SERMON FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2012, LENT 4, YEAR B

PREACHED AT SAINT ANNE'S

Gospel Passage from the Lectionary: John 3:14-21

Karl Barth was one of the great theologians of the 20^th century.  

A giant among Christian thinkers. 

His writings and teachings have influenced thousands of pastors, scholars, 

and lay people who think deeply about the great questions of faith.  

In 1962, while Barth was visiting America for the first and only time, 

a reporter asked him how he would summarize his work --

-- 12 thick volumes of theology that had influenced millions.  

The great scholar thought for a moment, and replied in English:

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

Sometimes the Bible can seem confusing, contradictory, 

full of ancient stories that need to be explained before they can make sense… 

if they ever make sense. 

But in some ways, the whole Bible is like the volumes and volumes of theological work written by Karl Barth, and others who think deeply about God and life and the meaning of it all.  

Words.  

Millions upon millions of words.  

Stories of people experiencing miracles… 

or deep grief and confusion when miracles don’t come…  

Stories of struggle, and hope for God’s justice… 

Recorded memories of the teachings of great, faithful leaders.  

Poems and proverbs… laws and statutes, 

and historical records of battles and wars and dynasties… 

of victory and defeat… of hopes and dreams and betrayal… 

of revenge and forgiveness…  It’s all there, and much more.

But if you want to summarize it all, I think the best thing to say would be:

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

The Bible is a love story. 

It’s the story of God’s great love for the world -- the WHOLE world.  

God is crazy in love, head-over-heels in love, with you… and you… and you…  with all of us, and the whole world and everything in it.

When you read any one little part of the Bible, 

it’s easy to find sections that are about judgment, and exclusion. 

Violence and condemnation are definitely in the pages of the Bible.  

Because it is a collection of writings gathered from thousands of years, 

telling of many diverse experiences and understandings of God, 

in many times and places.

And even with all that, the far greater number of words in the Bible are about God’s steadfast love, which endures for ever… 

About God’s grace and mercy to the people in distress… 

About God’s compassion and forgiveness, and God’s promise of blessing.  

God’s continuing, unfolding plan for the salvation -- 

the health and wholeness and life -- of the whole world.

My Old Testament professor at United Seminary, Carolyn Pressler, 

used to say that too often, people use the Bible as a weapon. 

They look in the Bible for those relatively few passages that are about condemnation and judgment and damnation, 

and they get out their exacto knife, 

and they cut out those passages away from their greater context, 

and they wad them into spit balls -- or even bullets --  

that they launch at the people they think are “other.”

For example, the famous verse that is part of our gospel passage this morning.  John 3:16. 

So famous that at sports events, or on hand-painted highway signs, 

you’ll see just that reference: John 3:16.  

I guess if you don’t know what it means, you’re “out” already.  

People of a certain age, and a particular Christian culture, 

memorized that verse in Sunday School.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, 

so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

When it’s held up at ball games, I always read it as a word of judgment.  

You better believe, or you will perish.  

Quick, right over the “God so loved the world” part, 

on to the “believe in Jesus or else” part.

What about John 3:17?  

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, 

but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

The faithful people who wrote the Bible, 

with the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 

were constantly grappling with the great mystery of God’s unconditional love.   

A love so great that somehow, some way, 

God was going to make it possible for everyone to have life.  

God wants to save the world.

I think Christians spend too much time and energy trying to draw dividing lines, 

and dwelling on the “judgment and exclusion of others” parts of the Bible, 

and not enough time and energy living into the mystery of God’s love.

What if we read:  

For God so loved YOU that he sent his Son… 

not to condemn YOU, but that YOU may be saved.  

That YOU may be whole, and healed, and know that you are loved…  

So that YOU may be an agent of salvation -- 

an agent of health, wholeness, healing -- for others, 

in this world that God loves so much..

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

It’s a children’s song, 

simple, unencumbered by judgment about anyone else’s salvation.  

And it says pretty much all we need to know.