The 4th Sunday of Easter Sermon at St. Matthias

Easter 4B

1 John 3:16-24

April 22, 2018

St. Matthias

           It is good to be back at St. Matthias after 2 weeks in South America.  We enjoyed a wonderful visit with our daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter.  Every morning, Lydia would come into our room and wake us up.  She would quietly climb on top of the covers – gently kiss Phyllis on the cheek, give her a hug – and whisper, “Wake up Nanny!”  THEN she would stick her finger in my ear.  Now I must explain that up until now, Lydia has typically jumped on top of me and yelled: “Wake up, Papaw!”  But now that she is almost 6 years old and somewhat heavier than when – say – she was 4 – putting her finger in my ear is actually a better deal.  I get a kiss and a hug too.

           Part of this trip we were on a boat sailing from Ushuaia, Argentina around Cape Horn and through the Straits of Magellan to Punta Arenas, Chile.  Every morning we would wake up to absolutely beautiful scenes of snow covered mountains and towering glaciers. Our breakfast table looked out across the amazingly clear blue ocean and one morning a humpbacked whale suddenly came straight up out of the water.  It was just like on National Geographic.  What a great way to start the day.

           So, what is the best way or place or what needs to happen for you to start your day feeling great and looking forward to what’s ahead?  Everyone knows I need a cup of coffee.  I like days when there is something new or different to expect.  It helps if the weather is going to be good.  But, too often I think I feel like the guy on the Alka-Seltzer commercial trying to JUST get up.  It can be hard to get started in the morning – especially if you think there is nothing worth looking forward to but just another day.  You move slowly, think slowly, and breakfast doesn’t taste as good even though it is the same Special K with protein I ate yesterday morning.  What is the problem?

           This morning our second reading from the 1^st Epistle of John continues what we started a couple of weeks ago and will continue for the next few weeks to come.  This is one of those short books of the Bible that packs in a whole lot for spiritual reflection.  John writes his letter at a time when it may have seemed that there was not much going on in the Christian world and not much to expect.  It was after the Year 100.  These folks had not been there when Jesus fed the 5000, walked on water, and raised Lazarus from the dead.  They did not stand at the foot of the cross or the empty tomb.  Like us, these early Christians accepted the Gospel message in faith and were called to believe.  And they were having a hard time because faith requires – well faith.  We believe in a Risen Savior who we have never seen with our eyes or touched the nail prints in his hands with ours.  And these 2nd-century believers were basically struggling to wake up spiritually.  They had grown complacent and John writes his letter as a wake-up call.  Look again at the 1^st verse – “We know love by this, that HE laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.”  We worship a Risen Savior and in order to be Risen then you much first die.  Now let me tell you that John is not telling us to all go out and literally give our lives for someone else.  There wouldn’t be many Christians for very long if we all did that.  Instead, we as Christians are called to wake up in love and live in love for others.  The love of a Savior who WOULD give his life for us! 

            John says, "Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action."  John wants us to know 2 important things about living the Christian life.  Jesus came proclaiming the God is LIGHT and God is LOVE.  Easter is all about the Light of the Resurrection.  The light shines in the darkness.  At Christmas, the light of the Star shines in the East pointing the way to the manger.  Now think about waking up in the morning – we see the light of day and we breathe.  John says, “By this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.”  Did you know that the Hebrew word for BREATH is the very same word for SPIRIT?  The Holy Spirit!  So, you wake up and you see the light and you are filled with the Holy Spirit in that very first breath – in every breath, you will take that day.  John gives these early Christians and we here today a wake-up call telling us to begin our lives again each day knowing that God is LIGHT and LOVE and fills our lungs and body and soul at every moment.  And to lay down our life for someone else is to share that LIFE and LOVE with them.  Try it this week.  Wake up and give thanks for the empty tomb and the Resurrection when you first open your eyes and see the LIGHT.  Then know in faith, GOD is in you!  When you breathe, feel the Holy Spirit inside with every breath and know that GOD is in you!  Come to this altar rail and receive bread and wine knowing in faith that GOD is in you!  Then go out and share that LOVE and LIGHT with a kind word, a bag of beans and rice, a prayer that everyone WILL ALSO see the LIGHT and feel the LOVE of Christ who lives in us.  Wake up to God in your life.  Just think of it as a spiritual hug and kiss the first thing in the morning.  What an amazing way to start the day.  AMEN.