READING: John 12:20-33

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honour the one who serves me.

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

SERMON

There is a story in a book called the UNEXPECTED UNIVERSE about a man called the Star Thrower. The story is by the late Loren Eiseley and it goes like this:

On a beautiful tropical beach occasionally the tide and the surf would be just right, and they would combine, and cause a lot of shellfish to be cast far up onto the beach.

Some of these shellfish were very beautiful, and so after they were cast up on the beach professional collectors and sellers would descend on the beach and swoop up all the shells to take them home clean them out sell the shells to tourists. Some of the shells were very valuable for they were very rare, and a lot of money could be made by a hard-working collector.

One morning, after the moon and the wind had been just right, and many shellfish had been tossed up on the beach, a man was seen at the far end of the beach all by himself, picking up starfish one by one and throwing them back into the sea.

Curious about what he was doing with the starfish while so many other people were busy collecting the shellfish someone went over to him and asked him if he too collected things on the beach.

“Only like this”, he replied, “I collect only for the living” and throwing another starfish back into the sea he said “See, one can help them…”

He was asked how what he was doing could make a difference in the face of all the collecting going on. As he threw another starfish back into the sea he turned and said, “It made a difference to that one.”

I think that this story has a lot to say to us about Jesus and about ourselves. You see, in the midst of this world we find people who exploit things for their own personal benefit. They take every advantage to get ahead, to gain more than they already have, and even the things of exceptional beauty are not exempt.

Given the right circumstances – people rush to pick up that which is suddenly and unexpectedly made available, ignoring, meanwhile, the suffering that is all around them in their hurry to look after themselves.

Jesus was a star thrower. He moved among us, who are like the dying starfish, longing for the ocean from which they have been tossed and instead of taking what he could from that ocean, instead of seeking to enhance and enrich his own life, he paid attention to those who were in need, he collected for the living, he helped them instead of himself.

Jesus came among us to rescue and reclaim lost souls, to set them free from the power of sin and death by returning them to the ocean of God’s love, law and power.

He came to restore wholeness to those who lay helpless and stranded upon the shore of life because either the tide and wind had cast them there, or as is so often the case with us, because they had thoughtlessly and foolishly stranded themselves on the shore.

And Jesus did this, at cost to himself. Jesus had renounced everything for the sake of bringing life to those around him, his family, his home and finally, his very life he lay down so that others might live, so that others might know the blessings of God, so that others might be returned to the ocean of God’s love.

Some might say that the cost of this is too high to expect of us, we are not Jesus; we do not have the special breaks that he had. And it is true that we are not Jesus, but we are called to follow him, and to have his mind within us.

And it is true too that Jesus had some special breaks, but God has promised these very same breaks to us, if we but would walk with Jesus as he walked with us.

The power of Jesus, the love of Jesus, the compassion of Jesus, the joy and the sorrow of Jesus, and the life everlasting of Jesus, are all available to us, for the asking and the wanting, if we but follow him, in obedience to the Father.

Jesus knew that by caring for others, by putting the love of God and neighbour ahead of his own desires that God would be glorified, that many who were lost would be found, and that he would be raised up, not just on a cross of suffering, but on a cross of glory as well.

What profits a man to gain the whole world, but loose his soul? There are so many around us today with lost souls, they cling desperately to crave acceptance and love and hope to find it by gaining power and influence, or by simply doing whatever anyone else asks, no matter how good or bad it may be for them, or for the one that has asked it of them.

There are so many who hold so tightly onto their lives in fear, that they refuse to experience their lives in all the fullness that is available to them – in both the good times and the bad times.

Think of the people we have the most difficulty with, of those whom we do not like, and find it hard to love… think of those whom we pity and when we have the strength and grace to love them, find it so hard to in fact do so.

Do not many of them share this in common? Are they not wrapped up in themselves, clinging to things that others have put aside, whether it be resentments and hates and fears, or more simply and just as difficult to deal with, an inflated estimate of themselves?

And who do we admire? Who do we glorify in our heart of hearts? Is it those who win the lottery, or those who are famous for some thing? or do we glorify and admire deep within us those who show true love for others?

Those who have accepted us and others for their weaknesses as well as their strengths?

Do we not admire those, and sometimes gently scold those, who give of themselves and ignore what we think their own needs are or should be?

Don’t we want to hug and encourage them and thank them for what they do?

Don’t we want to give them a bit of what they give others?

Jesus put the truth very strongly at times, those who love their lives will loose them, but those who hate their lives in this world will save them, and keep them unto eternal life. But that truth is meant to grab your attention, and to remind you that you yourself often stand in the way of what God has in mind for you to see and experience.

What I am trying to say is simply this, what we really need in life cannot be grasped by us, it cannot be fashioned by our own desperate efforts, it cannot be taken by us from the shelf in the store, rather it can only be received as a gift of God.

A gift that comes to all those who give up trying to grasp it, trying to fashion it, trying to take it; a gift that comes to all who follow Jesus, and with him love God and those around them that God has entrusted to their care.

Jesus was a star thrower, he walked among us as one who cared for the living, and sought to restore them to the ocean of God’s love. Because he was faithful in this, God was glorified by those around Jesus – those who felt his care and his compassion. They praised God for what Jesus said and did and for the love that he poured out on them, and they in turn gave back to him.

Love given is love multiplied, love is only taken if love is lost. God himself glorified Christ upon the cross, he multiplied the work that Jesus did on earth, rewarding him for his faithfulness by granting to all who call upon his name, and who walk in his way, forgiveness for their sins and life everlasting.

Jesus was a seed like you and I, He was a seed which did not stay lifeless in the bag, but which instead fell to the ground and gave up all that made him a single seed, thereby giving life to others.

Like the star thrower, he could have enriched himself in this world, but he chose instead to follow the law of love. In doing so Jesus conquered evil, and destroyed the power of sin and death.

Empty yourselves of your desire to save your life as it is, turn to Jesus and call upon his name and his strength, that you might may become a seed that instead of remaining lifeless in the bag, falls to the ground and receives new life, and gives new life to the world.

Alone we are nothing, we have no power that lasts beyond the day, but with God we are a mighty host, able to endure and to triumph with those who are responsive to his call. Amen.

PRAYERS

In Lent we recognize how hard it is to fly straight in a crooked world. We pray for those who are caught up in compromise, whether in business, in politics or in relationships. Give them, we pray a straight line by which to recognize the truth, and help them to pursue honesty, loyalty and faithfulness. We pray for such people and situations of our own knowledge or experience, or people in the news or even for ourselves.

Lenten Lord, hear our prayer

In Lent we ask again what you require of us, and we get the same answer ‘to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly our God’. May that call ring true in the life of our church. Keep us turned outwards in service of others and inwards in love of you.

Lenten Lord, hear our prayer

It’s been said that Lent is Easter in disguise, but remind us, good Lord, that Easter doesn’t come cheaply, that Lent can’t be trivialized. Ask us the hard questions of Lent, how are we living before you? How does it go with our soul? If we have to give things up, enable us. If we have to take things on, show us. If we have to relish life more fully, give us the opportunity.

Lenten Lord, hear our prayer

Lent reminds us of our own poverty, if we measure wealth in terms of spiritual well- being, emotional maturity and moral confidence. But we pray also for those who know the sharp poverties of money, livelihood, opportunity and health. We pray especially for those who are ill and uncertain about the future, for those facing medical treatment this week, and for those who have been reduced to a bed and a chair. We bring particular people we know to you now (take a moment to offer to God anyone you know who is suffering at this time)

Lenten Lord, hear our prayer

Help us, Lord, to be attentive this Lent, to listen to our hearts, to the preoccupation of others, and to your quiet voice speaking through everything. We are so easily distracted, so keep us on the case, being attentive, listening to the truth, loving. Here, Lord, is a token of our attentiveness – a minute of silent prayer offered up to you and bringing our lives before you, asking for grace.. (take a minutes silence offering prayer to our Lord)

Lenten Lord, hear our prayer

Merciful Father, accept our prayers for the sake of your Son, our saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

And so we bind our prayers together in the words that Jesus taught his disciples …

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen

Revd Kevin. Associate Priest at St.Wilfrid and St.Thomas