Claimed, gathered and sent

This is the message I shared with St. Timothy Lutheran Church this past Sunday. The sermon was slightly modified for St. Mark's . The scripture was John 12:20-33. In today's gospel, once again we see Jesus acting in an unexpected way. Unlike the previous weeks of grumpy, angry Jesus, today Jesus just seems to be rude. John tells us about some Greeks who wanted to see Jesus. They were in Jerusalem for the feast, so they were not pagans. They were likely Jewish proselytes, converts to Judaism. First they talked to Philip and then Philip talked to Andrew and then Philip and Andrew talk to Jesus. Jesus responded to the Greeks by saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified..." What  in the world does that mean and how does it have anything to do with the Greeks' desire to meet with Jesus? Prior to this, in John's gospel, Jesus kept saying that his hour had not yet come, even when his life was threatened. ...

20-21 There were some Greeks in town who had come up to worship at the Feast. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: “ Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us? ” 22-23 Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip together told Jesus. Jesus answered, “ Time ’ s up. The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24-25 “ Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you ’ ll have it forever, real and eternal. 26 “ If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you ’ ll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment ’ s notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me. ...