A, The Fourth Sunday in Lent - Ephesians 5:10 "A God Pleasing Person"

And try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:10 ESV)

What is the will of God? How do we know what God wants?  Where do we go to find this out?  “God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven” Jesus teaches us to pray! (Matthew 6:10)  So we pray for his will to be done. But how do I know it’s being done?  Where do I look to check?  How do I know?  Is it a certain feeling or is that feeling just a bad case of spiritual indigestion — self-justification set to repeat on me?

How we discern, find out, work out, or prove something has moved folk throughout the ages into great explorations, expeditions, across oceans, deep into the unknown, to illuminate our human desire to know.

The desire for knowledge drives one to search.  Science searches the unknown in laboratories as well as in locations that have kept their existence covered in mystery.  Medical science searches to uncover the truth of the human body.  Humanity likes to uncover all sorts of things in its desire for knowledge.

From not long after we’re born, we want to learn.  We learn to walk, to talk, to read, to explore and discover.   But what’s the purpose of finding out?  Why do we study these things? 

Mostly the study of “unknown stuff” helps us gain knowledge to do certain things.  In our eyes we seek knowledge for our own good, or the good of others, or the “greater good”.  It’s been this way since Adam and Eve were tempted to know what God knew!  However, their discernment was not pleasing to the Lord!

Our search to prove, to understand, to fathom, to distinguish, to learn, also means we misunderstand, misread, mishear, misfit, mistake, misjudge and misuse when we want to know.  The end result is  that we often find our desire to know makes us miss the mark.  Our knowledge for good or the “greater good” ends up being practised in bad ways.  Why is this so?  Why do we have the desire to do good, but when it comes to doing it, it’s not all that good at all.

Human desire is geared for pleasure.  Originally that pleasure was intended to please God but now it misses the mark and is used to please ourselves.  As a result, the pleasures of the human heart are now clouded with darkness.  When Adam and Eve got up to mischief in the garden, their mischief was literally a bad head, turning from God their head to their own heads through the deception of Satan.

Jesus’ words from Matthew chapter fifteen tells us that, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” (Matthew 15:19 ESV)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer in contemplation over these words of Jesus says, “It is the deep night that hovers over the sources of all human action, even over all noble and devout impulses.” (Life Together: 31)  

We see in our readings today how easy the desires of the human heart can lead a person astray. 

Samuel was brooding over God’s rejection of King Saul. 

How often do we find ourselves brooding and fretting over the way things have gone when the good, we’ve sought, usually for ourselves, has gone bad for us.  I imagine Samuel’s grief was caused by him being turned in on himself, seeing only his actions rather than the bigger picture of what was pleasing to the Lord.

Even though God regretted with a deep sigh over Saul, he calls Samuel out of his grief over Saul to do his work of anointing a new king.  

But on entering Bethlehem to anoint a new king, Samuel’s desires were misplaced as he looked on Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab, to be the new king.  Yet we hear, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 ESV)

Even as we walk as children of the light, there’s still within us a longing to slip back into the darkness of our human desires.  Samuel was there only by God’s will, and it pleased God to bring an unseen son to light for Samuel to anoint.  Samuel brooded in darkness, and in the darkness of his heart he could not see as God saw, until God brought the light of his will to light.

The disciples of Jesus could not see the truth of a man born blind from birth.  But then again, how could they see by their own desires?  So, they ask Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:1–5 ESV)

Human desire creates human blindness.  Ironically the gospel reading begins with a blind man, and the blind understanding of the disciples, and after the healing of the blind man Jesus announces, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” (John 9:39 ESV)

In other words, a person whose desires once stopped them from seeing what pleased God will be able to see and please God, and those who see what pleases God and don’t please him will become blind and remain in their guilt!

So, it’s important to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. But how does one do this without becoming blinded by our own darkness of sight? God’s will, God’s desire, God’s pleasure is done on earth and in heaven by Jesus Christ.  We can only please God through Jesus Christ! He is the true worshipper of God.  Jesus does his will and God the Father listens to him!

The blindness of the disciples was exposed during Jesus’ earthly ministry.  In Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples witnessed the fulfilment of God’s pleasure to forgive humanity.  In the wake of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit continues to fulfil the pleasure of our Father in heaven, as humans are led to lay down their arms through repentance and daily grow in understanding the costly price Christ made to please the Father.   And, the Holy Spirit continues to work within helping believers forgive as each of us have been forgiven.

This all centres on Jesus and the Holy Spirit’s work within.  When we turn in on ourselves we return to our desires clouded by darkness, and once again become blind.  This is like a blind man deliberately gouging out his own eyes after receiving his sight from Jesus.  Or, like after God chose to anoint David, Samuel decides, “No! I believe Eliab is the one” and anoints him instead.

In Paul’s encouragement to discern what pleases the Lord as a child of God he commands you, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:17 ESV)

And the only way possible for this to occur within us and between us is to, “be filled with the Spirit… giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18b,20–21 ESV)

You and I are not the light of the world.  We shouldn’t expect to be able to please God through what we desire to do.  When we take it on ourselves to please God by thinking we can be our own rays of eternal light and life, the only light we emit is the deceptive light of Lucifer.

However, in submitting to Christ as the only Light of this world, we please God by allowing the Holy Spirit to work the daily death of self and resurrection in Jesus Christ through repentance and the forgiveness of sin and our forgiving of sin.

This reverence for Christ is not a fear that’s afraid of him or of what the world thinks when we confess, are forgiven, and forgive through repentance  No! It’s reverence and desire to please God and be in his holy presence knowing he’s invited us into fellowship with him, through the Light of Life, his Son Jesus Christ. 

When you allow the Holy Spirit to make Jesus Christ the “Light of your world!”  Know you are his child invited by Jesus to “come and follow me!” ­— to repent and forgive as he has forgiven, is forgiving, and will forgive you! 

Jesus promises us, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32 ESV)

“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13 ESV)

Let the Spirit lead you from yourself to Jesus!  God the Father will reveal the mystery of doing and being a God pleasing person.  Amen. 

A, Lent 4 - John 9:5, Ephesians 5:6–14,18c,21 "God's Light and His Power"

John 9:5 (ESV) “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:14b ESV)   

How?  How does one, who sleeps with the dead, rise?  Is this an impossible proposition?  A human cannot raise themselves!  But with God, all things are possible!

Jesus comes to a man born blind in the precincts of a synagogue.  One could imagine the blind man wondering how he might exist with his blindness.  He has to live off the charity of those coming and going to hear the Rabbis teach.  There was no way this fellow would ever expect to enter the synagogue physically or spiritually, because of his blindness and the religious stigma he bore for being blind. 

The disciples testify to the reality of their blindness and lifeless thinking by questioning Jesus about the sinfulness of either the man or his parents causing his blindness.

“He obviously did something really bad to deserve this!” 

“What do you expect when his parents are the way they are!”

These may or may not have been the thoughts of the disciples, who didn’t suffer with the same physical blindness.  Yet these very same thoughts, easily come from our hearts when we’re faced with the same kind of situation. 

God calls us to judge with a right judgement.  But this is judgement made with all the blindness of self-righteousness, without seeing ourselves in the Light of God.

Just as Samuel looked with blindness at Jesse’s sons, and the disciples at the blind man, we look with blindness too.  We need to hear what God says to Samuel, “For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”  (1 Samuel 16:7b ESV)

Why is it we do not see as God sees?  And how can we look, as God looks?  

Jesus says, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:5 ESV)

We need the “Light of God”, “the Light of the World”.  The light of God is Jesus Christ, and the power of this illuminating Light in our lives is the Holy Spirit.

Notice here the Holy Spirit is the power of the Light!  He has to be, since Jesus is still in the world, but hidden by his ascension to the right hand of God.  God the Father and God the Son are present, since they are greater than time and space.  In fact, time and space exist in God’s eternal hands!

In the peace of our Heavenly Father’s presence, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I encourage you to be convinced in the Word made Flesh, our Lord Jesus Christ, who says to you, “I am the Light of the World.”

But the problem remains.  How, if we are blind, can we see this light?  If we are blind, out in the cold, stumbling around in death, is it by sheer accident that we feel its warmth and enter into the light?

No!  It’s here we need to hear the word of God from Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians chapter five.  Hear from verse six, a couple of verses before the start of the lectionary reading for today.

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.  Therefore it says, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ …be filled with the Spirit, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:6–14,18c,21 ESV)

If someone tells you, you must find Jesus or have more faith, realise these as empty words. Like the disciples judging the blind man, Samuel looking for a King of Israel, or you and I projecting our blind judgement on sinners (as opposed to us), we first need the power of the Holy Spirit to illuminate us, so we can see ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. 

The illumination of the Holy Spirit makes us children of the light.  All the fruit of this light is found in Jesus Christ.  He is the only one who is good, and right, and true! 

Therefore, because our baptism is a Holy Baptism, because our communion around the body and blood of Jesus is a Holy Communion, and because the Holy Word of God has its fulness in the holy risen Son of God, we are forgiven and fed with the power of God in the Holy Spirit. 

As a result, we can discern what is pleasing to the Lord.  The works of darkness can then be exposed.  The first work of darkness exposed by the Holy Spirit is the darkness within.  This darkness is your apathy towards hearing God and allowing the Holy Spirit to reenergise you with his power.  Over against continuing in your own power to judge good and evil. 

Allowing the Holy Spirit to power your judgement will immediately enable you to see your sin.  Do not be frightened of this!  The fear that arises within you, is the same fear Adam and Eve felt in the Garden.  The devil seeks to do the same to you as he did to them by separating you from God’s peace through your sin and sinfulness!   

However, you now have the power of the Holy Spirit illuminating Jesus Christ, so trust in what you have received.  The knowledge of Jesus Christ always wins out over a knowledge of good and evil.  The Holy Spirit empowers you in the knowledge of Jesus Christ!

It seems Paul makes a statement of contradiction, saying, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.” (Ephesians 5:11-12 ESV)

Do we expose, or do we not speak about the works of darkness?  It all depends on how we talk about these works and whose they are!  Exposure through confession, brings all into the Light of Christ, giving sight to those once blind.  Whereas, speaking about them boastfully or as gossip, plunges us into darkness, and exposes our blindness. 

So, we take no part in unfruitful works by exposing our own works of darkness in confession.  This is the Holy Spirit removing the blindness.  Similarly, praying with others in their confession, intervening on their behalf also brings them into the Light of God. 

When we walk in the light of God, we allow God the Holy Spirit to use us in leading others out of death into life.  This is submission to one another out of reverence for Jesus Christ.

It may seem shameful to talk to others about the struggles we have with our sinfulness.  But if it is spoken of, in the power of the Holy Spirit,  the power and shame of secrecy is dispersed by the Light of Jesus Christ.

Some might charge us as being boastful about our sin or trying to justify it.  But in reality, “coming out” to others as a forgiven sinner, by the power of the Holy Spirit, requires one to sacrifice their pride and be exposed as weak and in need of divine help. 

No one boasts over the sin one needs forgiven; over the sinful nature we know condemns us to death.  Rather we cry, “Lord have mercy on me, a sinner!” 

So, in God’s Light and in the power of the Light we boast, having been forgiven, and not our sinful nature or the sin that comes from it!

Just as it was not the will of God, that the man at the synagogue was born blind because of someone’s sin, it is not the will of God that you continue under the condemnation of sin either. 

But rather, just as Jesus Christ removed his blindness to display the works of God’s light and power,  the Holy Spirit is the power of God, to enlighten you in the forgiveness of God’s Holy Word and Sacraments!  Amen.

Let us pray.

Lord God, Holy Spirit, you are the true and constant support in every need, a Spirit of truth and promise, God’s finger, the water of life, a heavenly fire, which warms cold hearts and ignites them with true love for God.  You have revealed yourself to the apostles with wonderful gifts in a powerful wind and fiery tongues.  We ask you now therefore, to come into our hearts, to strengthen and gladden our ignorant consciences.  Sanctify us with your blessing and be unto us the holy assurance of our redemption and salvation.  Amen.[1]

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[1] Prayer by J. K. Wilhelm Loehe, from Treasury of Daily Prayer, p1111, Concordia Publishing House