Sermon – 02-18-24 – Lent 1 – Cycle B
Scripture: Genesis 9:8-17; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:9-15
Sermon Title: “How Abundant is God’s Mercy?”

Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; remember me according to your steadfast love. from Psalm 25

We have before us the saving of only eight people in all the earth, according to our Bible story of Noah and his family and the great flood in the book of Genesis.

We have before us the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. Then we have the Apostle Peter writing about Noah and Christ’s death in the same breath. Our Christian history is full of water. Think of all the water stories you know from the Bible. Last week we had Elijah and Elisha parting the Jordan River with a garment. We remember the Israelites escaping from Egypt through the parted Red Sea being led by Moses with a staff in his hand. There is the story of the water from a rock at Meribah. Moses got into big trouble with that event. Think of Jesus Christ, who was nurtured in the water of Mary’s womb. Jesus became living water to a woman at the Samaritan well, washed the feet of the disciples, and sent them forth to baptize all the nations by water and the Holy Spirit.

We need water to live. We need water to live spiritually. I think water is filled with mercy. Is polluted water filled with mercy? Oh! We can think of polluted water as contaminated by sin.
It is the clear, pure water for which we yearn; which we need.

The world needs pure, clean water. Wash me, O Lord! Outside and inside! From Psalm 51, “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” This is David pleading with God, after an atrocious sin. David continues, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.”

Here is where this story brightens. “Restore to me the joy of your salvation , and sustain in me a willing spirit.” from the New Revised Standard Version. Hear from the Comtemporary English Version “Let me be happy and joyful.” . . .”Make me as happy as you did when you saved me; make me want to obey!”

Clear, clean water is God’s mercy. Picture a waterfall pouring sparkling water over you from head to toe. Picture our being covered by a huge wave but we are not washed away. But we have been washed. This feels good on the outside but if it reminds us of our own baptism, it refreshes our inner relationship with God.

There is a trend today that has us thinking that in our baptism we symbolically die temporarily just as Christ was temporarily dead from Friday afternoon to early Sunday morning. But Christ rose and we rise! Peter would have us say that Christ died in the flesh but he was made alive in the spirit. Our own baptism should leave us less concerned about our bodies and material things and more concerned about our relationship with God.

Here is where God’s mercy arrives on the scene. We believe in one baptism forever and ever. If we slip away from that cover, we do not need a new baptism to be restored. What we need is a new plea for mercy. God will honor our original baptism because it was real and stays real. Remember God does not leave us. We are the ones who wander to find what excitement life might hold for us. When the excitement does not materialize or when it fades, we want the loving arms of Jesus around us again. So God the Father, and God the Son, Jesus, open their arms and say, “Come to me, all you that have fallen by the wayside. Come and be glad again. Come and feel renewed with the friendship and relationship that is always waiting for you.”

Christopher and his wife Christine are young and married just a few years They both have good-paying jobs which they more-or-less enjoy. They are grateful for their jobs. They think that God may have had something to do with having matched them with their jobs. Once in a while they even thank God for their jobs. That is once in a l-o-n-g while. Their paychecks are more than they use in a month so money is piling up without much effort.

They choose not to have children because this world is way too cruel. Why would they want the guilt of bringing a child into all this misery? Instead they spend time with friends on weekends, sometimes coming home in unstable condition. Gradually, joy drains away. Where does joy go when it leaves us? Something to think about. When joy moves away, the space gets to be filled with fear and sadness and depression. Christopher and Christine start to annoy each other.

One day a new fellow comes to work at the desk next to Christopher. Talk about joy. This guy does not know how to make a sad or angry face. Very talkative during breaks. It is like there is light coming from his face. “Oh my,” says Christopher. Christopher finds himself saying, “Oh, God, how am I going to handle this?” Christopher never did talk much. Now he becomes a clam. This new guy should take a hint, but does he? Absolutely not!

Now Christopher runs quickly at break time to get away from this too-happy person. But, the building has limits. After the new guy says hi to everyone along the way, he lowers himself into the chair in the break room and of course it is the chair next to Christopher. “What do you do on weekends?” the new guy says. “Not much” says Christopher. “Does that make you happy?” says the new guy. “Well, I guess it does,” is the answer. “Happy enough.”

“Well,” says new guy. Then I guess you don’t want to hear about restoration of happiness.” “Ugh” from Christopher. Break time is over. They obediently go to their desks and resume their individual tasks. Later, when Christopher and Christine are safely in their luxurious apartment, Christopher says to Christine, “Are we happy?” Christine murmurs a word that sounds like “maybe.” They make the meal together in silence, automatically. Then it is time to sit facing each other at the table as they eat.

Christopher says, “Should I forget my question about happiness? Is our life good enough the way it is?” Christine says, “What made you ask that question today?” Then Christopher shares the story about new guy. “Today he asked something about restoration of happiness?”

You may have guessed the rest. Christopher and Christine find themselves in a worship service with new guy and his wife. As the weeks go on Christopher and Christine are reminded about the possibility of a relationship with God. Happiness is all around them! They are beginning to sparkle themselves! The pastor asks if they ever had a relationship with God in their lives. Well, they both affirmed that they had been baptized but drifted away – not realizing that they were turning their backs on God. They thought they were okay. But now after just being okay, they are coming alive in God’s mercy.

How abundant is God’s mercy? Should we all be checking it out? Amen