Dulverton Ramblings: Telling God's Love

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Telling God's Love

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St John (3:14-21)

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that who-ever believes in him may have eternal life.”
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.”

LENT 4/MOTHERING SUNDAY

SUNDAY 22^ND MARCH 2009

JOHN 3.14-21

DULVERTON SERMON

I know that most Anglicans come to church today full of Mothers Day thoughts but the Common Worship liturgy is mid Lent orientated and seeks to keep us looking forward to Passion Sunday, Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter Day. The Prayer Book at least as the Galatians epistle reference to “Jerusalem which is the mother of us all”. The readings we have listened to focus on Jesus, our saviour “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”. Nevertheless perhaps there is a way in which we can link Lent 4 to Mothers Day.

A mother’s love wants only the best for her children and in this her love is only a reflection of God’s love for us. God displays his ‘mother love for us’ by “sending his son so that through him the world might be saved”. In God’s book his best for each of us is to be found through his son, Jesus, and in following him who is “the way, the truth, and the life”. It is in him, and in him alone, that our lives can find their true meaning and purpose. The cross – the son of man being lifted up – is the ultimate expression of God’s love and his willingness to bear the full cost of communicating this love to us.

There is a gospel image which links together a mother’s love and God’s love. It is found in Matthew and Luke “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her chicks under wings, and you refused!” (Mtt 23.37 Lk13.34).

One morning a farmer was examining the remains of an out building burned down in the night. As he does so he kicks what appears like a charred bundle of rags but from beneath come a brood of chicks. It is their mother’s body which has sheltered and saved them at the cost of her own life. Self sacrifice is what both a mother’s love and God’s love are all about. Jesus, dying on the cross, is the gospel proclamation of that love.

Today is a day for thanking God both for mother love and ‘Jesus crucified’ love. Both come from the same heart of a loving God.

INTERCESSIONS

Father, on this 4^th Sunday of Lent and Mothering Sunday, we thank you for your love for us revealed in Jesus and for Mother Church by which you nurture us in this love.