The Fifth Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Colette Hammesfahr
John 12:1-8
What
does it mean to you when I say we should “see with the eyes of faith in the
present?”[1] Is
there a difference between “seeing with eyes of faith” and “seeing with eyes of
faith in the present?” That question may be tricky to grasp or understand —
especially when life is messy, painful, or uncertain. When we go through life’s
challenges, we want answers. We want a way out. We want to know that things
will get better.
Mack
is the main character in a novel, which was later made into a movie called The
Shack. A tragedy shattered Mack’s faith. His youngest daughter was
kidnapped and murdered. His life spirals out of control, and he refers to this
time of suffering as “The Great Sadness” in his life. His view of God is now shaped
by the trauma he went through, not trust. He still believes that God exists,
but his belief is buried in grief, guilt, and anger. Mack wants answers about
his daughter’s death. Mack wants to see more clearly. He wants to be rid of his
grief, guilt, and anger, but he doesn’t know how.
Then,
something unexpected happens, and he receives a mysterious invitation. It’s an
invitation to return to the shack where his daughter died. He returns to the
shack, where his pain began, and he meets God there. He spends individual time
with the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and with Wisdom. Each teaches him to
“see with the eyes of faith in the present.”
This
is the thread that weaves through all the readings in the lectionary today –
seeing with the eyes of faith in the present. In Isaiah, the people of Israel
are in a hard and difficult place. They are far from home and discouraged
because they think God has left them. They feel forgotten. But it’s because of
their faith that they trust that God is “about to do a new thing” (Isaiah
43:19) in their lives and God is going to “make a way in the wilderness and
rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19) to care for them. God is already at work,
even if they cannot see it at that moment.
In
the Psalm, we hear that “those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy”
(Psalm 126:5). We are taught that faith in the present means trusting that the
seeds we sow now will eventually, if not immediately, bring joy. Even if our
current situation is painful, God will transform our pain into joy.
Paul
teaches us, in Philippians, through the example of his own life. What he has
done in the past means nothing – the good or the bad. What matters is what he
is doing now. He will “press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:14) towards something
he cannot see but has faith in. Even in suffering, he writes, Christ is worthy
of pursuing today.
Mary’s
act epitomizes what it means to “see with the eyes of faith in the present.”
In John’s Gospel, she comes to the feet of Jesus, sees him, and honors him in
the present moment. We’ve read about Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus before.
She sits at Jesus’ feet while Martha is busy cooking and cleaning, serving in
her own way. Through an act of love and faith, Mary worships Jesus – now, in the
present. She anoints his feet with her expensive perfume, which could have been
saved for after he died when preparing him for burial. Yet Mary sees and
understands the importance of that exact moment. She takes the opportunity now,
even though Judas questions her because he sees what she is doing as wasteful.
“Seeing
with the eyes of faith in the present” is knowing that God is near – now, even
in all our messes and heartache. William Greenway writes that we don’t
always “see with the eyes of faith in the present.”[2]
He says that “while Christians may believe in and celebrate heaven, the goal of
Christian spirituality is never heaven. The goal of Christian spirituality is
one’s own imitation and realization of the spirit of Christ celebrated in the
kenosis hymn, a spirit of compassion and sympathy, a spirit which leads to a
life that remains faithful to loving action for others, even unto death.” [3]
We all “see with the eyes of faith” as we wait in anticipation for and in the
hope and faith for the promise of God’s kingdom. But “seeing with the eyes of
faith in the present” means something more. It’s about the here and now.
It means that we trust that God is still near, still working, even when our
world is clouded with fear or grief. It means we look for those sacred moments
and recognize when God is doing something unique and holy.
In our staff meetings, we go around the table
and talk about a “good, bad, and Godly” moment we have experienced since we
last met. Sometimes, it’s tough because I get so caught up in the chaos of my
life I don’t look to see God’s presence. It’s a great habit to incorporate into
our lives. It reminds us to stand back and find God’s presence in our everyday
moments -- in those joyful, messy, painful, and holy moments. It doesn’t have
to be something extravagant that has happened. It’s where we stop and notice
God at work. It’s where we imitate Mary and seize an opportunity to be with
God.
Mack’s experience
of “The Great Sadness” shows us what happens when pain overwhelms our faith. His
time with the Trinity and with Wisdom show us how his faith was reshaped and how
he now looked differently at life in the present. He learned that God is
present and loves him even through his pain, and God will make a way for him. He
discovered that, like Paul, you must press on toward what lies ahead. He understood
that his relationship with God must be one of trust, not just belief. And he
learned to let go of judgment and, just like Mary did, to choose love over
logic. Mack’s experience taught him that God can’t fix the past for him and
can’t explain the future. What God can do is be powerful in the present.
Lent is a season of
reflection for us. It’s a time of repentance and renewal. It’s also a time to
long for the future of what God has in store for us – the promise of eternal
life. But I want you all to know that we are called to trust that God is at
work right now in our lives – in our hurt, pain, and waiting. Because of that,
we cannot forget to live out our faith in the present and not just in
anticipation of what is to come. “See with the eyes of faith in the present.” Amen.
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