Enough Suffering, Already

First Sunday in Lent

1st Peter 3:18-22

It is perhaps one of the oldest jokes in the world – you’ve certainly heard a variation on this one. The man goes into his doctor. The doctor asks, “What seems to be the problem?” The man says, “My elbow hurts when I do this!” To which the physician replies, “Then my strongest medical advice to you is to stop doing that!!!”

We read the epistle for today, and the words jump off the page at us, as though we’ve been waiting all our lives to hear news this good. “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God.” “Once for all” – now that’s some good news.

We have entered the season of Lent. This congregation has come a long way in 8 years. The first year we were in existence, we didn’t observe Lent – rather, I slipped it into our mental possibilities by saying, “We don’t observe Lent, but if we did . . .” Wasn’t that smooth?? The next year we talked about taking on an attribute of Christ rather than trying to give up something. Gradually, over the years, you have related to me that Lent is an experience that you appreciate, maybe more than any of the other seasons of the Christian year. For me, the discipline of Lent – the process of self-introspection – all of that makes my Holy Week and Easter experience fuller and more meaningful.

My personal discipline for this Lent is to write something spiritual in my blog every day, save Sunday’s. A discipline of devotion, so to speak.

Many who observe Lent practice self-denial. Self-denial is sometimes a noble practice. But those who know the truth about self-denial know that denial of self works best when we substitute something in place of self – when we get up off the throne of our own lives, and then insist that Jesus take His seat there. So we are jostled awake when we realize what Peter says. There that verse is – jumping off the page at us. “Christ suffered for sins once for all.” “Enough suffering, already!!”

There is much suffering. The psalmist reminds us that our enemies are many, and they watch like so many yapping dogs for opportunity to take advantage of our circumstances, our weakness, our carelessness. David doesn’t place the blame for his vulnerability just on his enemies. Did you notice vv. 6 and 7 – “Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!” Dunn translation – “Continue to show me your mercy, God, by continuing to overlook the sins of my youth, which linger still today.” To be sure, there is much suffering. Much of it is a result of life circumstances, but much more of it is self-inflicted, a result of our continuing insistence that we know better than God how we might best live.

The lections for today present a different picture of suffering. They present a picture of suffering which comes as a result of our baptism. When we enter into baptism, we enter into a baptism which links us to Christ and His suffering. Gracia Grindal says, “Peter . . . is describing a baptism that actually separated one from the crowd, rather than inducted one into it. It is Christ we receive in baptism, not a safe-conduct through life without the church.” She goes on to say, “Here is where I need to be vivid in my description of what happened and happens when we have gone under, or passed through these waters; it will bring us to suffering, not shield us from it, for we are now, on the one hand, safe in Jesus, but on the other, because of Jesus, one with his suffering and death. We bear the cross, now.”[1]

The Old Testament lesson and Peter’s illustration is the obedience of Noah. Noah experienced suffering during the time he was building the ark. The scriptures remind us that Noah was the recipient of constant ridicule – people would actually make a picnic lunch of it and go down to the site where Noah and his sons were building the ark. They made sport of him – for what they thought was folly. Noah aligned himself with God, and it cost him in terms of popularity and respect.

His story is unique, but it is not unusual. Believers undergo suffering on account of their faithfulness much of the time. Many of us in this room this morning would admit that our faith gives rise to suffering, as those who would deny our God and our obedience to our God question our integrity, our consistency, and our appropriateness as we practice our faith.

Just yesterday, I received undue criticism as a result of an act of devotion. I have been writing everyday since Wednesday in my personal blog something of a spiritual nature. It is, for me, an act of devotion. Yesterday an anonymous writer responded to my writings with vehemence and insult. While I was not physically harmed by his words, my spirit was dampened and discouraged by the discourteous way this person maligned my personal act of devotion to God. This kind of thing happens to a lot of Christians, on account of our devotion to God. Enough suffering, already!!

“For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous . . .” Jesus suffered on our behalf. In seminary, our professors spoke of “substitutionary atonement.” That’s a big three dollar word that simply means that Jesus took our place when it came to paying for our sins. Atonement was needed, and Jesus substituted His life for ours. That’s always the good news of the gospel. Jesus died so that we didn’t have to. We may suffer on account of our faith, and we may suffer as a result of our sins, but we do not suffer for our sins. That job has been finished by the work of Jesus on the cross. No more suffering required. Enough suffering, already!!

I love a favorite illustration of Christ’s substitution for us. It is the story of the man who stood convicted before the judge. The judge recounted his crime, proven by witnesses and evidence, and finally by the man’s own personal confession. Then the judge pronounced the sentence – much more than the man could ever hope to pay. As the sentence was being recorded by the court, the judge stepped down from behind the bench, went over to the bailiff, and said, “Now, I’ll pay the penalty for this man.” That’s what Jesus did.

Lent is a season of self-introspection. I like what we do with our sanctuary during this season – especially this antique mirror on the communion table. It reminds us that we are taking a good look at our lives during these days – as we make preparation for the celebration of Easter.

You know, when I bought that mirror seven years ago, I liked what it symbolized in terms of us taking a look at ourselves. I realized this year that there is something about it’s symbolism that I don’t like. The fact that this is an antique mirror could symbolize that we take a look at the same old sins, year after year. I don’t know about you, but that seems to be the case in my life. I seem to struggle with the same sins, year after year. I seem to give in to the same temptations time after time. And I seem to repent of the same sins over and over.

We might wonder about God’s patience when it comes to our sin – to our tendency to yield to the same temptations repeatedly. There is more good news in the scriptures for today – God is a patient God. We chime in with David – “do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!” We might chime in with Peter when he reminds us that “God waited patiently in the days of Noah.” Our God is a patient God – slow to anger, the scriptures confirm. We do not intentionally test God – but as we strive to live lives pleasing to God, we realize that God is indeed patient. Enough suffering, already!!

I ran across a poem this week in my study. Allow me to share it with you. I’ve also posted it on the back window. The title is “To Keep A True Lent.”

Is this a fast, to keep

The larder lean?

And clean

From fat of veals and sheep?

Is it to quit the dish

Of flesh, yet still

To fill

The platter high with fish?

Is it to fast an hour,

Or ragg’d to go,

Or show

A downcast look and sour?

No; ‘tis a fast to dole

Thy sheaf of wheat,

And meat,

Unto the hungry soul.

It is to fast from strife,

From old debate

And hate;

To circumcise thy life.

To show a heart grief-rent;

To starve thy sin,

Not bin;

And that’s to keep thy Lent.[2]

The poem asks an important question. What is the purpose of our Lenten discipline? Is the idea of giving up something and fasting the more obvious point of Lent, and we simply take things to an extreme? Perhaps not. Those last two stanzas of the poem give greater focus to our discipline. “It is to fast from strife, from old debate and hate. To circumcise thy life.To show a heart grief-rent; to starve thy sin.”

I struggle with the same old sins, year in and year out. In the coming week, I intend to write about devotion. We don’t talk much about devotion around here – at least not as much as maybe we should. The discipline of Lent surrounds devotion – or at least a display of devotion toward God. We know what the word “devote” means – to center our attention and activities toward God. We devote our lives to so very much. We devote our lives to family. We devote ourselves to our children and our grandchildren. We devote ourselves to our occupation and recreation. We devote ourselves to interests and possessions. Lent reminds us to devote ourselves to God – how did Peter say it – “not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience?” Enough suffering, already!!

This sermon is something of a call. It is a call to all of us to return to our devotion to God. Not just an occasional devotion. Not merely a weekly devotion. We return something of our lives to God daily – hour by hour – minute by minute. We set aside – not grudgingly, but gladly – some time each day, in some private place, in order to devote ourselves to God again.

During these days, we move from our lives of suffering to lives of devotion, as we pray:

Oh, God – you have called us into being, you have placed us in our Eden, and then you have watched as we deny your pre-eminence over our lives, and exalt our own. In your grace you sent your Son, our brother Christ Jesus, who died in our place. We commit our lives in devotion to You, this day – with renewed fervor and sincerity of heart. Walk beside us during these days of preparation, we pray. Amen.

Richard W. Dunn, PhD.

[1] Gracia Grendal, Preaching the Lesson, Lectionary Homiletics, vol. 17, no. 2, (Feb-March, 2006), p.42
[2] Robert Herrick, 17th Century - http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/herrick/truelent.htm