Emmanuel Episcopal Church, San Angelo, Texas

The Fifth Sunday in Lent / Year C

April 3, 2022

The Rev. Dr. William B. Wright

                    Lesson:  Isaiah 43:16-21

                    Psalm:   126

                    Epistle:  Philippians 3:4b-14

                    Gospel:  John 12:1-8

When I graduated from seminary in 1970, I came away with a real love for the Bible.  We had an Old Testament professor who made the Holy Scriptures come alive.  For that reason, I have always been involved in leading Bible Study.

There is an old story about a woman who fell down the well.  She knew that she was about to die.  She prayed fervently to God that she would be saved, and she was.  So, from that day on she would push anyone she could down the well. I hope my motivation is different from hers.  I do not expect everyone to have an experience like mine.  But, over the years I have seen people have life-changing experiences from reading the bible.  Sometimes they are inspired by passages I have not found very helpful.

Many years ago, I visited a young woman who was in the hospital.  She had been there for several days. In the course of our conversation, she told me that she had been inspired and strengthened by reading the book of Job.  Now, that book would not be on my list of bible books to read while hospitalized, but it was life-changing for that young woman.

Today, we have read a bible passage which has been very helpful to me.  It is the passage from the writings of the prophet Isaiah.  Isaiah, up to this point has warned the people of Israel that they would be gobbled up by the powerful nation, Babylon unless they turned back to God.  He was very harsh in his criticism of his people for not following God and making peace with Babylon.  Now they are in captivity in Babylon, and his tone changes and he now tells them that God is planning a new thing.  They will return from Babylon and again live in their land and get another chance to turn to God.  Ironically, it is a Gentile who makes this possible, Cyrus, King of Persia.

After I made the announcement of my upcoming retirement in 2004, I happened on this passage.  God was promising that, in spite of the horrible situation his people were in, God was about to do a new thing.  There was hope, even as all seemed hopeless.  So, this passage has been an inspiration all through the time of my retirement.  I had retired because I was passing out and doctors could find nothing causing it.  Shortly after I retired, I passed out again, and was sent to a cardiac specialist found out that I had a rare congenital heart condition that was very difficult to find.  A pacemaker has corrected the problem.

Our Collect of the day reminded us that changes continually occur in our lives.  That means we need to focus on that which brings stability and joy to our lives.  This same theme is found in each of the lessons we have read today.

In the lesson from the writings of Isaiah, the prophet is telling his people, who are living in captivity in Babylon, that God will do a new thing.  They are going home.  Early in the bible we are told that God created all that there is.  Moses’ would learn at his call at the bush that God is the Great I Am.  God is a verb, constantly creating and making new.  Creation continues.

The Psalm reminds us that God has great things for his people and will continue to do so.

In the Epistle for the day Paul writes to the people of Philippi and reminds them of his background.  He was born a Hebrew and was trained as a Pharisee.  He believed the Law and abided by it.  He was righteous and blameless.  He even led persecutions of Christians in his belief that they were attacking his faith.  Then he had a vision of the resurrected Christ.  All was then new.  God had done something new in his life and he was called to share the glory and joy of following Jesus.

In the Gospel Lesson Jesus is in Jerusalem and will die very soon.  He seeks out friends in Bethany – Lazarus, Mary and Martha.  Provisions were made for those who had traveled on the dusty road and feet were washed by the host.  Guest would lie at the table when the meal was served.  Martha had prepared and was serving the meal and Lazarus, whom Jesus had earlier raised from the dead reclined at the table as well.  Then Mary anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair.  One of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, was incensed that, with all the talk Jesus had made about caring for the poor, the costly perfume should have gone to help the poor.  John inserts that Judas was treasurer for their group and stole from the common purse.  Jesus replied that she was preparing him for his burial, that would be very soon.

Jesus then said the poor would be always with them but he would not be.  This was a reminder from writings in the Old Testament, that the faithful were called to help the poor and the poor would always with us since we were not caring for them.

Both Father Matt and I have mentioned in our sermon over the years that when the Book of Common prayer was revised in 1979, we had been using the Prayer Book before it since 1928.  People loved the Prayer Book that was so familiar and comfortable.  We had a great deal of anger over the revision of such a beloved book, and one woman wrote the Presiding Bishop of the church that, “If Jesus knew what you were doing to his Prayer Book, he would roll over in his grave.”  A little theological problem with that statement, but she makes her point that she was really mad.

Change is constant.  The God who created all things and is a verb, continues in the midst of change to do new things.  If we can understand that, then we can celebrate and have joy as God does new things in our lives.

AMEN.