Sunday, March 19, 2023  Lent 4

Scripture Readings:     1 Samuel 16: 1-13

                                       Psalm 23

                                       Ephesians 5: 8-14

                                       John 9: 1-41

“Exposed”

In one of his sermons the Welsh Baptist Pastor Geoff Thomas noted that “Often in the Scriptures believers are exhorted to awake. They are warned of the dangers of spiritual sleep, that such a slumber is like a coma that will result in death unless the believer awakens.”^[1] And then he cites many examples not least of which is Jonah sleeping while a mighty storm threatens the ship and the captain yells “What do you mean O sleeper? Arise and call upon your God.” (Jonah 1:6, NKJV)^[2]

Well as laudable as waking up and seeking God during a crisis sounds the idea of being awake can take many forms. There is a slang expression, ‘woke’, that has come into wide use recently. It connotes persons or policies that are aware and actively attentive to important social issues, such as racism, the environment, and social justice, but often is used in contexts that suggest someone's expressed beliefs about such matters are not backed with genuine concern or action. There is even ‘woke-washing’, a term coined to describe companies who signal support for progressive causes but only as a substitute for genuine change.

In his letter to the Ephesians Paul is calling his readers, and by extension, as followers of Christ, us, to something much more than being aware of current world needs and societal failures. It is not a call to be ‘woke’ but truly to awake, as if rising from having been dead.

He begins in verse 8 saying, “You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer.”. That ‘murk’ is what he described in chapter 4 and the beginning of chapter 5, contrasting the “life worthy of the calling you have received” (4:1) with living “in the futility of their thinking … darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God.” (17-18)

The first three chapters of Ephesians are the ‘because’ chapters. Paul explains to the church at Ephesus the hope, reason and identity they have as redeemed children of God in Jesus Christ. And on this foundation, he follows in chapters 4 to 6, the ‘therefore’ chapters, with what difference this makes, or should make, in their day to day lives. Which is where we find ourselves now in chapter 5 verses 8 to 14. Paul has explained to the Ephesians that they are children of the light and so they must walk in the light. Light is the nature of their identity, and that should determine how they live, what they think, feel, say, and do.

So in this light, let me try to read for you the misunderstood part of the passage from Ephesians,

“Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.

Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness.

Expose these things for the sham they are.

It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see.

Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.” (5:10-13)

Paul is talking to you.

He’s not talking about the ‘thems’ who live in darkness and telling us to rip the cover off of their frauds, their evil and empty lives.

Paul is talking to us.

We are to ‘wake up’ and understand what pleases Jesus Christ, who has already done everything for us, and then

a) pat ourselves on the back for understanding it ….?

b) write a book about it …?

c) organize a discussion group to talk about it …?

No, do it! Paul says, just do it.

Don’t waste your time on useless busywork that bears no fruit, no light, or as he puts it, “the barren pursuits of darkness.” If you figured out what pleases Jesus Christ, just do it.

And to whom do you need to “expose these things for the sham they are?”(11) To yourself of course. Who else would benefit? Who else can do anything about it? Once exposed, once you see the empty busy work that is filling all your time and resources in place of doing what you know pleases Jesus, it is a scandal. Secreting away your devotion and love of Jesus, hiding it in “the darkness where no one will see” (11)

Paul cries “Rip the cover off!” (13) Expose your love of Jesus to the world and witness how attractive they truly are in the light of Christ. Hidden, they are a fraud, and sham, but when you expose to the light the truth that you are light, it is beautiful.

Paul wasn’t telling the Ephesians, or us, to expose unchristian behaviour in our church or community. That would be a natural consequence of living as children of light. Paul wants us to live “out in the open.” (8) As he says “The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours.” (8-9)

In other words, be exposed, or as Jesus said “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matt 5:16)

“Wake up from your sleep,

Climb out of your coffins; rip the cover off

Christ will show you the light!” (Eph 5:14)

Amen