Exodus

3. Responding meant death to the old ways of life, death to the enemies in the waters of the Red Sea, death to those who lost heart in the wilderness;

but life to those who held onto God's promises, and a new community.

4. The vision of the land promised to ancestor Abraham is held before them as a sign of God's faithfulness to is promise.

We heard the pattern operating in the portion of the passion we heard last evening, the Lord's Supper.

1. In the middle of the critical evening that will end in betrayal, there comes the offer of grace.

Jesus takes a portion of the old traditions surrounding Passover and transforms them into a feast of hope realized. “This is my body.”, the bread of my presence with you.”

2. Reactions differ: some believe, remember, and treasure the promise, but others turn away.

3. For those who remember, there is death to their old ways of living, death in the waters of baptism, and life in a new relationship with God which he offers.

It means the formation of a new community of all ages and sizes and abilities, brought together by the Lord's call and promise.

4. Although things are and will remain difficult for those who hear the promise, they know that they are on the way of a new exodus, and that the Promised Land is more than geography—it is relationship with God, and that is enough to encourage every generation of followers.

We heard the pattern in the footwashing scene of the passion as well.

1. Jesus took on the role of the slave and washes the disciples' feet.

He shows the humiliation in his death before it happens.

He shows the service he will render in laying down his life.

2. the disciples are shocked, and only after patient explaining can they accept this gift.

3. The community came to understand that this is actions that they are to imitate. This is the nature of the new community.

4. This opens them up to totally unexpected situations, for they cannot control what the Holy Spirit may do with them or with us.

Oh, yes, this is our place as well.

1. To us caught up in the web of sin, Jesus speaks his promise: “My body, my blood, given for you.”

2. Our reaction? Some scoff, turn a deaf ear. Others will hear it as the promise of life.

3. It is death to the old self-centeredness, death to the fear of death, and it means the beginning of a whole new community.

4. We live in a messy world; but the promise is sure, and we are strengthened by word and sacrament.

And now, Jesus is to do exodus.

........................................... to complete the old pattern fully.

1. Through the crisis events of awful crucifixion, still there is the offer of grace.

The first hint is the word to the thief on the cross: “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

And then the events of Easter morning.

2. Reactions? Some will scoff, and some will believe.

(A scoffer wrote me a vitriolic diatribe just the other day.)

3. But for those who believe, a new community is called together. Parts of it may bear different labels...Methodist or Lutheran... but it is one community by the gift of God and the work of the Spirit.

4. It will always have troubles, both internal and from the outside, but we trust firmly that our 12^th reading today is not the end of the story,

that we cannot lay Jesus away and forget about him.

Let it be our trust and hope that we can step out onto our exodus pilgrimage, knowing that it will be secure for us,

because Jesus exodus path is complete and ready for us to follow.

AMEN.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.