The Gospel according to John the 3rdChapter:
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, "You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 "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. 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.
Words to Remember and Sing
The Bible contains some bedrock-solid verses that are worth memorizing and putting to music and saying and singing again and again and again. There are verses in the Bible that, as your pastor, I want you to memorize – not because you have pass a test to get into heaven or so that you could be confirmed (although I know that some of you had to memorize scripture or catechism in your Confirmation classes.) No, I want you to memorize these scriptures because… if not today… then some day… when you are hurting or someone that you love is hurting… I want you to be able to have on your lips and in your heart these words of hope, love, assurance and grace.
Today’s lessons have two such verses – or rather two pairs of verses.
The first is from our Psalm for today, which the choir sang, Psalm 121: “I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Those are the first two verses and, if you haven’t already, I invite you to learn them, to memorize them, to put them by your bed to read at night or in the morning.
These are good words to know, to repeat so often that they become part of your DNA. And the easiest way to memorize something is to sing it.
Afterall, isn’t it true - our minds are full of little jingles?—especially ads. I still remember – and I bet you do too -- some ear worm jingles, like: “pop pop fizz fizz oh what a relief it is” and an ad for catfood -even though I don’t own a cat. I bet you can sing it too. There’s only one word: meow, meow, meow, meow…. but I don’t want to remember the jingle for alkaseltzer or cat food or even for hotdogs… remember: “I wish I were an Oscar Myer Weiner…everyone would be in love with me.” OR the coke song which even became a hit peace song… Remember “I’d like to teach the world to sing?”
The words that you sing are the words that come back to you. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately – and asked Anne and Ann Marie to be thinking and looking for jingles that feed your soul and put an ear worm of grace in your head. Although you will still probably have the words to popular music and ads in your head… it is my hope that you will also have words of scripture to keep on singing throughout the week.
At our clergy text study we had a conversation about Psalm 121. One pastor said, “I use Psalm 121 as a word of comfort when people are dying.” Another said, “Oh! I don’t use it then – I always use Psalm 121 for people who have trouble when they are living.” This is a Psalm for helping us get through life!
It’s both, right. We need to be reminded in those times when we are weary… when we don’t think we can take another step forward and at those times when we are mourning and hurting that “help comes from the Lord”.
The rest of the Psalm is wonderful too… it proclaims that the Lord will watch over you. The Lord will not slumber or sleep. The Lord will keep hold of you – both your going out and your coming in.
For those nights in which you cannot sleep because you are anxious, afraid, worried or just so caught up in the challenges of daily life that you cannot rest – on those days, I invite you to read the whole of Psalm 121and trust the night and the day’s worries to the Lord who promises to stay awake and watch over you and watch out for you.
This was a good psalm for me, when my mother was beginning to fail last year. As I sat by her bedside, waiting, watching, and praying, often I turned to Psalm 121: “I lift up my eyes to the hills… from where will my help come. My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
In a completely different context, the words came to me again late last summer as I was hiking with my family up a mountain to Cloudy pass… it was really steep but there was nowhere but up to go. So I sang – not out loud because I didn’t have that much breath – “I want Jesus to walk with me” and then the words again and again, “I lift up my eyes to the hills… from where will my help come from?” And the answer: “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” And I took one step after another. Slowly, but surely, we got to the top.
Living or dying – facing a crisis or just needing assurance -- the words of Psalm 121 are words to remember and hold onto.
The other words that I encourage you to memorize are from today’s Gospel. “I’m guessing many of you have memorized these words already: John 3:16. Please turn to the Gospel lesson in your bulletin so that you can say them with me. You may have memorized them in a different translation – recite or read whichever version you know: “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.”
These words have been called the Gospel in a nutshell. Jesus says – God loved the world – and in that time the world was as crazy and full of hate and strife as it is now. Yet God loved the world then and loves the world and all of the people in it now even though we make such a mess of it. God loves the world and us all so much that God sent God’s son – Jesus Christ – to give us life that lasts forever… This is God’s grace. And God gives it - freely – for you and for me.
But sometimes… these gracious words have been used as judgement instead of Gospel good news. So, we need to read and learn the next verse too because in John 3:17, Jesus tells us what he means. Let’s read it together:
"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 world was messed up already. But God’s purpose in sending Jesus Christ is to save the world.
These are words to hang onto. These are bedrock words of God’s redeeming Grace – and they are given… for you and for your neighbor. These are words that are given to people who are young, who are old, who are black, brown, white or any other color and people of every heritage. These are words that are given to people who are our friends – and who are our enemies. Through Jesus Christ, God’s love reaches out to the whole world -- not to condemn but to save us – all of us and to give us eternal life. Thanks be to God who loves us so much that he died for us and for the world that we may live.
Most Lutherans wish they knew more scripture to back up what they believe in their heart and have been taught all their lives about God’s love and grace. Here are four verses – two sets of two scriptures that are worth knowing, worth memorizing, worth singing: Psalm 121 vs 1and 2
and John 3:16 and 17. Say them and sing them… often and God’s message of grace and hope and assurance will be there for you in the times when you need them most. For these scriptures aresteadfast promises of God’s grace and love and they are given for you and all people. And all God’s people said, Amen.
Pastor Pamela Stalheim Lane + Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran + March 8, 2020