"Light and Glory (Holy Tuesday)"
Pastor Susan Langhauser
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
John 12:20-37
John 12:20-36 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.
“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” Jesus said to them, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.” After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.
Grace and peace to you from God the Creator, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Did anyone else notice that “voice from heaven?” in this story before? Well, I didn’t. I remember the voice at Jesus’ baptism and I remember the voice at the Transfiguration. But not here. Not on this particular day for Jesus.
And importantly, what the voice says is a response to Jesus struggling. In one of the rare “human” moments for Jesus in John’s gospel, we see him at odds within himself, caught with a troubled/turbulent” soul, between a rock and a hard place. Should he ask to be saved from his destiny, or not? No. But I wonder if he just wanted to make sure that at least his life would mean something. And so in gracious submission Jesus asks only, “Father, glorify your name.” The answer comes back, “I have, and I will do it again!”
With that assurance, Jesus seems to gain strength, and speaks about
taking advantage of the light and avoiding the darkness. Hmm, sounds familiar! Remember Lent 4 (The Man Born Blind?) In John 9:4-5 – “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.”
And didn’t we hear something similar in the Lazarus story in John 11? “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.”
Then here it is again, as Jesus is preparing for his last Passover in John 12: “While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.”
For Jesus, there seems to be a connection between the Light (himself,) and us, as we do the work of God that Jesus leaves for us…that connection as something to do with glory and God. Jesus said neither the Man Born Blind nor his parents sinned, that he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. Then Jesus notes that Lazarus’ illness is for God’s glory, so that Jesus might be glorified through it (and indeed he was, for the raising of Lazarus brought many to belief, according to John 11:45.)
And today God’s voice validates Jesus’ decision to go through with his fate saying, “It is for this reason I have come to this hour.”
How is it possible that being Children of the Light means that people
are born blind or die or suffer so that God might be glorified? A closer reading reveals that God is only responding to the darkness that exists with his own brilliant light. And we, like Jesus, are called to bring that light into whatever darknesses we might encounter this day, and all the days of our lives.
There is light to confront darkness. There is life to confront death.
If the grain of wheat remains what it is, then that is all it is. But if the grain allows itself to fall into the ground and die, well, then – and only then – will it be able to seek the light, and then bear much fruit. May we bear much fruit as we carry God’s Light into the darknesses of our world. AMEN.
Let us pray…
At the beginning of this new day that you have given us,
Lord, we wait on the needs of your people;
Be with us as we faithfully seek to do your will
for the life of every person we encounter today.
Allow us the awesome privilege, Lord,
of answering our Baptismal call to serve every day:
+ by speaking truth in loving response to evil;
+ by doing truth in opposing the lies of this world
+ by being truth in the face of all falsehood.
When we feel that we are different from those around us
and yearn only for time to be with you,
Remind us of your steadfast love
So that we might bring faith to the lost.
When we feel disconnected from you
and cannot discern your presence, Lord,
connect us to those whose relationships are failing
So that we might be your light in their darkness.
When we feel the despair of our world and its agonies
and we cannot see beyond that it has lost its way,
strengthen us with your hope
So that we might bring a new vision for tomorrow.
Amen