Easter Sermon Insert: "Things We Cannot See"

THINGS WE CANNOT SEE

Patuxent Presbyterian Church

California, Maryland

Sunday 12 April 2020

Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

EASTER SUNDAY SERMON NOTES

Old Testament: Job 19:23-27               

Epistle: Acts 7:54-60                    

Gospel: John 20:24-29

All of humanity lives in a context of things we cannot see:

There is a trinity of unseen traits essential to meaningful human existence:

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13

The unseen brokenness within us manifests in ways that work against this trinity of traits, a brokenness that hurts us and others: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality….idolatry….hatred….anger….selfishness….envy….” Galatians 5:19-20

But there are also the unseen broken remnants of God’s image in all persons which, when  healed by the Holy Spirit, yield the unseen fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control….”  Galatians 5:22-23

And what about brilliance and the incredible invisible ability to create out of nothing great works of art, music and technology, first ‘unseen’ within the person who created them?

So it should not be difficult at all to segue from the vast realm of unseen things with which we are familiar to spiritual things with which we are unfamiliar. Indeed, is faith any different than hope or love in its constitution and function in our lives?  

In our Easter Gospel lesson the risen Lord appeared to the incredulous disciples who, though in a locked room, found Jesus standing in their midst. Here’s the gist of their dialogue: Thomas:  “…Thomas…declared, ‘Unless I see…I will not believe.” Jesus: “’…blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”

In our Old Testament Lesson Job, knowing he will someday die, declared what he would see:

“’I know that my Redeemer lives…And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh shall I see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes…’”   

In our Epistle Lesson Stephan cried out as he was dying, stoned to death by his detractors:

“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ’Look,’ he cried, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’”  Acts 7:55-56

MONDAY MORNING

At the end of our lives as we are dying we will see what we have believed and trusted in.

What will you see?