Fifth Sunday in Lent 21st March 2021

John 12: 20–33

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’  Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour. ‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler 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 indicate the kind of death he was to die.

Reflection:

I have to say, the gospel reading today is ‘very deep’ and quite a challenge to even begin to understand. I always feel that it has so many facets that it’s hard to do it justice and bring out the depth of meaning that I suggest is hidden in it. It is, like so many portions of the Fourth Gospel, full of symbolism and theological richness.

The story starts with some Greeks who want to see Jesus. Hold onto that sentence as we will return to it in a moment. The Greeks ask to see Jesus, Philip tells Andrew and then together they go to Jesus.  Strangely, Jesus then declares that the hour has come, the hour of his glory. We’ve been waiting a long time for this hour and time, mainly because up until now John’s gospel has been recording Jesus saying “the hour has not yet come” But now it has – the hour/time of glory has arrived. Except, “glory” is not what we might think, which is the first contrary point. You see, it is not, Olympic glory, or recognition of achievement or fame glory. It is ‘cross’ glory, suffering glory, obedience glory. In short, it’s glory which is the opposite of that of the world.

Jesus next states, ‘Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life’. Again, not what we would expect, and certainly not what the world promises. The word that John uses for ‘Hate’ is not so much the sense of ‘detesting’ someone or something as it is ‘rejecting’ something or someone or not hold onto them as the most highly valued. Jesus offers an upside-down teaching, as he says that those who do not reject the material values and world view of the present age will, like the material things they love, eventually pass away. Those who realise there is more to this life than the material possessions and fading accomplishments the world offers will enjoy eternal rewards.

All this continues on as Jesus speaks of how a grain of wheat must fall to the ground and dies before it bears fruit and, in a way, this is probably the easiest part of today’s teaching to understand- as we realise that the wheat must actually be planted and watered. As it germinates the seed breaks open and a new plant grows. The old seed head falls away and feeds the new plant. From this single seed a new plant grows from which many seeds will later be harvested. The seed needs to undergo transformation to bear fruit, to find the richness of its life’s purpose. So how then do we apply this to our life and story.

I suggest that the opening prayer that I’ve included in the service this week offers some insight:

O God of our Hearts
You yearn to be so close to us
that we can know you in every breath,
in every hope, in every relationship.

I love this as it speaks not only of our transformation but the new life that this transformation brings. As we invite Jesus to be with us, we allow him to write on our hearts as it were, his love and values. When we draw closer to God and open our lives to what God might do in us and through us, it is exciting, daunting and inspiring to notice, and see Jesus at work .

I meet with a Spiritual advisor every 6 weeks. This week one of her questions to me was- Where have you seen Jesus this week- and so I pass that question onto you-

Where have you seen Jesus this week. If we like the Greeks in John’s gospel ask – we want to see Jesus, I wonder…. Where do you see Jesus? And what impact does that transformation have on you personally and also on those whom you meet in your everyday.

God is here. God is at work. God is not afraid of those parts of our lives that unsettle us. God does not value us as the world does. He will not give up. God is on the side of life and love. And the love, mercy, and life God offers is stronger than the hate, judgment, and death that too often colours the world.

Greeks arrive on the scene, find Philip, and make perhaps one of the most extraordinary requests of the entire Gospel, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Jesus’ address that follows is, in part, a response to this request. If you wish to see Jesus, then this is what you will and must see. I wonder…if there is a reason this verse finds itself pressing in on my contemplations. 

The author of John’s gospel, wanted to reveal Jesus’ glory. This Gospel has as its goal, to make Jesus known, the very real presence of Jesus that needs to be experienced by any or all of our human senses. John wants his readers to know Jesus, to see Jesus and to become not only aware of him but transformed by him. He wants his readers to lay down their life that they may find life. The author of John says he has written this gospel that we might know…

Let us pray:

 O God of our Hearts
You yearn to be so close to us
that we can know you in every breath,
in every hope, in every relationship.

Meet us here today and
teach us to recognize
the covenant of justice, peace and love
you have written on our hearts.

So may our desires become your desires,
our work become your work,
and our community
the place where you are sought and found.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

~ Prayer from “O God of Our Hearts: Prayers for the Fifth Sunday in Lent,”

 written by Rev. Kathryn Matthews Huey and the Rev. Susan A. Blain.