The Texts for Lent 2014Lent 1: Gen 2:15-17; 3:1-7; Matt 4:1-11 (temptation of Jesus)Lent 2: Gen 12:1-4a; John 3:1-17 (Nicodemus)Lent 3: Exod 17:1-7; John 4:5-42 (Samaritan woman at the well)Lent 4: 1 Sam 16:1-13; John 9:1-41 (blind man)Lent 5: Ezek 37:1-14; John 11:1-45 (LazarusI am the resurrection)Passion/Palm Sunday: Isa 50:4-9a; Matt 26:14-27:66

Lent 1Genesis 2 and 3Life in Gods presence, in Gods garden, to till it and keep itFreedom to eat of every tree, except of the tree of the knowledge of good and evilHumans have limits, including deathIf you eat of it, you will die (capital punishment)

Lent 1Genesis 2 and 3 (continued)The snake said: Did God really say: You (plural) shall not eat from any tree in the garden?We cant eator touchthe tree in the middle of the gardenSnake: You will not die! Your eyes will be opened. Yes, but is that good news or bad?

Lent 1Genesis 2 and 3 (continued)You (plural) will be like God, knowing good and evil-life without limits (which is not a good thing)She ate and gave to her husband and he ateThe eyes of both were opened and they knew that they were naked

Making garments for themselves addresses only the symptoms of their problem.

Lent 1 Matthew 4:1-11The Temptation of JesusJesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.Fasted 40 days and nights--famishedIf/since you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loves of bread. A human being does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Deut 8:3)

The second temptationIf/since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from the pinnacle of the temple. The angels will bear you up. (Ps 91:11-12). Do not put the Lord to the test (Deut 6:16). Choose a strategy: seek angelic help or practice obedience to Gods will that leads to the cross.

The third temptationI will give you all these kingdoms, if you fall down and worship me.Away with you, Satan. Worship the Lord and serve only him. Deut 6:13The devil left and angels came and waited on him. = The angels fed and supported Jesus.

Reflections40 days and nightsMoses fasted in Exod 34:28Israel, which is also Gods Son, went into the wilderness and failed Deut 8:2-5Jesus is hungry but remains faithful, without the miracle of manna.There is a power of evil greater than our own inclinations. The Bible calls that Satan

Lessons to be learnedJesus struggle came after his baptism. We struggle after our baptisms.Jesus refuses to use his power selfishly and prefers the Word of God to material things.Jesus shares the weakness of our human situation.Jesus as the obedient Son of God and a truly human beingTo be a child of God means to have a trusting relationship to God that does not ask for miraculous exceptions to the limitations of an authentic human life.

Lent 2Gen 12:1-4aThe call of Sarai and Abramand of you and me-- is in response to the total breakdown of relationships between God and humanity, and within the human family, in Genesis 2-11, and in our own communitiesWith their call comes the promise of land, nation, and nameand of divine blessing

Gen 12:1-4a (continued)Through Sarai and Abramand through us--all the families of the earth are to be blessedthats the purpose of our call, our electionAbram and Sarai obeyed Gods call in v. 4a: they went to the landContrasted with Nicodemus who does not understand these things

Lent 2-- John 3:1-17Vv. 1-10 dialogue of Jesus with Nicodemus at night; your signs, Jesus, prove you are a teacher. 11-21 discourse of JesusJesus to Nicodemus (v. 3): You must be born anothen from above [NRSV] or again [NIV].

John 3:1-17 (continued)Nicodemus focuses on being born again and claims that this is physically impossible. We get it and he doesnt.Jesus (v.5): You must be born of [both] water (physical birth, [baptism?]) and the Spirit (spiritual birth).WE (Jesus and the Christian community) speak of what we know v 11New birth comes through the death, resurrection, and even ascension of Jesusin the past (11-15).

John 3:1-17Eternal lifelife in the unending presence of God--begins in the believers present. Born anothen = a. personal change and b. the external source of change is in the cross.Judgment (16-21). God sent the Son into the worldthat the world might be saved through him. (Those who do not believe, such as Nicodemus, condemn themselves. Yet God reaches out to these lost to bring them home)

John 3Like the serpent lifted up on a pole that gave healing to the people, so Jesus too will be lifted up (crucifixion as exaltation) for the healing of the people. Whoever believes in Jesus will have everlasting life.The giving of everlasting life is the result of Gods love for the world.Gods unfathomable gift of life comes to us in One who is done to death on the cross.God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Picturing lifting up the serpent. Lower left Michelangelo; lower right Sports Illustrated (Ty Cobb, OJ, Rodman, Tonya Harding, etc.)

John 3Nicodemus came by night: desire for secrecy; his courage in coming to Jesus; his lack of understanding. Does not yet see the light.One of those who believed because of Jesus signs; a seeker; a religious insider checking out a radical upstart; a secret believer lacking courage; an oppressor who wanted to side with the oppressed.Not believing = refusing Gods agape and refusing the call to exercise such love in ones life.

More Nicodemus7:50-52 Nicodemus tentatively defends Jesus19:38-42 Nicodemus joins Joseph of Arimathea in burying Jesus.

Lent 3Exodus 17:1-7No water: Quarreling with Moses and testing of God (two sides of same coin).Why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?Moses: Yahweh, they are ready to stone me.Water is the theme of the Sunday

Exod 17:1-7 (continued)Yahweh: I will be standing there in front of you on the rock. Strike the rock (ignores the question about the leadership and safety of Moses). Yet Yahweh gives waterthrough Moses

Exod 17:1-7 (continued)V. 7: Massah (testing) and Meribah (quarreling): the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD. Is the Lord among us or not? Unfaith even after the Exodus. Critique of utilitarian religion (= the reality of God is proved by human prosperity)

Lent 3 John 4:5-42Jesus: Give me a drink (7)Jesus would have given you (the Samaritan woman) living water, and you would never be thirsty again (10)Jesus: The water I give will become a spring gushing up to eternal life (14)True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (23)The Samaritan woman as witness (29, 39)Townspeople: We have heard for ourselves, and we know that this person is truly the Savior of the world (42)

Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Rachel, Moses and ZipporahA man travels to foreign territoryStops at a wellMeets a womanShares water with herWoman rushes home to tell familyTraveler accepts hospitalityBetrothal and wedding or in John 4: the seventh something she needs

John 4:5-42 The Testimony and the Growth of the Samaritan Woman 6 the woman meets Jesus at noon (vs. Nicodemus at night). Pilate hands over Jesus about noon to be crucified 19:149 How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?11-12 Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob?15 Give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty.19 Sir, I see that you are a prophet (God-given insight).25 I know that a messiah is coming29 He cant be the messiah, can he?42 Townspeople: We know that this is truly the Savior of the world, who crosses boundaries and woos the other

4:5-42Tensions between Jesus and the woman: gender, nationality, class, and religion. The disciples were astonished that he was speaking with a woman (27)True worship is not defined by a geographical or a cultural worship center but by spirit and truth. (v. 23)Jesus seeks to bind this woman and her village with cords of love and loyalty to God.The spirit and truth made known in Jesus have power to embrace and renew all.The disciples brought Jesus lunch, but the Samaritan woman brought him the entire city.

Lent 41 Samuel 16:1-13Samuel sent on a traitorous mission, to anoint David as a rival king to Saul, with a cover storya sacrifice and a mission of peace (v. 5)Rejection of Eliab and other six sons of Jessehumans see outward form; Yahweh looks at the heart

Sight and insight on Lent 4

1 Samuel 16:1-13 (continued)Davidbeauty of eyes and appearancebut in general we see his youth and insignificance.Anoint him!David has spirit (permanently)! None of his descendants do. Samuel goes home

Lent 4 John 9:1-41Outline of John 91-7 healing of the blind man. He was born blind so that Gods works might be revealed/seen.8-12 the neighbors say to the blind man. How were your eyes opened? Ans: Jesus. Where is he? Ans: I dont know.13-17 the Pharisees question the blind man. Pharisees: Jesus does not observe the Sabbath. Blind man: He is a prophet = more (in)sight than Pharisees. Cf. Samaritan woman.18-23 Pharisees question blind mans parents. We dont know how this healing happened. Ask him. He is of age. (doubtful that expulsion from the synagogue happened at the time of Jesus v. 22)

Outline of John 4 continued.24-34 Pharisees question the blind man again. Pharisees: Jesus is a sinner. Blind man, who speaks for himself: I was blind; now I see. Do you Pharisees want to become disciples? You do not know where he comes from, but he opened my eyes. Pharisees drove him out because as a blind person he could not teach them anything.35-39 Jesus questions the blind man. I came that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind. Lord, I believe.40-41 Jesus responds to the Pharisees. Since you say we see, your sin remains. The man who was blind has come to sight. The blindness of the Pharisees is exposed. Sin is not in being born blind, but in refusing to believe when one has seen the power of God at work.

John 9Sin is unbelief or bad faith. Sin is not believing that God is present in Jesus.The blind man is recovering from sin and darkness, and is more and more attached to Jesus. The authorities, who positioned themselves as judges of others, bring themselves under judgment.

Lent 5Ezek 37:1-14Third of four visions in Ezekiel: Call vision (1-3), vision of the corrupt and doomed temple (8-11); vision of the new temple and land (40-48)

Theme of Lent 5: resurrection

Ezekiel 37 (continued)Vv 1-10 vision; vv 11-14 interpretationMany bones, very dryBones enfleshed and then enspirited (cf. creation of humanity in Genesis 2)

Ezekiel 37 (continued)A noise, a rattling as the bones came togetherProphesy to the breath, mortal: Come from the four winds and breathe upon these slain that they may liveA vast multitude on its feet

Ezekiel 37:11-14 The InterpretationMortal: these bones are the whole house of IsraelThey (we) say: our bones are dried up, our hope is lost; we are cut off completely

Ezekiel 37 (continued) I will open your graves (Resurrection) and bring you up (Exodus) from your graves, my peopleBring you back to the landYou shall know that I am Yahweh when I bring you up for your gravesmy peopleYou shall know that I have spoken and will act (Yahweh as promise keeper)

Born Anew, Born from AboveCreationResurrectionExodusCreation, resurrection Exodus, and Re-generation can only be God-originated

You must be born anothen

Lent 5 John 11:1-45Lazarus is dead v. 14Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who believes in me will never die. V. 26.Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. V. 32Lazarus, come out. V. 43Many of the Judeans, who had seen what Jesus did, believed in him v. 45

John and LifeRaising of Lazarus sets in motion the events that lead to the arrest of Jesus (11:45-53).In him was life (1:4); bread of life (John 6) Jesus as giver of life. Jesus is the resurrection and the life 11:25The one who believes in Jesus has passed from death to life (5:24)

Chapter 11 Outline1-6 request for Jesus to come to help Lazarus, whom you love, and who is ill. 7-16 conversation with Thomas and disciples. Lazarus has fallen asleep, he is dead. Thomas: Let us also go, that we may die with him.17-27 conversation with Martha. If you had been here, my brother would not have died = Faith and criticism. Your brother will rise again. I am the resurrection. Martha: You are the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God.

Chapter 11 outline (cont)28-34 conversation with Mary. Jesus is greatly disturbed and weeps.35-44 raising of Lazarus. I thank you for having heard me. What is about to happen is an act of God. Raising of Lazarus is what Jesus does for all his own. The details of the raising of Lazarus resemble the raising of Jesus.45-53 responses to the miracle. Some believed, some reported him to the authorities. Jesus raising of Lazarus leads to his own death.

John 11The glory of Jesus not so much in his miracles, as in his self-giving. Jesus died for or on behalf of others v. 51Jesus arrival at Bethanys tomb means life for Lazarus and death for Jesus. From that day on, they planned to kill him.By his dying Jesus will gather into one the scattered children of God. V. 52

Passion/Palm Sunday Isa 50:4-9aThe servant as disciple or as one taughtassigned to sustain the weary with a word (v 4)The servant freely surrendered to insult and spitting (v 6)The Lord God helps me therefore I shall not be put to shame (v. 7)Servant as Israel, Jesus, us

Isa 50:4-9a (continued)The one who vindicates me is near (v 8)Who are my adversaries? Who will declare me guilty? (vv 8-9)The servant walks in darkness yet trusts in the name of the Lord (v. 10)

Luke makes the third temptation at the temple.*Man has not given her the marriage contract she needs. *