“God’s Transforming Love”

A Sermon Based on Psalm 23 and John 3:16 – 17

Pastor Deb Troester, STHPC, March 10, 2024

In our Lenten Bible Study this year, we have been focusing on the Psalms. This week, and this morning, as you might have guessed, we will focus on Psalm 23. All of you know it: “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want” meaning, “because the Lord is my shepherd, I will lack nothing.” A pretty bold statement.  Throughout the Psalms, when God is present, the Psalmist feels safe and sheltered: “The Lord is a fortress, protecting my life…God will set me up high, safe, on a rock.” God will shelter me in times of trouble, “In the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to you. Your right hand upholds me.” “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” But is God always present with us? If we can’t sense God’s presence, how can we know God is there? How can we trust a God we can’t see?

Psalm 23 tells us in simple, pastoral terms that God is always there, taking care of us, as a good shepherd tends their sheep. It’s true that we may not always sense God’s presence - we tend to go about our lives a bit like sheep – focused on getting enough food, and “Will that other sheep get in line ahead of me?” or “Oh no! Today we have the sheep dip!” We seldom think about how, through the resources of our beautiful, bountiful planet, God has provided for all our needs – food, water, companionship, rest. Throughout the scriptures, God has given us guidance that will lead us along the right paths. We are never alone, because God is with us, even in the darkest valley, even in death. We have the assurance that we will dwell with God forever. Psalm 23 expresses what in Hebrew is called chesed. There is no exact English translation, but chesed refers to the lovingkindness or steadfast love of God, sometimes translated as God’s faithful love, God’s generous love, or mercy, as in: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”

Psalm 23 gives us concrete images that help us imagine what God is like. God is like a shepherd, tenderly caring for his sheep, leading them to good pasture and fresh water, guiding them on the right paths – keeping them safe, so they don’t fall over a cliff, or nowadays, get hit by a car. God is like the host of a dinner – preparing a table where we can safely sit and eat, even though surrounded by enemies. Those of you who have pets know that they don’t feel safe eating if other animals are trying to get their food. God invites us to a table where we are safe. We can relax and enjoy God’s blessings. We don’t need to worry about problems that threaten us. God is watching over us. And what does it mean that God anoints “my head with oil”? David could have been thinking about how the prophet Samuel anointed his head with oil, thus proclaiming him to be the next king of Israel. But, more generally, in ancient Israel, as well as Egypt, Greece, and Rome, anointing a guest with oil was a mark of hospitality and a token of honor. We are not just grudgingly “allowed” to be at God’s table: God welcomes us as honored guests. God is happy that we are there, fellowshipping with him.

And God’s table is an abundant table – “my cup overflows.” God is not stingy. No, David says that God provides richly and abundantly. We may need to get bigger cups! If you look at the drawing on the front of the bulletin, it shows someone filling a heart-shaped container. It reminded me of how God fills our hearts with love, joy, peace, whatever it is we are needing, up to the brim and overflowing.

So why are there times when we don’t we feel this way?  First, this is a Psalm, a poem. David is expressing what he felt at that moment. He felt content and cared for, loved by God; his cup ran over. But at other times in the Psalms he writes things like “O God, you are my God. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” As humans we are not always going to feel God’s presence. In the Psalm that I just quoted, Psalm 63, David goes on to recount how he went to the temple to worship God. There he encountered God, beheld God’s power and glory, and experienced God’s loving kindness, God’s chesed. Worship, whether with others or alone, is one way to begin perceive the presence of God.

I have also heard it said that if the “cup” of our hearts is filled with other things, there will be less room for God. In other words, if we are filled up with worry, anxiety, love of material goods, desire to be admired by others, perhaps some sin that we cannot get rid of, it will be difficult to sense God’s presence in our lives, or for God to fill us with God’s “chesed,” God’s lovingkindness, because there just isn’t room in our heart. If we can recognize what it is that is preventing God from pouring out His love into our souls, we can ask God to help us remove those barriers. If we are not sure what we need to pray about, we can ask God to show us. We can pray, “Please show me what is keeping me from being filled with your loving-kindness. Please help me not to be so anxious, so that I can experience your presence. Take away my anger, or my fear, so that I can sense that you are near. Forgive me for … whatever it may be. I am truly sorry. Help me to overcome this sin or addiction or whatever we know is distancing us from God. Help me to sense your love and your presence.” God will answer prayers like this, because this prayer is always according to God’s will. It may take time, but God will answer.

OK, Psalm 23 is beautiful, but how can we trust a God we cannot see? That is where Jesus comes into the picture. He said to his disciples in John 14: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” This is one reason God sent his Son into the world – so that we could know what God is like and how far God will go to help us know His love. Christ went to the cross to die to show his love for us.

I was touched this week by a Lenten devotion by Diana Butler-Bass. She talks about the symbolism of the crossbar of the cross to which Jesus was nailed: “In Latin, this crossbar is called the Patibulum, from the Latin pateo, which means open, accessible, attainable, exposed, vulnerable, or extended… Think about [the statue of] Christ the Redeemer in Brazil…High on a hill above the city, Jesus, with outstretched arms and exposed heart, …the extension of the divine presence — the love of God — [reaching out] into the world.” I am happy that one of my daughter’s earliest memories was of me, crouched down at her level, with my arms spread wide open. She remembers running to me to get a big hug. God is like that. Waiting for us with arms outstretched, to embrace us in love. Bass concludes that even on the cross, Jesus’ outstretched arms symbolize the receptive nature of God. Something to reflect on during Lent.

I will close with a poem on Christ’s crucifixion by Malcolm Guite:

And here we see the length, the breadth, the height
Where love and hatred meet and love stays true
Where sin meets grace and darkness turns to light
We see what love can bear and be and do,
And here our Savior calls us to his side
His love is free, his arms are open wide.

Love beckons us to follow – to green pastures, to still waters, through the darkest valley; love invites us to the table overflowing with blessing where we are beloved guests; love draws us to the cross, where our fears, sins, and death itself is crucified and only love remains. Christ’s arms are open wide to receive us all. Amen.

©Deborah Troester 2024