In times of need, in times of a crisis, who or what do we turn to?
Have you spent more time this past week reading the news than looking to and reflecting on God’s Word? I had more free time to look to God’s Word yesterday. But if you were to ask me on Friday, I probably would have to say I spent more time looking at the news for answers about our well being and my own well being than looking up to the Lord. In times of need, in times of fear, in times of pestilence what do we do…who do we turn to?
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, 19 that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. 22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. Psalm 33: 18-22
We know the answer, in times of trial as at all other times we turn to Jesus. We pray that His steadfast love would remain upon us, as we place all of our hopes and believe that all of our safety belongs to Him.
Our gospel lesson from John chapter 4 provides one of the clearest messages in scripture of how Jesus provides us with everything- living water from the well of eternal life. As we drink the water he gives us we will ‘never be thirsty forever.’ As in we will always have in Him what we need, never shall we want for some greater fulfillment than what Jesus offers to us. The church Father Augustine opened his famous book the Confessions with profession of faith made to our Lord: “Lord You have made us for Yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.”
The 4th chapter of John, containing the long exchange between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well is a unique account in scripture. Probably nowhere else in God’s Word do you get such a detailed look into the life of someone who is a gentile and not part of Israel. Someone who would have a good reason to feel on the outside of God’s favor.
Jesus helps her to see that the fulfillment he brings is not only for those privileged to be a part of Israel, not only for those who have made all of the right decisions in life or have been fortunate enough to have inherited a life of worship and praise passed down through the family- but the fulfillment Jesus brings is for all people.
Even we as imperfect as we are, as inconsistent, and fearful, and scared as we are Jesus knows us. Jesus knew everything about the woman at the well, he knew how ashamed she was of herself that she went to the well at the heat of the day when most others would not be around.
He knew how many husbands she had in her life and how uncertain she was about her life and her faith and what she trusted in. And Jesus spoke the truth to her, the truth of her need to worship Him in Spirit and Truth, the Truth of her great worth as God’s beloved Child.
When things are difficult we also lose sight of who we are. It is easy for us to live like unbelievers when we hear frightening projections in our media and our news. The fear of a disease is a very realistic fear. The threat of an uncomfortable illness and possibility of death strikes us with a deep fear.
Yet as believers we respond to the fear of death differently. We know that ultimately all things are in God’s hands and that God’s will is what is best for us. We do not panic – as in put all of our energy in what we must do right now in order to save ourselves. To panic is to run away from God, where in fear of what can go wrong we only trust in ourselves.
We trust in ourselves if we tell ourselves that this will be over soon, that our comfortable way of life will return because it is what we deserve. We trust in ourselves if we place all our trust in the expectation that the government will keep us safe.
How different when we trust in God’s protection, and trust in the promises of God’s Word, where we are warned that the trials and pestilence we see today are an expected part of our lives in this fallen world.
Jesus does warn against tribulations in this world, but he closes his warning with these words: “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up your heads, for your redemption is near.”
Jesus warned these things would come, but he has already joined us in our suffering so that our suffering would be redeemed. He has risen so that we can truly cast all of our anxieties on Him- knowing that he can care for us in life and in death.
An important part of turning to Jesus is that we live in love toward one another. Instead of being caught up by the hysteria of hoarding or everyman for himself- we think about the well being of our neighbor.
LCMS President Pastor Matthew Harrison provided an address to the congregations of the synod reminding us of our duties to one another as Christians to respect government authorities and our duty to look out for the well being of our neighbors.
He quoted government disease control official by the name of Dr. Fouche with the recommendation that at this particular time by our actions, it is possible to limit the spread of the virus. Our careful consideration of others can help keep our neighbor from pestilence.
President Harrison also reminds us that the crosses of this world- as in the trials people personally face such as pestilence and disease- always drives people to Jesus.
We become very comfortable with what is ordered and predictable in society, our health safety, the ability to gather in public places, the ability to watch a sports tournament on tv this time of the year, or go to a public library or museum.
In recent years we have grown comfortable that looking up financial news was likely going to show an overall positive trend in the stock market, giving the illusion that things are getting better for us month by month, year by year.
This comfort does not always point us to Jesus, it often points us to the feeling, “I feel secure about where my life is, I like the world I live in.” In contrast trials as uncomfortable and unpredictable as they are point out to us that it is only in Jesus that we have an enduring hope. The comforts of our daily life are fragile- more fragile than we are often willing to admit to ourselves.
Remember in our gospel lesson what Jesus says to the Samaritan woman about the water that she can get from Jacob’s well: “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again.” The provisions we make for ourselves are always temporary. We will be in need again and thirst again if we look only to what we can provide for ourselves.
In light of the fragile nature of our own lives we can see a greater purpose. At first the Samaritan woman upon hearing about the living water Jesus promises tells him to give it to her so that she will not have to come back to the well again. In other words she is hearing the promises of Jesus in terms of a means to an end and a convenience that will make life more bearable.
Our faith is more than a convenient comfort in the midst of trials and tribulations of this world. Our faith is about life in Jesus. “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth.”
Jesus speaks about true worship, life lived around the gifts our God so lavishly given to us. Our worship is important. The Father seeks people like us to worship Him in Spirit and Truth. Spirit and Truth describes the work of the Holy Spirit in giving us true faith to worship, and our focus on Jesus as the real source of Truth in this world.
It is a reasonable consideration as to whether to temporarily suspend worship during a time of risk of disease. During certain contexts for a congregation this is a responsible choice that Brothers and Sisters in Christ at New City Church have exercised this morning and elected to do an online video service.
Yet it is important that we are here to trust in our Lord’s provision for us, to worship him in spirit and truth. To live out the truth that our lives are more than just seeking protection and safety from danger, but about living as stewards of God’s gifts.
We know this world is passing away and that God’s Word endures. The hour is coming and is now here, where true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. When we face trials, let each day be a life of worship and trust in our Lord. Amen.