, [baptism?]) and the Spirit (spiritual birth). • WE (Jesus and the Christian community) speak of what we know v 11 • New birth comes through the death, resurrection, and even ascension of Jesus—in the past (11-15).

14. John 3:1-17 • Eternal life—life in the unending presence of God--begins in the believer’s present. Born anothen= a. personal change and b. the external source of change is in the cross. • Judgment (16-21). God sent the Son into the world…that the world might be saved through him. (Those who do not believe, such as Nicodemus, condemn themselves. Yet God reaches out to these lost to bring them home)

15. John 3 • Like the serpent lifted up on a pole that gave healing to the people, so Jesus too will be lifted up (crucifixion as exaltation) for the healing of the people. Whoever believes in Jesus will have everlasting life. • The giving of everlasting life is the result of God’s love for the world. • God’s unfathomable gift of life comes to us in One who is done to death on the cross. • God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

16. Picturing lifting up the serpent. Lower left Michelangelo; lower right Sports Illustrated (Ty Cobb, OJ, Rodman, Tonya Harding, etc.)

17. John 3 • Nicodemus came by night: desire for secrecy; his courage in coming to Jesus; his lack of understanding. Does not yet see the light. • One of those who believed because of Jesus’ signs; a seeker; a religious insider checking out a radical upstart; a secret believer lacking courage; an oppressor who wanted to side with the oppressed. • Not believing = refusing God’s agapeand refusing the call to exercise such love in one’s life.

18. More Nicodemus • 7:50-52 Nicodemus tentatively defends Jesus • 19:38-42 Nicodemus joins Joseph of Arimathea in burying Jesus.

19. Lent 3—Exodus 17:1-7 • No water: Quarreling with Moses and testing of God (two sides of same coin). • Why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst? • Moses: “Yahweh, they are ready to stone me.” Water is the theme of the Sunday

20. Exod 17:1-7 (continued) • Yahweh: I will be standing there in front of you on the rock. • Strike the rock (ignores the question about the leadership and safety of Moses). • Yet Yahweh gives water…through Moses

21. Exod 17:1-7 (continued) • V. 7: Massah (testing) and Meribah (quarreling): the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD. Is the Lord among us or not? • Unfaith even after the Exodus. • Critique of utilitarian religion (= the reality of God is “proved” by human prosperity)

22. Lent 3 John 4:5-42 • Jesus: Give me a drink (7) • Jesus would have given you (the Samaritan woman) living water, and you would never be thirsty again (10) • Jesus: The water I give will become a spring gushing up to eternal life (14) • True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (23) • The Samaritan woman as witness (29, 39) • Townspeople: We have heard for ourselves, and we know that this person is truly the Savior of the world (42)

23. Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Rachel, Moses and Zipporah • A man travels to foreign territory • Stops at a well • Meets a woman • Shares water with her • Woman rushes home to tell family • Traveler accepts hospitality • Betrothal and wedding or in John 4: the seventh something she needs

24. John 4:5-42 The Testimony and the Growth of the Samaritan Woman • 6 the woman meets Jesus at noon (vs. Nicodemus at night). Pilate hands over Jesus about noon to be crucified 19:14 • 9 How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria? • 11-12 Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob? • 15 Give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty. • 19 Sir, I see that you are a prophet (God-given insight). • 25 I know that a messiah is coming • 29 He can’t be the messiah, can he? • 42 Townspeople: We know that this is truly the Savior of the world, who crosses boundaries and woos the other

25. 4:5-42 • Tensions between Jesus and the woman: gender, nationality, class, and religion. The disciples were astonished that he was speaking with a woman (27) • True worship is not defined by a geographical or a cultural worship center but by spirit and truth. (v. 23) • Jesus seeks to bind this woman and her village with cords of love and loyalty to God. • The spirit and truth made known in Jesus have power to embrace and renew all. • The disciples brought Jesus lunch, but the Samaritan woman brought him the entire city.

26. Lent 4—1 Samuel 16:1-13 Sight and insight on Lent 4 • Samuel sent on a traitorous mission, to anoint David as a rival king to Saul, with a cover story—a sacrifice and a mission of peace (v. 5) • Rejection of Eliab and other six sons of Jesse—humans see outward form; Yahweh looks at the heart

27. 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (continued) • David—beauty of eyes and appearance—but in general we see his youth and insignificance. • Anoint him! • David has spirit (permanently)! None of his descendants do. Samuel goes home

28. Lent 4 John 9:1-41 • Outline of John 9 • 1-7 healing of the blind man. He was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed/seen. • 8-12 the neighbors say to the blind man. How were your eyes opened? Ans: Jesus. Where is he? Ans: I don’t know. • 13-17 the Pharisees question the blind man. Pharisees: Jesus does not observe the Sabbath. Blind man: He is a prophet = more (in)sight than Pharisees. Cf. Samaritan woman. • 18-23 Pharisees question blind man’s parents. We don’t know how this healing happened. Ask him. He is of age. (doubtful that expulsion from the synagogue happened at the time of Jesus v. 22)

29. Outline of John 4 continued. • 24-34 Pharisees question the blind man again. Pharisees: Jesus is a sinner. Blind man, who speaks for himself: I was blind; now I see. Do you Pharisees want to become disciples? You do not know where he comes from, but he opened my eyes. Pharisees drove him out because as a blind person he could not teach them anything. • 35-39 Jesus questions the blind man. I came that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind. Lord, I believe. • 40-41 Jesus responds to the Pharisees. Since you say we see, your sin remains. The man who was blind has come to sight. The blindness of the Pharisees is exposed. Sin is not in being born blind, but in refusing to believe when one has seen the power of God at work.

30. John 9 • Sin is unbelief or bad faith. Sin is not believing that God is present in Jesus. • The blind man is recovering from sin and darkness, and is more and more attached to Jesus. • The authorities, who positioned themselves as judges of others, bring themselves under judgment.

31. Lent 5—Ezek 37:1-14 Theme of Lent 5: resurrection • Third of four visions in Ezekiel: Call vision (1-3), vision of the corrupt and doomed temple (8-11); vision of the new temple and land (40-48)

32. Ezekiel 37 (continued) • Vv 1-10 vision; vv 11-14 interpretation • Many bones, very dry • Bones enfleshed and then enspirited (cf. creation of humanity in Genesis 2)

33. Ezekiel 37 (continued) • A noise, a rattling as the bones came together • Prophesy to the breath, mortal: Come from the four winds and breathe upon these slain that they may live • A vast multitude on its feet

34. Ezekiel 37:11-14 The Interpretation • Mortal: these bones are the whole house of Israel • They (we) say: our bones are dried up, our hope is lost; we are cut off completely

35. Ezekiel 37 (continued) • I will open your graves (Resurrection) and bring you up (Exodus) from your graves, my people • Bring you back to the land • You shall know that I am Yahweh when I bring you up for your graves…my people • You shall know that I have spoken and will act (Yahweh as promise keeper)

36. Born Anew, Born from Above • Creation • Resurrection • Exodus • Creation, resurrection Exodus, and Re-generation can only be God-originated You must be born anothen

37. Lent 5 John 11:1-45 • Lazarus is dead v. 14 • Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who believes in me will never die. V. 26. • Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. V. 32 • Lazarus, come out. V. 43 • Many of the Judeans, who had seen what Jesus did, believed in him v. 45

38. John and Life • Raising of Lazarus sets in motion the events that lead to the arrest of Jesus (11:45-53). • In him was life (1:4); bread of life (John 6) Jesus as giver of life. Jesus is the resurrection and the life 11:25 • The one who believes in Jesus has passed from death to life (5:24)

39. Chapter 11 Outline • 1-6 request for Jesus to come to help Lazarus, whom you love, and who is ill. • 7-16 conversation with Thomas and disciples. Lazarus has fallen asleep, he is dead. Thomas: Let us also go, that we may die with him. • 17-27 conversation with Martha. If you had been here, my brother would not have died = Faith andcriticism. Your brother will rise again. I am the resurrection. Martha: You are the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God.

40. Chapter 11 outline (cont) • 28-34 conversation with Mary. Jesus is greatly disturbed and weeps. • 35-44 raising of Lazarus. I thank you for having heard me. What is about to happen is an act of God. Raising of Lazarus is what Jesus does for all his own. The details of the raising of Lazarus resemble the raising of Jesus. • 45-53 responses to the miracle. Some believed, some reported him to the authorities. Jesus’ raising of Lazarus leads to his own death.

41. John 11 • The glory of Jesus not so much in his miracles, as in his self-giving. • Jesus died for or on behalf of others v. 51 • Jesus’ arrival at Bethany’s tomb means life for Lazarus and death for Jesus. From that day on, they planned to kill him. • By his dying Jesus will gather into one the scattered children of God. V. 52

42. Passion/Palm Sunday Isa 50:4-9a • The servant as disciple or as one taught—assigned to sustain the weary with a word (v 4) • The servant freely surrendered to insult and spitting (v 6) • The Lord God helps me therefore I shall not be put to shame (v. 7) • Servant as Israel, Jesus, us

43. Isa 50:4-9a (continued) • The one who vindicates me is near (v 8) • Who are my adversaries? Who will declare me guilty? (vv 8-9) • The servant walks in darkness yet trusts in the name of the Lord (v. 10)