5th Sunday in Lent
John:12:20-33
"The Non-Exclusive Good. "
20 ¶ Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks.
21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."
22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew went with Philip and they told Jesus.
23 And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25 He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
26 If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him.
27 ¶ "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ’Father, save me from this hour’? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour.
28 Father, glorify thy name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."
29 The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him."
30 Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine.
31 Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out;
32 and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
33 He said this to show by what death he was to die.RSV
A Sunday School teacher was honored one Sunday by her church for 25 years of faithful service in teaching the young people of that parish. She was honored with a plaque and a pin describing her faithful service, her dedication and the love she gave so generously to her students. When l asked to speak, she said," I am surprise you would honor me this way, I’m getting so much out of it, it isn’t really work at all. I enjoy teaching the children, I enjoy seeing their eyes light up as they learn about Jesus ’ love for them. I receive as much or more than I give."
This is what is meant by the phrase, "The Non-exclusive Good" There is nothing exclusive about goodness, no one person benefits, but most of the time a lot of people benefit from the goodness, the sacrifice, the unselfishness which has been exhibited. The Sunday School teacher gave of her self to her students, and in that giving, in that goodness, she also received a lot in return, maybe in more than she gave.
Another story about someone receiving more than he gave.This story is about Art from my one of my parishes. Art was on the board of deacons when I arrived. The Deacons and some other people volunteered to form an ongoing visiting committee. They were trained, and then one night went out to visit. Since the church was only 40 years old, some of the charter members were still alive, and it was to these members the visiting team first went.
We wanted them to know how much the church appreciated their giving, their willingness to sacrifice so much to begin a church in that town 40 years ago. Art and Lorraine went to visit Walt and Nancy. Walt and Nancy couldn’t figure out why they were being visited.
Their first question: "What do you want? Do you want us to serve on a committee, or give money?’
"No." came the reply, We came to see how you were doing? " for we all knew that life was getting more difficult for Walt and Nancy.
Then Walt and Nancy poured out their hearts to Art and Lorraine. They told of the hurt, the heartache of growing old, of being forgetful, of being not able to do those things you once could do. They told of the sense of thankfulness for the church and its ministry, of the concern these people had for them, that they weren’t forgotten but really appreciated for the fine work they did many years ago. They visited and visited. Then Lorraine prayed for them and Art and Lorraine returned to the church..
Art spoke to the others and me when they returned. He said he didn’t say much, but listened and saw what was happening during their visit. He was overwhelmed by the thankfulness of these people, by the love Lorraine gave to them in her words and especially in her prayer.
He told us he really didn’t know when he began these visits would if they would really do anything or mean anything to anyone. But now he saw that love, caring, and kindness can affect people in a real way.
And he said, "I think I got more out of that visit than anyone else."
And it showed. Art was a faithful visitor in the following years, He and his wife became sponsors for the Luther Leaguers and related to them in a marvelous way. Later, he became president of the congregation and did a great job in a difficult time when left and the two congregations were no longer joined together.
And we all benefited from Art,too. I don’t think I will ever forget him, his kindness shown to me, his willingness to listen,to care, to be active, to give of himself, The goodness which was demonstrated on that night during that visit, had an effect on many lives for many years to come. Art was willing to give of himself, to go along on that visit even when he wasn’t sure it was worth it, then seeing how love,kindness and compassion could affect individual lives, and letting himself be involved,letting God’s spirit work in and through him, brought to all of us the benefit of Art’s grace filled life.
There is no exclusiveness about goodness, in God’s economy, everyone benefits from one act of goodness, one act of kindness, one act of caring.
Yes in God’s economy, nothing is done for selfishness, but for the goodness of all. Jesus says in our gospel lesson," 5 He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."
And Jesus demonstrated that concept in a clear and marvelous way on the cross of Calvary. He gave, he lost his life, he died, but in his dying, in His dying everyone benefited. We received God’s grace through the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus gave and then we received, and He received from God too, new life, the eternal life of the resurrection. In God’s economy goodness is non-exclusive, everyone gains, everyone receives, everyone benefits.
And that brings us to you and me. Where are we in God’s economy?
I think the first question we need to ask ourselves is: what do we believe in? Where are we in our faith life? In what do you trust?
A college professor answers his college students who profess not to believe in God, with the following: "That’s fine, but you can’t build a life philosophy on a negative. What do you believe in?"
And at that point, he says, they turn and march off.
What do you believe in?? Is it God, or is it self.?? Is your life philosophy built around your self, your own self-interest ?
What does make you happy? Or what brings pleasure into your life? Or, do you build your life philosophy around God and his grace, His economy and see then that your life has more meaning, more purpose, more fullness than it ever had? In God’s ’s economy, when you let go of self, and surrender to him, you see life take on a larger meaning, and a more fulfilling and purposeful context?
Maybe the following Persian fable will help you to understand what I am trying to say.
"The fable says the earth was created as a great barren plain, without tree or plant. An angel was sent to scatter the choicest seeds on every spot. Satan, seeing the seeds on the ground, determined to destroy them. So he buried all the seeds in the soil and summoned sun and rain to make them rot away. With a feeling of triumphant, and a sly smile on his face’,the Devil took great satisfaction in his act.
But weeks later, his smile changed to a scorn, and the feeling of triumphant turned to the feeling of being beaten again by God, for all those seeds he worked so hard at burying an rot in the ground with rain and sunshine, they now germinated and sprang up to life and clothed all the earth with plants and flowers in beauty that had been undreamed of before.’’
Jesus know of how it worked it God’s economy when he said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit." And Jesus proved that with his death on the cross. He died, he gave of himself, and he bore much fruit. He gave to each of us eternal life through his giving on the cross of Calvary. A life in God’s economy is a life of giving and goodness and that goodness gives in a far greater way than we can imagine.
In Gods economy, there are multiple dividends in giving, both the giver and the receive gain and sometimes even far more. In God’s economy, neither side is excluded from the good as in the world’s economy where one man ’s gain is another man’s loss.
But when people can look beyond them selfs, when people can be in God’s economy where goodness, unselfishness, love and compassion are the fruit, then love is stretched out, it is extended into far greater quarters, into far greater lives than anyone might imagine.
Amen
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale March 31, 2003
