Third Sunday in Lent – Year C

Sermon Notes from the Church’s Ministry Among Jewish People

RCL Readings –  Isaiah 55:1-9;  Psalm 63:1-8;  I Corinthians 10:1-13;  Luke 13:1-9

ACNA Readings –  Exodus 3:1-15; Psalm 103;  I Corinthians 10:1-13;  Luke 13:1-17

Original: Aaron Eime

Seasonal Introduction. The season of Lent is forty days of fasting in preparation for the trials and celebration of Holy Week. It starts on Ash Wednesday where we are reminded of our mortality and need for repentance. But the first Gospel reading in Lent is always a reminder that Jesus Himself prepared for His ministry by fasting as He looked to God and Scripture during His time of temptation, knowing that the end of His life would be the cross–and the resurrection.

Common Theme.

Hebraic Context. Possibilities: Shepherds and leadership (done it before but still interesting); אהיה, Exodus 3:12, “I will be with you” and Exodus 3:14, “I am who I am” and “I am has sent me to you” – God’s name connected with His people. Also God of your ancestors…; suffering due to sin?; 2nd Temple; the rock that was Christ, Talmud//Mishnah Bamidbar Rabbah 1.2, Shabbat 35a.6, Ta’anit 9a.9-12, etc; …

Isaiah 55:1-9. 

Psalm 63:1-8.

I Corinthians 10:1-13.

Luke 13:1-9.

Hebraic Perspective.

Optional Context 1

ACNA Readings

Exodus 3:1-15. 

Psalm 103.

Optional Context 2

Further reading.

Sources and Bibliography.

Sermon: Aaron Eime, Third Sunday in Lent, 2022

Introduction. The season of Lent is much more than simply counting time before Easter. It is a spiritual discipline. Prayer, fasting and a more generous attitude to the poor assist us spiritually to prepare for Holy Week so that we do not shy from the cross of Jesus. Instead, we sit the vigil and welcome the risen Messiah on Resurrection Sunday. Lent is also corporate. That is this season of self-denial is something we walk out together as followers of Jesus the Messiah.

Common Theme.  Jesus says, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). Faith is not the knowledge that Jesus is real for even the demons acknowledge that Jesus is real. Rather faith is something that should lead the followers of Jesus into action. The readings for this third week of Lent use a common metaphor of eating and drinking the Word of God, but they also have us contemplate the fruit that should be a product of our faith in the risen Lord.

Isaiah 55:1-9. The prophet Isaiah sends out an urgent invitation to “seek the Lord while he may be found”. And the only thing that the people have to do to discover the mercy that is in God is to come to eat and drink. Isaiah reveals how costly and disappointing unbelief or belief in things that are not true really is. It is as if we had spent money on bread which was not real and which cannot provide any sustenance. Faith and trust in other religions likewise often still leaves us empty and unsatisfied. Perhaps Jesus had these verses in mind when he invited the people of Jerusalem, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink’ (John 7:37). While the invitation to a life with God is free, there are some things that remain required of us. First, we have to actually listen carefully and eat what is good. These actions, in response to the call of the Lord, will require some discernment to learn what really is good for us and how to hear the voice of God. Perhaps during this season of Lent we can seek to hear more clearly from the Lord and to discern the good things of God as we prepare for Easter. Faith in God does have another physical response as Isaiah urges the wicked to repent and forsake our ways. This is the fruit that can be seen in those who have indeed answered to call to come and drink.

Alternative, Proper 10 Year A, Isaiah 55. Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord proclaims an invitation to come and enjoy an abundance of food for the body and forgiveness for the soul. The invitation is for everyone to participate in the everlasting covenant – characterized as the “sure mercies of David.” 

The choice of the covenant being ascribed to David – from all the other characters available in the Bible – speaks volumes about the power of forgiveness. David – the adulterer, liar, and murderer – receives abundant mercy from the Lord, which demonstrates to the hearer the generous forgiveness included in God’s invitation. If David can receive this sort of grace from God, then we can be assured of that mercy as well. 

While the prophet addresses the people of Israel, the salvation call has universal scope. As in the Psalms, salvation is not only for the chosen people but is universal. That is, Gentiles have the same access to God’s mercy. Psalm 117 is one of many examples involving Gentiles in the love of God. The invitation has a time element involved. The prophet impresses the call with urgency; “Seek the Lord while He may be found” (v.6). The invitation is not passive – as the call requires our participation. We have to return the call of the Lord and return to him. 

The word return in verse seven is the root word for repentance. The promise to a repentant heart is that God will abundantly pardon. Note that there is no mention of sacrifices having to be performed to receive the pardon. Sacrifices also have their place in Scripture. The root word for sacrifice means to draw close to. The Temple ritual of sacrifice brought the people of God into the presence of God, which is the core purpose of the sacrificial system. 

Returning to the Lord also involves hearing and study of the Word of God. Isaiah declares that God’s Word will always accomplish the purposes of the Lord. When God’s Word goes forth – through our proclamation of the Gospel or study of the Scriptures – it accomplishes what God desires not what we desire. God’s Word does not always affect people or society the way we think it should. Even so, God’s Word does not lack power – it always has the effect that God desires. One of the results is joy and peace for God’s people. Isaiah concludes that the joy is so great that it affects the very creation as well.

Psalm 63:1-8.  This psalm has a title which implies that David composed it during his time in the wilderness before ascending to the throne of Israel. It begins as a lament in which the author is seeking the Lord in a time of trouble. The desert conditions add clarity to David’s cry that his thirsty soul longs for the good things of God. David recalls the experiences of public worship in the sanctuary, the place of the Ark of the Covenant and the presence of the Lord. David knows that God is real, and in the first first verse he declares him to be his God and that he will seek the Lord. Some translations have “early” and some “earnestly”. The Hebrew verb used is אֲשַׁחֲרֶ which has at its root the word שַׁחֲרֶ which means dawn. David will waste no time in his desire to find God again. He will begin the search at first light, seeking the Lord early with urgency. May we have the same passion for seeking the risen Messiah this Easter as we prepare during Lent.

Alternative, Epiphany 2 Year B, Psalm 63:1-9, (10-12).  The epithet of the first line attributes this psalm to David when he was on the run from king Saul and hiding in the desert of Judah. While most of the previous readings (Epiphany 2, year B) have focused on the calling of the Lord and on God seeking Man, this Psalm instead has the Psalmist seeking God. There is much in this world that distracts us from God or hides the desire for seeking the Lord. Consumerism, abundance, even blessing can diminish the desire in us to pursue the Lord. Often we have to be in a dark place to recognize our need or desire for the light. 

The Psalm is attributed to David at a time when he was in a dark place yet he begins the song by saying that it is God that he truly needs. David could have begun the psalm requesting assistance and asking for his enemies to be defeated. Instead the first desire is to seek God. Paul reflects this theology when he says that it is ‘suffering that produces hope’, not success! While David was running for his life, pursued by evil men and with danger all around, it was then that he wrote, “I earnestly seek you.” Towards the end of the psalm David acknowledges that his enemies will indeed perish and that there will come a time of rejoicing in the salvation of God. While victory and salvation are the final hope the first thing to do is to seek earnestly after God. Again, this theology is seen in the New Testament where Jesus admonishes us to, ‘seek first the kingdom and His righteousness and the rest will be added to you’. This psalm is a reflection of priorities. 

1 Corinthians 10:1-13. This is a fascinating passage in Paul’s Epistle to the Corinthians. The context is a continuation of the discussion in chapters 8 and 9 about what Gentile followers of Jesus should do in regards to meat that has been sacrificed to idols. Recalling that the majority of the Corinthians were Gentiles, Paul connects them with the ancient Israelites of the Hebrew Bible. God’s dealings with the Jewish people continue unabridged with the Gentiles now grafted into the commonwealth of Israel. Following the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites ate and drank the food of heaven. They witnessed the Lord perform many miracles on their behalf, and they were guided in the desert by a cloud. They had the presence of God in their midst. Paul uses a Jewish tradition of the travelling rock, in which the rock which gushed water in the wilderness actually accompanied the Israelites, continually providing fresh living water and sustaining the whole camp. This tradition in Jewish exegesis arises because the rock appears at both the beginning of their wanderings in the desert (Exod 17) and at the end before the entrance into Canaan (Num 20). Paul uses this Hebraic tradition to describe that the ever-present Messiah, who can provide a constant source of living water, is always available for spiritual sustenance. Connecting to our theme of the fruit of faith, Paul reminds the Corinthians that despite “knowing” the reality of God’s redemptive activity, the Israelites forsook the Lord and indulged in immorality and pagan worship by building their own gods. Therefore Paul urges us to learn from the Israelite history and “take heed lest we fall”. Let us seek diligently this Lent to learn from sacred history and respond with actions of faith.

Luke 13:1-9. The Gospel opens with two tragedies that were known at the time of Jesus (although secular history does not record the events described): the Galilean pilgrims beset by the soldiers of Pilate while bringing their sacrifices to the Jerusalem Temple and the collapse of an unknown tower near the Pool of Siloach (Siloam) that fell from poor construction. Jesus alluded to these events that were well known to his hearers to challenge the common idea that bad things happen because of previous sins. Paradoxically Jesus challenged the audience to repent immediately or else they also would perish in the future. Sin and suffering are connected but not everything should be blamed on sin. The wages of sin are death and thus the actions of sin will lead to nothing positive. However, Jesus reminds us of the truth that bad things can still happen to good people through no fault of their own. Jesus calls his listeners to repent, and we can note in the grammar of Greek text that there are two kinds of repentance and both are essential. In verse 5 repentance is described as a once-for-all kind of repentance, while in verse 3 it is more of a continuing repentance. Repentance is not only a one-off event; it is a lifestyle that we are called into. This lifestyle will bring forth from us the fruit of faith. Jesus brings this teaching to bear in his parable of the barren fig tree. Faith should produce fruit. As James says, faith without deeds is dead (Jas 2:26). To show us a sample of what fruit God is looking for, we have a small list of the fruits of the Spirit by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23. God is very patient in his search for the fruit of faith in us. The parable is still a warning and should not be taken lightly. Judgment is coming, and we are not judged according to faith but by how we put that faith in action. Lent is an opportune season to reflect on the fruit of faith in our own lives. Let us apply the gift of the Holy Spirit to further strive to live out our faith and share the Good News.

ACNA Readings 

Exodus 3:1-15. The burning bush is a familiar story to us all. An angel appeared but it was the Lord that spoke. The bush was on fire but not consumed. Moses was in the region of Horeb, which is synonymous with Sinai, although it is not always clear in the text if they are indeed the same mountain. Horeb means dryness and reflects again the theology that the Lord is present and comes to us in dry barren times of trial and testing. God promises to redeem the people from Egypt and bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey. Redemption will end in a land of good food and sustenance, although the path will be through the wilderness. Israel had been in bondage to the Egyptians for 400 years, and they had cried out for salvation. But who had they been crying to? They did not have a Bible. They did not have a temple, and they had no priests or prophets while in slavery to tell them who God was. God saved and redeemed his people when they did not really know much about Him. The same theology is reflected in the New Testament, for Messiah died for me while I was a sinner and didn’t know him. The wilderness will be a time of preparation and a time to get to know who the Lord is and how to do his will so they could be a light to the nations. Lent is a perfect season of self-discipline to pursue learning the Lord’s will and endeavouring to live it out.

Alternative, Trinity Sunday Year B, Exodus 3:1-6.  Initially Moses does not strike us as the quintessential hero figure. Following his miraculous rescue from the Nile as an infant, Moses is raised in Pharaoh’s household (most likely surrounded by the wealthy elite). Despite this privileged upbringing Moses displays some unfortunate character flaws which don’t portray him as very heroic. He has anger management issues, resorts to violence and murder, chooses not to face justice and instead flees Egypt to the land of Midian. Nonetheless, Moses had settled down and married, spending 40 years raising a family. Returning to Egypt was not high on his priority list.

At this point Jewish exegesis asks the question: when is Moses ready to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt? Apparently Moses has not become independently wealthy in Midian. Exodus 3 begins by telling us Moses is shepherding his father-in-laws flocks, not his own. Additionally, Moses had to take the flock to the far side of the desert. Moses did not begin his career as a shepherd. He was raised into Egyptian royalty and was not likely accustomed to hard manual labour. But now Moses shepherded a flock of sheep, willing to go out of his way to feed and take care of them.

While working in his capacity as a shepherd, Moses became intrigued by a bush burning with fire–but not being consumed by that fire. Moses drew closer to investigate. God called to Moses from out of the flames. When God first speaks to Moses, He calls him by name. Moses may have fled the palace of Egypt and become an obscure forgotten shepherd, but God had not forgotten Moses.

When God called Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt he was a shepherd. Having answered the call from the Lord, Moses actually remained a shepherd–although now a shepherd of people. In Psalm 77:20 we read that; “You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” 

Alternative, Proper 17 Year A, Exodus 3:1-15. Initially, Moses does not strike us as the quintessential hero figure. Following his miraculous rescue from the Nile as an infant, Moses is raised in Pharaoh’s household most likely surrounded by the wealthy elite. Despite this privileged upbringing, Moses displays some unfortunate character flaws, which don’t portray him as very heroic. He has anger management issues, resorts to violence and murder, chooses not to face justice, and instead flees Egypt to the land of Midian. 

Our passage this week picks up the narrative after Moses has married, settled down, and spent 40 years raising a family. Obviously, returning to Egypt is not high on his priority list. At this point, Jewish exegesis asks the question: When is Moses ready to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt? Apparently, Moses has not become independently wealthy in Midian. Exodus 3 begins by telling us that Moses is shepherding his father-in-law's flocks – not his own. 

Midian is a descendant of Abraham through his second wife, Keturah. It is possible that Midian had held on to the monotheistic faith of Abraham and thus Jethro’s family – who also bears the name Reuel (Exod 2:18), meaning Shepherd of God – is actually God-fearing. The family resides close to the mountain of Horeb – known as the mountain of God הַר הָאֱלֹהִים and later Mount Sinai. Horeb is the more common designation for Mount Sinai in the Bible with some scholars, including a Jewish tradition, suggesting one side of the mountain was known as Horeb and the other as Sinai.

Back to the question: when is Moses ready to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt? There is an interesting midrash connected to the incident with Moses and the Burning Bush. 

This midrash recounts the story of an important incident that occurred while Moses was watching the flocks one day in Midian. One sheep wanders away from the rest of the flock. Instead of abandoning the foolish sheep to its self-inflicted state to be torn apart by wild animals, Moses goes off in search of the lost one. He climbs over rocks and through briars, scuffing his arms and legs in the process. 

In the end, he finds the lost sheep lying exhausted under a rock. As he bends down to carry the sheep back on his shoulders, suddenly the bush nearby catches fire, and God speaks to his hero. God could see the compassion in the heart of Moses for the one lost, foolish sheep and he knew that his hero was ready to lead the People of Israel. Moses is finally ready. Moses demonstrates the quality of compassion for the weak and the lost. Compassion is a key quality that God is looking for in his heroes.

Intrigued at the sight of foliage burning with fire but not being consumed by that fire, Moses draws closer to investigate. God calls to Moses from out of the flames, although it is not always clear who is actually conversing with Moses. An angel appears, but it is the Lord who speaks. When God first speaks to Moses, he calls him by name. 

Moses may have fled the palace of Egypt and become an obscure forgotten shepherd, but God had not forgotten Moses. God reveals himself by declaring his connection to the Patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then, the Lord informs Moses of his plans for the people of Israel. The Lord says he will rescue his people and bring them into the Promised Land. How will God do this; how will the redemption be enacted? God says he will send Moses! 

God has always – since creation – involved man in his activities on earth. In Genesis, God creates the garden and asks Adam to tend it; God creates heaven and earth and then shares dominion with man. In Exodus, we see that the Lord will redeem his people through a partnership with Moses. 

Surprisingly, Moses does not seem to know God’s specific name! Perhaps he had not been told the stories of his heritage during his upbringing, and so he asks for God’s name. Interestingly, instead of simply saying יְהוָה God chooses to reveal himself as אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה, which is often translated as I Am who I Am. 

The verb to be is in future tense so it can also be read as I will be what I will be, indicating that the Lord is not a static being. He is moving; he is involved and he is not aloof from his creation. God is a God who can and will act! In verse 15, God declares that this is his name forever and we are not to misidentify him as a god who cannot act or is not involved.

Psalm 103. This psalm is simply given the title “a psalm of David” and it comes without an awareness of the context or circumstances of David’s life. It is a hymn of praise recalling God’s dealings of mercy and righteousness with Israel through Moses. David calls upon his soul to bless the Lord. In Jewish tradition, the soul and the body have a special connection. Genesis 2:7 says that God the creator breathes life into the body of a lifeless Adam and he became a living soul. Prior to the breath of God, the body of Adam was prepared in its entirety yet it was not a living thing. Only after the breath of life did Adam become a nefesh, a living soul. Interestingly, Jeremiah 32:41 says that God himself also has a soul. David understood that true worship of God had to come deep within. This is reflected in the words of Jesus when he says we must worship God in spirit and in truth. David reminds us throughout the psalm that the Lord forgives and heals, redeems and satisfies and that he is merciful and gracious. And what should our response be to the steadfast love of the Lord? To keep his covenant and to remember his commands. This then is the fruit of faith, to bless the Lord and to do his will.

Alternative, Proper 19 Year A, Psalm 103.  The Scriptures record that David – the man after God’s own heart – had quite an eventful life. No one is sure at which point in David’s career he penned this psalm of praise for the mercy of God. Was it during or after his various battles with the Philistines, during the civil war with Saul, or perhaps after the adulterous incident with Bathsheba? It doesn’t really matter because we can learn that at each point during David’s life – the good times and the bad times – he blesses the Lord; this shows us that we can and should bless the Lord at all times and in all places. 

The opening sentence is imperative; David commands his own soul to bless the Lord! Blessings are not simply pleasant words of encouragement and honour. Blessings, in the Bible, are powerful. Children in Scripture sought after their parents’ blessing and would do almost anything for it – including deception as was in the case of Jacob with Isaac’s blessing. 

Today, we rarely cherish a parental blessing with many more children seeking dad’s car keys than their father’s benedictions. God blesses us and we acknowledge that those blessings are tangible, powerful, and real. We also get to bless each other, although I suspect we might not see them as being as powerful as the Lord’s. Interestingly, we also get to bless the Lord! The psalm is a good reminder of why we should bless God. 

Verse two admonishes us not to forget the good things that God has done for us. Now, that’s not always an easy thing to do when events in life are going poorly. We are to remind ourselves that God forgives iniquity; he heals, redeems, and displays his loving-kindness towards us. This does not mean that we will not go through difficult times, simply that when we do pass through dark times we should remember that we are indeed still forgiven. Verse ten reminds us that the Lord has not dealt with us according to our sins, and that will always be a good reason to bless the Lord. If we are indeed forgiven, how then should we behave? 

Endnotes

1. The early church commonly practiced fasting, the Didache encouraged fasting every Wednesday and Friday, while both the Didache and Hippolytus recommended a fast on Friday and Saturday before a baptism for both the baptized and the baptizer. Baptisms on Resurrection Sunday were common, and so there was a very early tradition of fasting before Easter. But the forty day fast of Lent wasn’t solidified until the Council of Nicaea. Nonetheless, in Matthew 6:16, Jesus stated, “When you fast” just as He stated, “when you pray”. In the 1st century, fasting was expected behaviour of all those who feared God and could do so in a safe and healthy manner.
2. ACNA may include Luke 13:10-17
3. Midian is a descendent of Abraham through his second wife Keturah. It is possible that some Midianites had held on to the monotheistic faith of Abraham and thus Jethro’s family, who also bears the name Reuel (Exodus 2:18) with the meaning: ‘Shepherd of God’ are actually God-fearers.
4. There are several traditions and many scholars who argue where the Mountain of God is, but it seems to be somewhat distant from the land of Midian itself. Horeb is the more common designation for Mount Sinai in the Bible with some scholars, based on Jewish tradition, suggesting one side of the mountain was known as Horeb and the other as Sinai.
5. Exodus Rabbah 2.2 states that while shepherding the flock, one sheep wandered away and got lost. Moses left the rest of the flock to seek and return the lost sheep. Not only did Moses find the sheep, he ensured the sheep received water–for the sheep had wandered away not to rebel but because it was thirsty. Following this event, God chose to meet Moses at the burning bush, for God had seen the compassion of Moses over one small lost sheep–the humble and caring shepherd was ready to be a hero to lead a new flock
6. It is not always clear who is actually conversing with Moses. Mysteriously the Hebrew text inter-changes the words ‘LORD (יְהוָה)’ and the ‘Angel of the LORD (מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה)’ without explanation. An angel appears but it is the Lord who speaks. Several Christian scholars have tried to prove that the Angel of the Lord was Jesus. On Trinity Sunday, this would be an excellent preaching point. However, there are other passages, such as Acts 7:30-53, which seem to point towards the Angel of the LORD being just that, an angel. Stephen seemingly makes no effort to argue that Jesus was the angel that appeared to Moses in the burning bush, although it would fit well with his speech. Like many things regarding the Trinity, some things are difficult to prove one way or the other and remain a mystery –although we search it out to the best of our ability.
7. Psalm 77 and 78 both finish by describing how a hero of the faith, Moses and Aaron in Psalm 77 and David in Psalm 78, became a shepherd to God’s flock.
8. What is a midrash? Midrash is a method of Jewish exegesis to help answer difficult questions raised by the text or to fill in gaps not described in the biblical narrative that are perhaps only hinted at. The word Midrash comes from the verb to seek,  study, or inquire and the actual word midrash occurs twice in the Hebrew Bible. (Example: In 2 Chronicles 13 verse 22, we read “in the midrash of the prophet Ido.”)
9. You actually see this midrash played out in the Dreamwork's animated movie The Prince of Egypt.
10. Mysteriously, the Hebrew text inter-changes the words Lord (יְהוָה) and the angel of the Lord (מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה) without explanation.