Sermon – Justin E. Smith
Sunday, April 6, 2025
Fifth Sunday in Lent-Year C
Isaiah 43:16-21
Philippians 3:4b-14
John 12:1-8
Psalm 126
The Sower Never Wastes a Tear
I speak to you today in the name of the one who redeems all our sorrow,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen
Good Morning!
Thank you for having me with you today in this beautiful house of worship. My name is Justin, and I am a nominee for Holy Orders from St. Mary’s Downtown. When Fr. David asked me to come and preach to you, I immediately said yes. I am so excited to be here today. There’s something truly special about being in this time of anticipation, as we journey through Lent and approach Holy Week.
- We all share one thing in common.
At some point we all want to find meaning in our trials, we all long to experience some form of restoration or renewal. It can be hard for us to wait and push through difficult situations
while having faith. When I was a young child and growing up in my teenage years, my grandfather religiously and meticulously cultivated gardens filled with various types of crops. Large sections of his yard, growing things from pumpkins, and green beans, to radishes, potatoes even okra. I would spend a great deal of my time helping him plant seeds that would grow into blossoming plants
bearing fruit.
When it came time each year to plant seeds that would turn into sprouts, I would get so impatient. I wanted to see the plants popping out of the soil the second we planted them. I had trouble
waiting, something my grandfather did not struggle with, something, I’m still learning to master. Waiting through the days until the miracle of life became apparent was difficult. Waiting to see something old made new, something that had died: risen. It was so rewarding when seeing the first signs of new birth. Growing up I was mesmerized by the majesty of the cycle of life and renewal, the seemingly resurrected dormancy of seedlings, where with nurture and light, grew into full-fledged plants capable of producing abundant sustenance. I think this story of my grandfather and his garden can speak to us about persistence and patience, even hope, while showing how with faith nothing we experience or go through is wasted.
- At times our burden, grief and pain may seem insurmountable, yet God’s mercy and the hope of restoration will meet us in these moments.
The first lesson today invites us to trust that in our deepest despair, God is at work, forging paths, redeeming our tears, and making beauty from our ashes. We hear in Isaiah, in particular, a message to a people in exile. The Israelites were in a valley of tears, a place of deep sorrow and despair, yet God’s mercy was waiting to restore them. God makes a promise to do something new; Facing suffering, they are promised that God will make a way for them through the wilderness. In the same way, when we feel lost in our own wilderness of grief or pain, God promises to lead us to a place of restoration. God uses not only the good things that happen in our lives but also manages to take and transform our pain and negative experiences into redemptive moments of grace.
- As followers of Jesus, we continually discern, seeking God through our faith.
In today’s epistle, I am reminded, that for my grandfather, growing a garden was a spiritual experience. That at times it was quite literally the sowing of his tears. At times my grandfather’s
sorrow was great, and disappointment fell on him as he experienced moments when his plants died, or animals and bugs destroyed his hard work. Yet he persisted, with patience and passionate dedication. Much like Paul. This passage speaks to us and what we should do in times of despair. In this instance Paul demonstrates remarkable persistence in his pursuit of Christ, emphasizing the importance of pressing on toward the goal of knowing Jesus more deeply and having the faith of one day being resurrected ourselves. Paul’s persistence is evident in his unwavering focus on the future. Despite the challenges and hardship he faces, Paul remains determined, striving to grow in his relationship with Christ, pressing forward with faith, and forgetting his past. His attitude reflects a singular focus on spiritual growth, showing that true persistence in the Christian faith is about continually moving forward in search of God’s calling, no matter the past or present obstacles.
- It can seem difficult to persevere in the face of hardship. This is why these scriptures also point us to finding hope and love in community.
My grandfather had no intention of selling his crops or even eating them himself. In fact, he grew these things to share with others in richness. The act of giving his harvest to others was one of
love and deep devotion, pouring out of himself for others, just like Mary did as she anointed the feet of Jesus in our Gospel today. The Gospel reminds us, that as people hopeful of the resurrection, we are called to a life of love, passion and service to others. Gods love is reflected through our actions. These actions within the bonds of a community bring hope to the heavy hearted, they aid and lift one another up in times of trial. We demonstrate the promises made to us by God. This is why the involvement we have in our community is not only vital, it is actually to our benefit. When we learn to rely on each other in difficult moments, mercy and grace flow like a river in the wilderness as we demonstrate with our presence the resurrection of Christ and love of God to one another.
- Beloved, our tears truly are not wasted; they are seeds that will one day bear fruit. God will restore and resurrect what was lost.
My grandfather painstakingly practiced the skills of growing a harvest, sometimes not having much success. It was always an act of the heart and perseverance. He believed in the eventual
fruit of his garden, he knew that even in moments of hardship, his efforts weren’t wasted, as it is the same with our lives. Like my grandfather we must trust that in God’s timing, our sorrow will
give way to joy. Sowed in the seeds of hope, even in tears, we trust that God is at work in our lives. Even when we can’t see it, God is cultivating something beautiful from our suffering, something that will one day bear fruit. The sowing of tears, whether through loss, pain, or suffering, is not the end of the story.
- So how are the trials we face worth it, you might ask? There is one event that changes it all for us.
The resurrection of Jesus transforms loss into life, so our struggles too, transformed into something glorious. Jesus, the King who walked through suffering, is the Lamb who shows us what true love and restoration looks like. Through His death and rising, He has conquered sin and the grave on our behalf, turning the ashes of our lives into something stunning. As He rises from the dust of mortality, He promises to bring new life to us, turning our sadness into song. He alone has the power to transform our deepest sorrow into revival and hope. Even when we cannot see the purpose behind our pain, we can trust that God is working in the background. Even when it feels like we are surrounded by darkness, we can find comfort in knowing that our mourning will one day turn to joy.
We hear in our scriptures today how God brings rivers to the deserts, makes water in the wilderness. We believe in a God of life, a God who not only restored the fortunes of Zion but raised Lazarus from the dead. We too then must believe God sees the tears we shed, the sorrow that overwhelms us, and meets us with the promise of healing. Just as God made a way through the wilderness for the Israelites, God is making a way for us. There is mercy in the moments when our burden is an ocean. In our grief, there is healing when our heartache weighs a mountain. Jesus, who was crowned with thorns now reigns in glory. We too will one day be crowned beside Him with praise in the fullness of our own resurrected joy.
- Today, we are invited to reflect on the journey of renewal and the rebirth we experience in our lives.
God promises that, even in the deepest sorrow, restoration is possible through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. His sacrifice allows us to experience the redemption of all things, and even in the darkest valleys, He remains worthy of our trust. Just as the Israelites waited for deliverance, and as my grandfather persistently waited for his crops to grow, we too are called to wait in hope. We are called to live with perseverance, patience, and love. As Christians we know the joy that God brings from our tears is not immediate; it requires time, and trust until all redemption is revealed. As we approach the joy of Easter, we remember that our waiting is not in vain, we know our mourning will indeed turn to dancing.
So friends, next week, let us enter into the holiest time of the year with faith, hope and love, knowing that the One who was slain now reigns on the throne. The same God who brought splendor from the ashes of the cross will bring restoration to our lives. One day, we will see the joy He creates from our suffering. There is profound dignity in waiting, trusting that the sower will transform our sorrow. May we hold on to the hope of restoration and the resurrection, knowing that at Easter, and on the last day, bliss awaits us.
Amen.
