From the Pastor |
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.
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Yeon Shin
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