Lectionary for Lent 4

Lectionary for Lent 4

Jesus said: ‘While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ John 9:5

Collect. Let us pray (that our human weakness May be transformed into God’s strength): Almighty God, in Christ you make all things new: transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your heavenly glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Reading. Ephesians 5:8-14. Paul begins the passage for today with a very distinct statement once you were ,,, but now you are. Darkness does not have a moral connotation, to be in darkness is to be unaware of or disobedient towards God. John, you will remember names Jesus as the light of the world and added to that he reminds us that in God there is no darkness at all. (1John 1:5) Thus to be in darkness is to be without God. If we are without God, then we figuratively are dominated by sin which leads to death.

Alternatively, to be in the light is to be in harmony with all that Jesus brings; love , joy peace and above all fellowship with other believers. Being in the light means that we are known by God and we know God. Knowing God means that we live in obedience to him. From a scriptural point of view we have the wisdom to be obedient to the will and the way of God. This is not a task to complete but is a way of life that we willingly choose. As the psalmist says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. Psalm 119:105. The challenge is to live as children of the light. It is not a pick and mix arrangement but a life-style that develops over time. The light exposes the things which are against God’s way of living, these are the things that are to be avoided.

Yes, Paul’s direction is clear, being in the light we live as children of light, children living in obedient to God’s way not ours. As God’s children we are not to follow the fads and fashions of our society but live within our society following those things that God approves.

As we reflect on the instruction to be wary of society we need to remember that Ephesus was the city in which was the great temple of Artemis. This building was considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was the belief system of this temple which greatly influenced the city and brought travelers and wealth to the city. From a Christian perspective much of this activity and the life style that resulted was contrary to Christian teaching. This clash between two religions brought about a great riot during Paul’s ministry. (c/f Acts 19:23ff)

At the conclusion of our passage Paul’s Attitude seems to change. To begin with he teaches simply and systematically and then it is almost as if he wished to shake the believers into alertness.

“Sleeper, awake!

 Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you”.

In these three statements he restates all that has gone before. Put simply, don’t be complacent about how you live; turn away from the darkness of disobedience and receive the eternal life that the light of Jesus Christ brings. It is both a salutary warning and also a wonderful encouragement.

Prayer. Lord we thank you that your light has shined in even the darkest places and the darkness has not been able to stand before the Light. So in your light help us to live each day. Help us to clearly recognise the path we are to take, eagerly aware of the service to which you call us. In your light Lord, grant that we may make a difference as we honour you. By your guidance may the poor, the lonely and the unloved find comfort through the ministry that is your call upon our lives. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Reading. John 9:1-41. Once again John presents us with a well crafted description of the ministry of Jesus and its results. As we read this passage we will again remember that as the remaining eye witness to the life of Jesus John is able to exert a great influence on his Christian readers who are in grave danger from the Roman persecution. Thus in this passage John is looking back in order to help the believers look ahead with confidence. He divides his description into three distinct stages.

To begin with, John describes the healing of a blind man. Eye disease was a common problem in the ancient world due to the very dusty conditions and the lack of eye medication. Although some medication was available many were too poor access it. However John makes it clear that this man was blind from birth. His blindness was not caused by the prevailing conditions. By giving the man sight Jesus is creating something that was not there before. As John describes it by creating sight that was not there before Jesus is doing God’s creative work. The man came from dust and his eyesight also came from dust now made into mud. Both represent God’s creative act, of which Jesus is a part. John’s message is obvious, Jesus is God’s Son; as he had hinted with the story of the Samaritan woman, Jesus is the saviour of the world. (John 4:42)

The Pharisees understand the implications from Jesus’ act of healing and so work hard to discredit his ministry to the blind man. We can recognise that they wield significant power and they are able to expel people from the religious community. This was a threat which would have serious ramifications if carried out, so much so that the parents of the man make him speak for himself. It is their fear that holds them back yet at the same time it alerts the readers to understand that the healed man is an adult because “he is of age” and so is able to speak for himself. However, of equal significance was the fact that at the time of writing the Christian believers were beginning to be expelled from the Jewish congregations. Until this point the Romans had considered the Christians as a part of the Jewish religion and so they had avoided extensive persecution. With their expulsion that protection was now gone and so like the blind man’s parents the pressure to conform to Judaism increased significantly. The healed man by his simple testimony finds the courage and the ability to stand up to the Pharisees and it is this testimony that causes them to remove him from the Jewish congregation.

John concludes his passage by describing that Jesus comes to the expelled man and identifies himself openly to the man. The man in turn responds with a statement of belief and worship. The opposing Pharisees are condemned and the blind man is justified. The healing of the blind man would have been a understandable encouragement to people under pressure from expulsion from the protection of Judaism. It was also a reassurance that despite the present difficulties God’s power through Jesus would be able to sustain them through to the end. It is a message that speaks to each one of us as we face the difficulties in Life. As we see much of our society moving away from God and his principles keeping the faith becomes difficult but John’s description of the ministry and power of Jesus continues to give us the confidence and the courage to hold onto our trust in the one who is the Saviour of the world.

Prayer. Gracious Lord, we thank you for the love and care that comes to us from you. We thank you that you have granted us healing and wholeness through your merits and not because of our deserving. Indeed Lord we are most undeserving, but in your love and grace you have touched our lives and made us whole. May our new lives reflect your love and honour the sacrifice you made for us on the cross. This we pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Collect. Eternal God, on the first day you spoke, and there was light; and when the time was right, you came in Christ to enlighten those who walked in darkness. Kindle a flame in our spirits, that in your light we may see light; in Christ’s name. Amen.