Fifth Sunday in Lent– Year C

Sermon Notes from the Church’s Ministry Among Jewish People

RCL Readings – Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8

ACNA Readings – Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:7-16; Luke 20:9-19



Original: Paul Hames

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:

Water in the desert: Isaiah 32:14-16, Isaiah 35, Isaiah 41:17-20, Isaiah 42:15, Isaiah 43:16-21, Psalm 107:33-35, Psalm 126, Sirach 39:22-23, 

[Not having a] righteousness from the law vs righteousness from God vs pressing on (Pauline vs Hebraic thought or by Hebraic thought?): A bit complicated… but interesting

Sacrifice of money for worship vs care for the poor: John 12, Exodus 35, Leviticus 19:9-10, Tobit 4:7-11, Proverbs 3:9

Isaiah 43:16-21. 

Psalm 126.

Philippians 3:4b-14.

John 12:1-8.

Hebraic Perspective.

Optional Context 1

ACNA Readings

Luke 20:9-19. 

Optional Context 2

Further reading.

Sources and Bibliography.

Sermon: Alex Jacob, Fifth Sunday in Lent, 2022

Introduction. The Fifth Sunday in Lent is the last Sunday before the Easter period begins. In the past it was known as Passion Sunday, the Sunday before the commemoration of the Lord’s Passion (Holy Week) begins. 

Common Theme. The readings reflect a looking forward to God-ordained things centred on Jesus rather than looking back at the things that worked before – those things that may now hold us back from walking in a way that models a godly life and gives us a powerful testimony. 

Isaiah 43:16-21. This section of Isaiah was written at the time when the Babylonians were at Jerusalem’s gates. In chapter 39, we read how King Hezekiah regretted showing the Babylonian envoys all that was in the Temple, his palace, and his storehouses. Jerusalem, despite all the faults of its royal rulers and priesthood, had been the centre of worship for the Jewish people but was now under threat from a powerful enemy. Past power and influence are of no account, and the prophet has predicted judgement and destruction. Chapter 40 however begins an extended section of poetic praise, worship, and exhortation that culminates in this week’s verses. After the lengthy introduction in chapters 40, 41 and 42, Isaiah begins our reading in the middle of chapter 43 with words that evoke two images of the Exodus story – God’s provision of a path for the Israelites through the sea and his destruction of the pursuing Egyptian army. It is as though Isaiah is saying look back and see that the Lord is powerful and will give the victory to the Jewish people. Yet, as soon as these two images are written down the prophet changes his emphasis and quotes the Lord saying in verse 18, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” He speaks of new paths in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, images that still evoke the stories of Moses. Concerning the references to wild beasts, at this period in Israel’s history, wild beasts were seen as inhabited by evil spirits and the wilderness was their living space. Earlier in chapter 34, Isaiah describes this inhospitable landscape and its animal (spirit) inhabitants. The wilderness was not a place to go to by choice. It was hostile and frightening, but it was a place in which the inhabitants of Judah had found themselves. Still, despite the list of all the peoples’ denial of God in the verses that follow our reading, God describes Israel as a “people whom I formed for myself, that they might declare my praise”. The People of Israel ignore God, rebel against him and his law and yet he still names them as his living representatives amongst the nations and calls them to declare his praise.

Psalm 126. This Song of Ascent again reminds God’s Jewish people about what he has done before to restore their fortunes and calls on them to proclaim his works so that even among the nations it may be said, “The Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad”. The restoration may refer specifically to the return from Babylonian exile or it may be a more general restoration as in Psalm 14:7, Job 42:10, Psalm 85:1, or Lamentations 2:14, where the restoration may be personal or national. Whichever applies, partway through the psalm there is a hinge, a pivotal moment as the writer asks for renewed restoration. But it will be better. It will be like water streams in the desert. Again, we see a picture of abundant life in the wilderness, this time in the form of new watercourses which feed the planting and reaping – signs of permanence, establishment and of God’s ongoing blessing in a place of chaos, fear and hostile inhabitants. The new thing is better than the old.

Alternative, Advent 3 Year B, Psalm 126. With good news, such as seen in our readings today, comes joy. There is often a question of how God can command people to have joy? But we read in Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD.” Why? Because “He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” 

Psalm 126 echoes and affirms the reading from Isaiah 61 with an emphasis on joy. The Lord’s redemptive work is shown–His blessing (restoring both the location, Zion, and those who lived in it) that brought such joy but also a renewed honouring of the Lord from among the nations who are witnesses to God’s practical blessings. Within the broader scope of the Hebrew Scriptures, God's interactions with Israel always serves as a visible testimony to the nations. Israel's history–their moments of waywardness, divine correction, and eventual restoration–reveals the character of God. Whether in times of discipline or restoration, the nations bear witness to the justice, forgiveness, and mercy inherent in God's dealings with His people. 

There are times for weeping, even as there are times for repentance. But God’s mercy and restoration should bring great joy! Those times that God commands His people to have joy are inevitably linked to God’s history–His continuous interaction–with His people. The psalm notes that the nations notice how God has worked in the history of the Jewish people and declares, ‘the Lord has done great things for them’. The parallel sentence then switches the ‘them’ to ‘us’. The worshiper chanting the psalm now proclaims himself a part of the sacred history in which God has been working in and for His people. The past becomes in some way, part of the present. 

Alternative, Proper 25 Year B, Psalm 126. The first verse seems to reflect back on the time when the Lord brought His people back from Babylon under Ezra and Nehemiah. The expression “the LORD restored the fortunes” as seen in the opening verse, can refer to national fortunes, as it does in the context of the psalm, “When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion”, or Psalm 14:7, “When the LORD restored the fortunes of His people”. But the term can also be applied individually. For example, the same expression is used in the case of Job, where the Lord restored the fortunes of Job (Job 42:10). 

As the pilgrims neared Jerusalem they could rejoice that “the LORD has done great things for us.” In context, the nations declaring that “The LORD has done great things for them” is precisely opposite of what the nations would say when Israel was taken into captivity. So too would the restoration of Zion’s fortune be precisely the opposite of their exile. There are times for weeping, even as there are times for repentance. But God’s mercy and restoration should bring great joy, for God is with His people. The parallel switch from “them” to “us” also allowed the worshipper, at any point in history, to participate as one of those redeemed by God. The worshiper chanting the psalm could proclaim himself as part of the sacred history in which God has been working in, for, and through His people. The past becomes, in some way, part of the present. 

Philippians 3:4-16. The Hebrew Bible readings focus on God’s people living the life he ordained through being obedient to his word and law and through walking in faith based on that obedience. As we turn to Paul’s letter to the Philippian church, we find the apostle changing the emphasis of the basis of the walk in faith. He highlights his worthy credentials – he was circumcised on the eighth day, which means he was inducted into a covenant relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is able to trace his family back to the tribal line of Benjamin, upon whose tribal allotment Jerusalem was built, and to describe himself as 

• a Hebrew of Hebrews – a dyed-in-the-wool, good Jewish boy!
• an avid observer of the law – a Pharisee, zealous for that same law and violently supportive of the law to the point of persecuting those he believed to be in theological error
• blameless in his previous understanding of righteousness. 

Yet he proclaims that none of these is of any consequence. All that matters is knowing and having faith in Jesus the Messiah. In a short burst of personal testimony, Paul looks back at the old ways, announces that they are ineffective, and highlights the new and living way that mankind can have a covenant relationship with almighty God – through faith in his Son, the Lord Jesus. He makes a lot of himself not having attained the goal and that he continues to strive for the finish line. In doing this, he is making the point that faith is not inert but active and requires an act of will from us to “make” faith happen. We do not simply sit and steel ourselves to “have faith” but we actively pursue the objectives God sets before us whilst relying on him to give us the strength. This is the same way that a runner must make for the finish line, using his inner strength. It is a very Jewish concept to “do” faith rather than “have” faith; it is active, not passive. Like Paul, we should all bear in mind that it is Jesus and not us that brings us into a righteous state and not our own work!

Alternative, Proper 22 Year A, Philippians 3:4b-14. The context of this passage is the debate, in the early church, regarding the necessity for Gentile circumcision. There are many other passages in the New Testament that deal with this same issue. The council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 produced an encyclical indicating that the only requirements for Gentiles were several aspects of food consumption and the prohibition against immorality. To the community at Philippi, Paul claimed he had every reason to boast about his Jewishness. In his curriculum vitae, Paul notes his lineage from the tribe of Benjamin and his role as a Pharisee — in the present tense. Paul says he is these things not that he was these things. 

Since becoming a believer in Jesus Paul is still very Jewish and that means he is still very much circumcised. These credentials, though, are nothing compared with faith in Jesus the Messiah. This should be the principle that we also have. Our racial backgrounds, our personal histories, our current levels of education, and our social status are nothing compared to knowing Jesus. This does not mean that they have no value, or that they are not useful. They are indeed. However, our joy is ultimately not found in our culture but in the personal relationship that we have with the risen Messiah. 

Alternative, Transfiguration Year A, Philippians 3:7-14. This epistle reading is much more grounded than the glorious mountains dominating our readings in Exodus and Matthew, but it still focuses on a transfiguration, a metamorphosis—Saul’s encounter with the resurrected Yeshua truly transformed him. He was led to turn his back on all personal gains that he valued in his previous life as “a Hebrew of the Hebrews” (vv. 5–6), and to find his delight in “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (v. 8), and to live in the light of “the upward call of God” (v. 14). He rejected what he saw as his former gains in Judaism to obtain a better gain. He has left his faith in his own righteousness based on law-keeping, and accepted the righteousness from God through faith in the Messiah, and because of the faithfulness of the Messiah. “Christ himself would henceforth be the gain which would enrich his life” (Müller, 1955, 114).

His “Damascus Road Experience” transformed his life then (v. 7) and still does (vv. 8–11), because he has come to know Christ Jesus personally as “my Lord,” and Christ would continue to motivate him right on till he gains the prize, the heavenward call of God (vv. 12–14). What a metamorphosis! The traditional translation of “faith in Christ” (v. 9) takes the phrase as an objective genitive, but it may be translated as a subjective genitive, meaning “Christ’s faith” or, concretely, “Christ’s faithfulness.” Either and both are true, of course, and certainly faith in Christ is clear elsewhere in Paul’s writings. This suggested alternative translation argues that the object of our faith is reliable and worthy of faith, which is also a blessing in our journey.

John 12:1-8. The gospel verses in the Common Lectionary appears, on first reading, not to be linked to the earlier readings. We find Jesus at the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary in Bethany a week before Passover and the day before his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Lazarus has been raised from the tomb; as well as the invited dinner guests, a crowd has gathered to see the “miracle man”. The meal was clearly a special one as John recounts how the guests were reclining at the table, something done only at a feast or celebration. Custom and hospitality rules tell us that the guests would have washed their feet before reclining. Mary, one of Lazarus’ sisters, takes a sizeable portion of sweet-smelling – and expensive – nard ointment and anoints Jesus’ feet with it and wipes them dry with her hair. This would have been a shocking and surprisingly intimate public act. John records only Judas’ reaction. He complains to Mary that the ointment could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. John comments that Judas was not really motivated by compassion but by greed; he was already helping himself to the contents of the disciples' money supply! Jesus steps in to defend Mary, stating that she has used the ointment wisely. There will be few opportunities left to anoint him but many more opportunities to feed the poor after he has gone. It is in this support for Mary’s unorthodox actions that we see the link with the other readings. We remember that we have encountered Mary and Martha before in Luke’s Gospel. Martha was working to clean the house for guests, prepare the meal, and do all the traditional hospitality tasks. Her sister meanwhile sat at Jesus’ feet and listened intently to his teaching. Martha complained, and Jesus said, “Mary has chosen the better option, and her reward will not be taken from her”. Jesus is stating in both stories that the old ways are becoming obsolete and there is a new and better way that has Jesus as its centre. It seems the story of the nard is a follow-on and a reinforcement of Jesus’ earlier encounter with the sisters.

ACNA Reading

Luke 20:9-19. This is the parable of the wicked tenants. What a terrible bunch of people! A vineyard is left in the care of tenants whilst the owner is away for a long time. When the owner’s servant comes to collect the harvested fruit, he is beaten and chased away empty-handed. So too with two subsequent servants, shamefully treated and sent away. The owner sends his son thinking he will be respected, but the tenants capture him and kill him so they can inherit the vineyard. What will the owner do? Kill the tenants and hand over the vineyard to others. Surely not! say the shocked crowd, that’s not how it goes! Jesus fixes them with a stare and quotes Psalm 118:22: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone!” The people listening suddenly realise that the pantomime story of the wicked tenants was aimed at them. They are the killers of the servants (rejecters of the prophets) and now they have the son in their midst! Will they accept the new thing or continue to look back to the old ways?

As we prepare for Holy Week we remember that Jesus’ death on the cross was the most important of those pivotal moments in history. With his death and resurrection, everything that had gone before was changed. No longer is it possible to achieve salvation through works alone. Actually, it never was but a relationship with God rested on being obedient to the law. Now salvation rests on the faithful acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

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 includes Philippians 3:15-16
3. It is rare for God to command the emotions of people and demand how they feel. Usually we are commanded to laugh when others laugh and to mourn when others mourn, to join in with the suffering of others and not to change the way people feel. Yet there are several occasions where God does indeed take control of people's emotions. For example, during the festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles) in Deuteronomy 16:13-16 God commands His people to be joyful. On Rosh Hashanah, in Nehemiah 8:10, the people are told they must neither mourn nor weep, but have a party on God’s holy day–for the joy of the LORD is their strength. Some of the Psalms likewise call on the worshiper to rejoice such as Psalm 32:11. 
4. Psalm 126 is within the Psalms of Ascent, a collection of songs and prayers that start with the superscription shir l’maalot שיר למעלות. They include Psalms 120-134 and it is traditionally accepted that they were sung by pilgrims and worshippers as they journeyed to Jerusalem during the three major pilgrim festivals of Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot (Tabernacles).
5. The psalms are also a great source for prophecy and many psalms are used as proof texts in the New Testament for the life, work and messiahship of Jesus. After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples, teaching them that everything was written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms… (Luke 24:44). This is particularly evident in the Epistle of Hebrews where the Psalms are quoted as a major source for the messiahship of Jesus. Interestingly, the entire Psalm is written in the plural form except the last verse which switches the verbs to masculine singular. Grammatical changes, such as this, always elicits the question, ‘why?’. (Exodus 19:1-2 is an excellent illustration of a grammatical change that is picked up on by early Jewish scholars, including Luke in Acts 2:1)The last verse speaks of an individual who ‘goes out and comes back’. Who is this person, why is he weeping and where does he go that he returns in joy? In the context of the advent season, where we contemplate the birth of Jesus all the while looking with expectation as His return, this could be an allusion of the two advents of the Messiah. ‘He who goes out weeping’, describing the traumatic events during His first advent, ‘will return with shouts of joy’ could be linked to His second advent. 
6. Psalm 126 is one of the 15 psalms known as the Songs of Ascent. The tradition has become that these psalms form part of Jewish liturgy used during the three pilgrim festivals of the Lord. We can imagine that this psalm was on the lips of many pilgrims as they made their way towards Jerusalem at the time of Jesus.
7. No author of Psalm 126 is mentioned, simply that it is a Psalm of Ascent. However, Ezra would have seen the people who returned to Jerusalem both rejoicing and weeping (Ezra 3:13, 10:1) and some scholars suggest he composed Psalm 126.
8. See Deuteronomy 29:18-38, as seen also in Jeremiah 22:8-9. God’s interaction with Israel wasn’t only for Israel to enjoy or bear–it always served as a visible testimony to the nations as well. Israel's history–their moments of waywardness, divine correction, and eventual restoration–reveals the character of God. Whether in times of discipline or restoration, the nations bear witness to the justice, forgiveness, and mercy inherent in God's dealings with His people.
9. While weeping doesn’t always lead to repentance, it may be hard to repent if there is no weeping.
10. Psalm 126 made several grammatical changes throughout the song. While the remnant of Israel returned to Jerusalem weeping and rejoicing, it has been sung for over two-thousand years, many of whom weren’t personally returning from exile. The grammatical change in Psalm 126:3-4 allowed all the worshippers who were going up to Jerusalem to rejoice as their forefathers rejoiced when they returned to Jerusalem after the exile. They were to rejoice in God’s salvation as if God had redeemed them–even as God still redeems His people. However, the psalms are also a great source for prophecy and many psalms are used as proof texts in the New Testament for the life, work and messiahship of Jesus. After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples, teaching them that everything was written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms… (Luke 24:44). This is particularly evident in the Epistle of Hebrews where the Psalms are quoted as a major source for the messiahship of Jesus. Psalm 126 is written in the plural form except the last verse which switches the verbs to masculine singular. Grammatical changes, such as this, always elicited the question, “why?”. (Exodus 19:1-2 is an excellent illustration of a grammatical change that is picked up on by early Jewish scholars, including Luke in Acts 2:1) Who was this person who would go out weeping but with seeds to sow? Who was it that would return with a full harvest accompanied with shouts of joy? Could it not be the Messiah? The one who died to save many?