June 17th, 2012
John 3:16-21
‘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.
‘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.
Those
who believe in him are not condemned;
but
those who do not believe are condemned already,
because
they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And
this is the judgment,
that
the light has come into the world,
and
people loved darkness rather than light
because
their deeds were evil.
For
all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light,
so
that their deeds may not be exposed.
But
those who do what is true come to the light,
so
that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.
***
For God so
loved. God of care, and hope, and justice. God of healing, of covenant, and
presence. God beyond all time, Alpha and Omega. God who is Abba, Father,
Mother, Womb. For God so loved.
For God so loved the world. A world that
hated God. A world of idols, and oppression, a world of sickness, and
brokenness, a world of broken relationships, between humanity and God, between
humanity and each other, between humanity and creation. For God so loved the
world.
For God so loved the world that God gave. God of grace and action. God of
forgiving and living. God of Spirit’s wind. God to earth and God on
earth. God willing, God doing, God breathing, God entering in. God blowing evil
out. God of Word and God of deed. God abiding, For God so loved the world that
God gave.
For God so loved the world that God gave God’s only Son. Son of God. Shepard of the
people, sacrificial lamb. Friend of children, advocate of the diseased,
corrector of tax collectors, Rabbouni, Teacher, Prophet, Healer. Healer of the
world, of oppression, of poverty, of broken relationships, healer of death, and
healer of life. Light of the World. For God so loved the world that God gave
God’s only Son.
The beginning of John 3:16 sets the scene for the
rest of John 3. We hear the character of God as loving, and the state of the
world as God hating. We hear the problem of distance from God and the rising
action of God giving. We hear the foreshadowing of an answer in God’s Son. In
twelve words we get all this and they are instruction not only for the
remainder of the passage but for us in life.
We too are to be loving in a God hating world. We
too feel distance from God and long for God’s gift. We too find an answer in
the Son of God. These are perhaps many of reasons we have faith, and lack
faith. These perhaps are the reasons we are both condemned and not condemned.
Perhaps we lack faith when we speak in anger to a family member, yet we
faithfully attempt to be more loving. Perhaps we lack faith because we see the
poverty and neglect of children yet our faith allows us to lament the
brokenness of the world. Perhaps we lack faith when we feel alone and hopeless,
yet our faith enables us to feel closer to God. Perhaps we lack faith when we
feel ashamed or unworthy yet our faith tells us of God’s saving grace. Perhaps
we lack faith when we try only human answers, yet our faith allows us to seek
the divine. Our lack of faith condemns us, and our faith frees us.
Our lack of faith leaves us hopeless for a better
world. Our faith gives us hope for God’s world. Our lack of faith leaves us
hopeless. Our faith gives us hope. Our lack of faith puts us in darkness, our
faith shines the light in. Our lack of faith can be seen in our deeds just as
our faithfulness can be seen in our deeds. Those who believe in the Son are not
condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already. In what have you
not believed? What do you believe?
Perhaps most of us are somewhere in the middle, both
faithful and lacking faith, both hopeful and hopeless. Perhaps you know God’s
love but doubt it can conquer the world. Perhaps you feel distant from God even
though you know God is giving and active. Perhaps you believe in the name of
Christ, but are unable to perceive his answer. Perhaps your deeds both tell of
your doubt and show you are a Christian by your love. Perhaps you too are a
Christian who is both condemned and not condemned. Perhaps you too are a
Christian who lives somewhere in the middle between the confession of sin and
the assurance of pardon. What lack of faith do you need to confess? What
assurance of pardon do you need to hear? What faith do you need to share? What
assurance of pardon can you give?
Here is mine for you, and for myself today from John
3:16.
‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only
Son!
