Giving Up Expectations

Rev. Debbie Cato
Genesis 12:1-5 and John 3:1-17
Fairfield Community Church
May 26, 2024 

Living God,  help us to hear your Holy Word with open hearts so that we may truly understand; and, understanding, that we may believe; and, believing, that we may follow in all faithfulness and obedience, seeking your honor and glory in all that we do. Through Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

 

Giving up Expectations

 

 

When I was in the first grade, I decided I was going to be a teacher.  Mrs. Rumpel – the 3^rd grade teacher at my very small school had taken a liking to me when I was moved from 1^st grade to 3^rd grade for reading.  She had a daughter my age and she would have me over to her house.  Her daughter and I would play school.  I was always the teacher.  I would also play school at home – by myself.  I was going to be a teacher.  I was also going to be a concert pianist and I would practice for hours and hours in the hot Minnesota summers.  Those were my expectations for my life.

When my oldest daughter Jessica was 7 or 8 years old, she planned her wedding. Everything was planned and written out for the day when she would get married.  Everything would be perfect.  Just the way she expected it to be.  That wedding, planned to include colors and songs was Jessica’s expectation.

My daughter Tracy was going to be a farmer’s wife and have lots of children.  That was Tracy’s expectation for her life.

You may not have planned your wedding down to the minute detail at the age of 7 like my daughter did or known without a doubt how your working life would look, or planned a simple, happy life like Tracy.  But I would guess that each of you had expectations of what your life would be like.  I would also guess that not too many of us would say that our lives turned out exactly like we expected they would.  I for one never expected to be in a violent marriage and I certainly never expected that I would be a single parent.

We have expectations for our work, our significant others, and our children.  We have expectations about how life should be.  Whether we are 7 years old or 70 years old, we all have expectations.

Look at Abram.  Abram and his wife Sarai lived in Haran.  Abram was 75 years old.  He had done well for himself; he was a wealthy man.  Abram had many possessions, large herds, and many people who worked for him.  At 75 years old, Abram probably expected that he would live out his life with his wife Sarai, at their home in Haran, doing what he had always done.  They had no children because Sarai was barren, but his nephew Lot was part of their family and Abram’s life was full.

And then suddenly, one day, the completely unexpected happened to Abram.  God spoke to him and said, “Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.  ²I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Not what Abram expected.  I doubt it was what Sarai expected.  She was 75 years old too!  I’m sure there were some conversations between Abram and his wife about this change but, they let go of their expectations for their lives; expectations for their future and Abram – soon to be renamed Abraham by God, followed God's call to leave his homeland and travel to the place God promised his descendants, even though he didn't know how it would all work out.

Throughout Scripture we see people whose expectations get thrown in their face.  I wonder if Moses expected the journey out of Egypt would take 40 years?  I wonder if the Israelites expected to see their beloved City destroyed?  Time after time. I wonder if teenaged Mary expected to become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Christ Child; the Messiah?

And then there’s this man Nicodemus whom we are introduced to today in the Gospel of John.  Nicodemus is a Pharisee.  Think about what you know about the Pharisees.  They weren’t fans of Jesus, were they?  And yet, Nicodemus, a member of the Pharisees is intrigued with Jesus.  He wants to spend time with Jesus.  Nicodemus is a man who wants to know more.  He is a man of standing and authority – a member of the ruling council. 

Nicodemus has a big stake in the established religious order that Jesus so openly and drastically attacks by his actions and his words.  And yet, Nicodemus comes to Jesus because he wants to know more.  He risks a lot to come see Jesus.  He comes at night so that no one would see him.  Nicodemus is curious, but cautious. 

Nicodemus comes to Jesus, and he says, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."   He has expectations of who this Jesus is and what Jesus will say.

But Jesus doesn’t reply the way Nicodemus expects he will.  Jesus doesn’t praise Nicodemus for believing in the signs that Jesus brings – for believing that Jesus is a teacher sent from God.  Jesus doesn’t engage Nicodemus in a religious discussion as the Pharisees might have in the temple.  Instead, Jesus’ response completely bewilders Nicodemus.  Nicodemus doesn’t understand.  It’s outside his sphere of understanding.  It doesn’t meet his expectations.  Three times Nicodemus says, “How can this be?”

Jesus says, “I’m not what you expect, Nicodemus.  I’m about new life.  I’m about God doing a new thing.  God has acted out of love – reaching out to the unlovely and the unlovable.  God’s love is known to you because he has given me; His only Son so that whoever believes might have life.  It’s not what you expect.” 

Nicodemus expects something from Jesus but instead, Jesus tells him something unexpected; something new.  Jesus tells him about grace.  Grace isn’t something that the Pharisees and the keepers of the law know about. 

It’s no wonder that when Nicodemus is talking to Jesus, he has a hard time understanding. He’s used to thinking in terms of religious laws.  Grace is something entirely new.  It’s nothing he’s heard of before.  It’s outside his range of understanding.  It doesn’t meet his expectations.  It’s better!

I propose to you that perhaps God has something planned for your lives, this community, this church –for our ministry together than what you… or I, might be expecting.  Maybe we need to give up our expectations and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us and in this church – Christ’s church to do the work that God has planned in the way that God has planned to do it. 

Of course, the risk is that it won’t meet your expectations; that it won’t meet my expectations.  It will be different.  But just like God’s plans for Abram when he gave up his expectations; just like Mary when she gave up her expectations, and just like Nicodemus when he gave up his expectations and learned about God’s grace and love for the world; we may discover that God’s expectations are far greater and far grander for His Kingdom than ours can ever be.

Sometimes we just can’t know what’s going on or what’s coming next. God doesn't guarantee any future circumstances or uninterrupted prosperity, but we can trust that God will be with us through whatever circumstances we face.  We can trust that God will work with us to make the best result out of even the most hopeless of places.

So, here’s the challenge - can we let go of our expectations and allow God to work in us and through us?  The results may very well be better than we expected.  Amen.