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Lent 3C - Luke 13:1-9
In today’s reading, some people come to Jesus with news… apparently some Galileans were preparing animals for sacrifices and were killed… It was said that Pilate mixed their blood with the blood of the sacrifices. We don’t know why they came to Jesus with this… Maybe they were seeking to arouse his anger are so that he would rise up and lead the rebellion so many longed for. Or maybe they were hoping to trap him by getting him to speak out against the atrocity… offering a word of sedition so that he might get in hot water with the Romans. But I think that maybe… Maybe… they really were curious to know what Jesus would have to say about this terrible event. After all, Jesus has spoken often about judgement… and the Jews did believe that calamity and suffering were the result of sin. They did hold onto the idea that bad things happen to good people. When bad things happened… There must be a reason. Those it happens too must a deserved it even if others did not know why. Jesus, plainly states that this is just not the case: “He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you….”” Jesus then goes further relating this story two another known tragedy, and again states that the tragedy is not a result of the victims being worse sinners than others. They did not die because they were sinners… They were no worse than those who did not die. This was not some punishment from God… Calamity does not pick and choose so cleanly. As Jesus points out in his Sermon on the Mount “… [God] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the on righteous.” [Matt. 5:45] In fact there are many times in scripture where Jesus contradicts the theory that suffering is caused by some perceived sin… whether the victims or their parents’. He says that’s not the case… the unfortunate reality is that bad things do, in fact, happen to good people. Sometimes the good suffer… Sometimes the bad prosper. Jesus made his statements, and then refused to debate the idea any further. Instead, he turns the subject from those who perished to those who were still there… He offered an urgent warning… Not once but twice… he warned his listeners that “unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.” You see… Last week, we heard how Jesus offers a lament over Jerusalem and their failure to heed the word of God told by prophets. Jesus recognizes that, while Israel was the chosen people of God, they were heading for disaster… They had it wrong… He did not come to lead a rebellion … To overthrow the Roman Empire… He came, offering grace and revealing the fullness of God’s love for all of creation. He came to lead God’s people in their mission. Israel was privileged… they were the people who knew the Lord and were in a covenant relationship with God. But their privilege came with responsibility. They were called not only to love the Lord their God … But they were expected to bear fruit… To be a light to all the nations. To make God known to the rest of the world by being the example of those who lived God’s ways. That’s why he goes on to tell the parable of the fig tree. He tells of a fig tree that is planted in a vineyard But it fails to bear fruit. The owner of the vineyard Decides to have a destroyed, but the caretaker asks for another chance … “Sir… leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.” Israel was the fig tree… the one that was failing to bear fruit. Instead of following God’s ways, Israel had turned to the things of this world: power, wealth, status, and had failed to bear the fruit they were meant to bear. So Jesus calls the people to repent… Not to spare them from any calamity that might be coming… Not as a guarantee of their safety and prosperity… Come on… The world doesn’t work that way… They needed to repent so they might live. They needed to repent… to change their ways and turn back to God. To live as God calls them to live, and bear the fruit that is their responsibility to bear. God is patient… but patience sometimes runs out… thankfully Jesus came and has acted as a mediator… A caretaker … Making the intercession not just for Israel, but for us as well . Requesting more time… saying “give me another year… Let me care for them and see if they bear fruit. “ Jesus tells the people that they must repent because Jesus knew that it was possible for a person… Even on nation… To turn to make a change and by an act of faith receive the power for creative, abundant life. So, let me ask you… How are we any different? How are we any better? If Jesus came today what would he say about our nation in this time? I don’t know about you, but that thought actually scares me… Would he look at us and tell us we are good … That we are right… That we are better than the other sinners of the world? The truth is we are not. We are now what Israel was then. We are the fig tree planted in God’s vineyard. We’re called … As children of God… As disciples of Christ Jesus… To live God’s ways. We’re called to follow God’s commands and God’s laws. We are called to be a light to the nations and show God to the world through our words and our actions… to not only love God, but to love our neighbors and our enemies… ALL of them… and yet far too often we find that we fail to bear the fruit and we’re meant to bear. We fail to shine the light of God’s love for the world to see… We fail to bear the fruits of the spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Just like the people of Jesus’ time… We look around this world today and see calamity and tragedy all around us. Sometimes we wonder if it’s God’s will for these terrible things to happen … Did the one who suffers do something to deserve it? But more often, we turn it around… we prosper and good things happened us because we believe… We have faith that are rewarded… But as Jesus said God “makes a sunrise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the on righteous…” [Matt. 5:45] … calamity and prosperity neither one is so picky… Neither one is that specific in choosing… Life is not Santa’s list of naughty vs. nice with the good receiving the great gifts and the bad receiving coal in their stockings. Are victims of tornadoes and earthquakes, accidents and wars any worse sinners than we are? No… We are all sinners. We all fall short. The problem is we often forget is that sin does not come in degrees. This sin is a small one… so don’t worry… That sin is great… so panic! WE act like since we don’t commit the “biggies” … murder, theft… etc. we are ok… we are better than others… but… Sin is sin. All sin is bad in the sight of the Lord and we all need to repent as Jesus warned us otherwise our fate will be like the innocent who perished… If we continue to sin we too will perish. If our lives are like the fig tree in Jesus’ parable… Fruitless, barren, a waste of space and good soil… There are only two choices; 1. To be cut down, destroyed or 2. To repent … To turn back to the Lord and begin to bear fruit. We are the fig tree. We were planted by God: created and cared for… and also responsible for bearing fruit. Jesus gave his life on the cross… Not for his sins… but for ours… Offering salvation, and giving us the time and ability we need to repent and live. The Holy Spirit is our caretaker. Caring for us… Fertilizing us (so to speak) … Helping, pruning, and guiding to enable us to bear fruit and live eternally. God has been patiently waiting. Giving human beings chance after chance after chance to be fruitful… but God’s patience is not without limits… Unless we repent… unless we turn back to God and change our ways… The justice of God will one day be visited upon us. The useless, fruitless person risks perishing. Lent is a time of pruning… It’s not meant to cause pain or sorrow, but to make our lives more productive for the fruits of the spirit. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to live fruitful lives… to learn and grow and become more and more like Jesus… becoming better human beings. This will not spare us from the calamities of life but fruitful lives will never be destroyed. Because as John tells us “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” [John 3:16] Amen
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Lent 2C – Luke 13:31-35
Our gospel reading for today is a tough one. Just prior to these verses, Luke tells us that Jesus is going from village to village, town to town… making his way towards Jerusalem. He is traveling along, healing, preaching and teaching about the kingdom of God. Some choose to follow him… many welcome him as he travels throughout the region. But not everyone is pleased by all Jesus is doing and saying. In fact, a group of Pharisees have come to warn him. They urge him to leave the area because Herod is looking to kill him. Now, we are not told why Herod wants Jesus dead… but this is no idle threat. Herod is a fairly powerful and dangerous political figure. I mean, he was the one who had imprisoned John the Baptist and later had him beheaded. If Herod Antipas wanted someone dead, chances are they would wind up dead. Soon! However, instead of heeding this warning and fleeing as most people would be tempted to do, Jesus refuses to go leave or go into hiding. He seems completely unafraid of the threat posed by Herod. Instead he replies “Go tell that fox… I am going to keep doing what I am doing until I reach my goal… after all surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!” While a fox is sometimes seen as sly, and intelligent… they are not known for physical strength. In fact, the Old Testament seems to point more to a fox being viewed as weak, easy to catch… but also destructive. Jesus knows that while Herod might be cunning and powerful… he does not have what it takes to make good on his threat. Herod cannot thwart the plans of God… Jesus was prepared. He knew what was coming for him… what he was called to do. He did not fear Herod because he already knew that his destiny lay ahead in Jerusalem. His time is running short, and Herod was not capable of altering the plans of God. So instead of fearing for his life, Jesus looks ahead and expresses his overwhelming grief for the beloved city of Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem might NOT be afraid, but Jesus strongly implies that they should be. Why? Not because of Herod. Not because of the Roman Empire or some other oppressive, violent force. They should be afraid because they are the city “who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you.” They should be afraid of themselves... Of their own habit of rejecting the messengers of God... Of their own blindness to the reality they face. They should be afraid because Jesus knows they are going to reject HIM. Jesus draws upon the metaphor of a hen seeking to gather up her chicks in order to provide for and protect them. What a wonderful image for Jesus’ relationship with God’s people. Hens tend to be fiercely protective of their chicks. After all, the hens have reason to be concerned. The chicks are defenseless and can easily fall prey to other animals, harsh weather conditions, and many other dangers. However, in spite of a hen’s best efforts, often the chicks will not obey. They wander off and the hen may have a hard time getting them to follow her or to remain in close to the safety of her wings. Much the way we human beings wander off and often refuse the protections and care offered by God. Like a mother hen, Jesus wishes to teach and heal the children of Israel, but they are unwilling. As a result, they are exposed to potential “foxes” that will hasten their destruction. Jesus is grieving because the people of Jerusalem are rejecting God’s loving protection. So when Jesus thinks of Jerusalem, he mourns. What was once the central place for worship to honor the one, true God is now filled with people rejecting this same God and his messengers. Jesus' heart is clearly broken by this; that holy city which had been the seat of God's presence since ancient times is the city that would soon reject him and claim his life. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" These are the words spoken by the one who came to reveal God’s love… by loving others completely, but whose love has been thrown back at him. The one who will not only be rejected, but who will soon suffer and die because of that rejection. “How often I have longed… and you were not willing.” That pretty much sums up the story of God’s relationship with us, doesn’t it? From the Garden of Eden… to the great flood… to the Exodus. From the days of the prophets, and the days of Jesus… To this very day… God has longed… and human beings have not been willing. That is the very heart of sin. Too often we consider “sin” to be something big… something illegal… dark and evil. Murder for example. We almost never think of ourselves in those terms… as “sinners” I mean… we make mistakes but we aren’t evil… we certainly don’t go around stealing and murdering others. Sin… that is what “those bad people” do. But, sin is so much more than that. Yes, sin happens in large and very dark ways, but it also happens every time we turn away from God. Whenever we ignore the will of God… Sin, big OR small, is anything we do (or do not do) that separates us from God. We sin every time we turn away or reject the protection we receive from God’s loving Grace. Like the people of Jerusalem in Jesus’ day, we are invited to come and find the protection and care of the Messiah… the one who came to reveal God’s love and mercy… who wants to heal us and set us free from all that is evil. But also like the people of Jerusalem… We should be afraid… afraid of ourselves... Of our own habit of rejecting the messengers of God... Of our own blindness to the reality we face. Even though Jesus' lament was spoken about Jerusalem, we can be certain he grieves for us as well… because too often we reject him and turn our backs on him. But thanks to the loving Grace of God… the story is not over… It does not end with Christ’s rejection in Jerusalem… It does not end there for the disciples. It is not over for those who meant him harm. It is not over for either the faithful OR for those who rejected Jesus. It was not too late then and it is not too late now. In spite of the evil and dangers that surround us… We can trust in God’s love and protection. If we do not… then just like the city of Jerusalem… Jesus will continue to grieve over us and say “Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” And Jesus' lament is fitting. Even when we are at our best we tend to reject the promised protection and love of God. We try to live life on our own terms… our hopes turning to cynicism and our dreams of doing “good” dissolving under the stress and pain of the world. And when we are at our worst? Well… we know all too well what that looks like. For centuries, God has raised up men and women, filled with God’s spirit, who sought justice and spoke God’s message to the people… messages relevant to their time in history. And just like in ancient Israel… Jesus continues to cry out… “[Christians, Christians], you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you…” because all too often those messengers were rejected. In this time, when we are faced with the rising epidemic of violence and hatred… in this time of great division even within our own denomination… we need a messenger who will boldly speak the Word from the Lord. But we also need to accept that prophet… and to heed the message he or she brings. But Honestly… I believe what we really need is a revival… but not merely a revival to bring new believers into the church. We need a revival WITHIN the church. We need to be revived out of our complacency into a faith that is real and authentic… deep and personal… a faith that affects our daily lives… our actions and attitudes so that we do not run away from problems within our society or bury our heads in the sands. I mean… How many of us are really willing to follow Jesus WHEREVER he leads us? Or do we back down under the fear of uncertainty, opposition, rejection, or ridicule? Most of the time it seems we define our faithfulness in such a way that is does not put us at odds with society. Our Lord expects better from us! In this Lenten season, as we travel with Jesus to the cross, we need to remember that although the world resorts to violence and war… exerting power and dominion over others… the way of Christ is different. Christ calls us into hope and service… into a community that lifts one another up and cares for one another with compassion, kindness and mercy. .. to seek out a DIFFERENT way. As people of faith and hope living in a culture of fear and anger, we must be willing to speak the gospel truth in a world of lies; to preach love in a selfish world filled with anger and hatred. We need to stop simply being a congregation and become again Disciples of Christ. The church, each and every one of us, needs to strengthen and revive our own relationship with Christ Jesus, and then move OUT into the world, living as Jesus lived… loving as he loved… doing exactly what the Lord requires… working for justice, acting with loving kindness and walking humbly with the Lord. Luke 4:1-13
There was a young boy who was forbidden by his mother to go swimming in the local river on his way home from school. The next day his mother found him in his room, working very studiously on his homework I might add, with wet hair, and a damp swimsuit in the corner. She asked him “Did you go swimming after school today?” “I couldn’t help it,” he replied… “The devil tempted me!” “Well, how come you had your bathing suit with you?” she asked. “Oh,” said the boy, “I brought that just in case I got tempted.” Oh, the Temptations… so often the downfall of us all… and temptation is what our Gospel reading is all about. After coming out of the waters of the Jordan River… the Holy Spirit descends like a dove and Jesus knew that the time had come for his ministry to begin. But instead of hopping right to work… the Holy Spirit sends Jesus out into the wilderness for quite a long time. There Jesus fasts and prays… and experiences great temptations. Have you ever considered why? I think there were a couple of reasons for this sojourn into the desert. 1st, Jesus needed to fast and pray in solitude so that he could discover EXACTLY what it was God wanted him to do… He was human after all… and let’s be honest… anytime human beings try to discover God’s will for them on their own… the results are not great… We need to take some time to quietly pray and listen for God’s will to come to us. It would have been no different with Jesus. He needed this time to find the truth of his path. But he also needed to be confronted with his options… he needed to decide his path for himself. Like all human beings, Jesus had the ability to say ‘no’… he had free will. He needed to make the difficult decision to follow the path God put before him… or not… And that is exactly what happened. While fasting and praying in the wilderness… Jesus was tempted, in a variety of ways, to take a different route… an easier path. Our current bible study asked an interesting question in regard to the temptation story. The author asked which of the three temptations do you think was the most difficult for Jesus to reject? My first thought was the bread… I mean… I hate being hungry… and I cannot imagine… In fact… most of us actually have no idea what that feels like to be truly hungry… we have not known true hunger; the kind of gnawing hunger you would feel after not eating anything for so long. So the temptation to satisfy this most basic need would definitely be understandable. I mean… Jesus had the power… but he also knew that using his power for himself was not the will of God. Then we have to consider the 2nd temptation. This one HAD to be tempting to Jesus. He is shown “all the kingdoms of the world” and told that he could be Lord of it all… all he had to do is bow down before the tempter. I imagine this must have been a really tough one for Jesus because it certainly sounds preferable to the path God had laid out before him. Bow down… Be rejected… Bow Down… Die on a cross… The long, hard, painful road… or the quick and easy path. Like I said… FAR from an easy decision for any person. So maybe THAT was the hardest one. Then we look at number 3. This third one… at first glance… doesn’t seem that hard of a decision… I mean… he is told to throw himself off the highest peak of the temple. Seems like a no-brainer to me… except when we look at how this one is worded: “If you are the Son of God… throw yourself down from here.” After all… you won’t get hurt… For the scriptures assure us that his angels will guard you… “they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” In other words… if YOU really are the Son of God… prove it! Actually, over and over again Jesus was asked to prove it… do this so we might believe… do that and we will follow… even when he hung on the cross they told him… “Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” [Matthew 27:40b] How tempting it must have been… not just there in the desert, but throughout his ministry… for Jesus to just say “Heck with it!” and offer the proof they claimed they wanted… to give into their demands and prove his identity. But again… that was not God’s plan. A quick reading through our text makes it seem like it was easy for Jesus... The devil said "Do this." Jesus said "no... scripture says..." But it was certainly NOT that clear cut and simple... There is no doubt… Jesus struggled with this for 40 days… it was NOT easy, but he did not give into temptation. Instead, he focused on God and used the scriptures to help him in his decision making process… Each year, we begin our Lenten journey with Christ in the wilderness because, honestly, that is where we live. We live in the wilderness… faced with temptations both great and small on a daily basis. These 13 verses remind us that Jesus experienced what we experience… he struggled with the temptations of this world… just like we do… that in him we have a High Priest who “has been tempted in every way, just as we are…” [Hebrews 4:15b] In fact… we face temptations like these every day… the temptation to satisfy our personal needs and wants… the desire for power and influence… money and prestige… issues of identity, security, taking the easier, less painful road… Like us… Jesus was tempted to satisfy his own basic needs… to take the easier, less scary road… but this would require turning away from God’s plan… and that is what the temptations we often face do as well… they derail us from God’s path… causing us to trade God’s will for another… often our own… This world… Satan… the devil… the adversary… whatever you want to call it… offers us many shortcuts… many other ways… but often, the most powerful temptations are the most subtle… many may even seem ok when we look at the idea that the ends justify the means. It often makes rejecting temptations very difficult… Maybe you've heard this prayer. “Lord, thank you so much for being with me today. I have not gossiped, nor have I spoken a cross word. My thoughts have been on you and I am thinking of the people in my life with love in my heart. I have not been angry, sarcastic or impatient. Now, I ask that you continue to help me as I get out of bed this morning!” To live is to be tempted, but if those temptations do not embrace God’s ways… God’s laws and God’s love… they are just plain wrong. To God… the ends DO NOT justify the means. The biggest trick is recognizing that we are most vulnerable when, like Jesus, we are exhausted, hungry, weak, beaten down, stressed out by the demands of our lives that seem to pull us in multiple directions... When we are stretched to our limits. The good news is that we are not alone… Jesus is with us through it all. No matter the temptations we face, Jesus has been there… he knows what it is like… how hard it is… Jesus was tempted to follow a different path, but he choose to do God’s will and did, in fact, accomplish each of these “temptations” in a manner that was not self-serving... Instead of changing a few stones into bread to feed himself, he changed a few loaves of bread and some fish to provide food for thousands. Instead of bowing down to the devil, he offered the prayer “Not my will but yours be done” and gave his life on a cross in a demonstration of true love poured out for all... and has been lifted up by millions of people all around the world as Lord of all… Instead of proving his identity by throwing himself off the temple peak, he humbled himself as a servant to the poor and needy and walked the path of love and compassion… dying only to be resurrected once again… proving he was indeed the Son of God… and he did it all God’s way… The same choices confront the people of faith. God is calling each of us to do God's will… to live out a specific purpose now. Unfortunately, there are distractions and temptations all around us, things that would draw us away from the path of the Lord. But, how do we resist the many temptations that cause us to fail to do God’s will? We need to put our trust in God… and focus of God’s care and provision… immersing ourselves in God’s word… using the scriptures to guide us. And we need to keep our eyes on Jesus… on his example… his words… his love and his spirit… by allowing the Spirit to work within us sustaining, guiding, inspiring and strengthening us… helping us to overcome temptation and follow the way of God. So, this Lenten season, take a long, hard look at the temptations you are facing. Consider what it is that might be pulling you away from God. Then let God’s word and God’s spirit lead you along the way of Christ and wherever God’s will is directing you to go. Amen. |
Yeon Shin
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