Sermon for Fourth Sunday of Lent - COVID 19 Epidemic
Sermon 4 Lent Year A 2020
St. John’s-Grace Episcopal Church
March 22. 2020
Rev’d Jon F. Lavelle
Sermon for Fourth Sunday of Lent.
I made my confirmation when I was 13 years old.
I asked my Uncle Michael to be my sponsor because I knew he would take it very seriously.
He talked to me about sin and 40 years later I remember what he told me.
What is the greatest sin? At thirteen years old, I cringed – thinking I might get a lecture about drinking, drugs, sexuality, lying, stealing, getting into a fight. But my Uncle explained that the greatest sin we can commit is to think that we do not need God in our lives. 40 years later – I remember what he told me and we can easily accept Sin – or a state of Sin as our separation from God – which is usually our own choice. We consent to God’s presence in our lives.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus heals a blind man. The blind man knows who Jesus is. The Messiah. We are spiritually blind when we think that we do not need God in our lives.
At this difficult time of epidemic, let us seek comfort and guidance by reflecting on our spiritual legacy and the great cloud of witnesses which provides eternal reassurance and example.
Our spiritual forebears, the ancient Israelites have paved the way for us.
The Word of God came to the prophet Moses who led the people of God out of the bondage of slavery in Egypt. We all know the story from the Book of Exodus. The people wandered in the wilderness where they suffered hunger, thirst, illness, and division for 40 years. Yet through these trials and tribulations, God taught His people the reality that we are all dependent on God for everything we need to live and flourish. Although this was a difficult time for the people, it was also a cherished time because this is when the people were closest to God. God uses the wilderness experience to shape and form a community to be Holy as God is Holy – and to bear the glory of God to all the nations.
After Jesus was baptized, he was thrust into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. The Word Made Flesh experienced the hunger, thirst, loneliness, fear, and temptation which we all face. After being shaped by this experience and committing to give all the Glory to the Father, the Christ begins His ministry to heal a broken world.
During this time of Lent, and epidemic, we are venturing into a new wilderness – a place where we have never been before. In the past, our wilderness experience has usually been individual. During this epidemic, we are thrust into the wilderness as a community. We are all going through the same crisis together. So how we will respond to this wilderness experience.
The Word of God reassures us that God will lead us and provide for us if we let Him. While we are at home, let us continue to practice our most beautiful spiritual traditions of fasting, prayer, and charity:
Spend time in silence consenting to God’s presence.
Read the Holy Scriptures.
Pray for the Church, the World, our leaders, the sick, and one another.
Call your neighbors, friends, and loved ones and ask if they need any help. The best charity we can provide together is to follow the guidance of our Bishop and our governor. Maintain social distance. Don’t expose yourself or others to the virus.
The Church is the Body of Christ! As Jesus was thrust into the wilderness, so are we during this time of epidemic. Let’s use this as a blessed opportunity to come closer to God. Let’s use this as a blessed opportunity to respond with love and charity to our neighbors so that we, the Church, the Body of Christ can carry the Glory of God to all people as Jesus does.