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The Second Sunday in Lent Luke 13:31-35 |
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EVERY MORNING I READ THE NEWSPAPER, AND, AFTER GRUMBLING AND GROUSING OVER THE NEWS, I TURN TO THE FUNNIES FOR A LITTLE RELIEF. LAST WEEK, THERE WAS A CARTOON ABOUT A LITTLE BOY WHO COMES HOME TO TELL HIS MOTHER THAT HE IS IN TROUBLE WITH HIS TEACHER. HIS MOTHER ASKS HIM “WHAT HAPPENED?” THE BOY REPLIES, “SHE ASKED ME A QUESTION I COUNLDN’T ANSWER.” THE MOTHER, TRYING TO CHEER UP HER SON, SAYS, “WELL, DON’T BE WORRIED, YOU’LL KNOW THE ANSWER NEXT TIME. WHAT WAS THE QUESTION?” THE DOWNCAST BOY SHEEPISHLY REPLIES, “SHE ASKED ME, ‘HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU TO SIT DOWN AND BE QUIET?’” WE HAVE ALL HAD THE UNPLEASANT AND FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE OF TRYING TO DEAL WITH SOMEONE WHO JUST WILL NOT LISTEN. IN THE ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS, WE ARE STUDYING THE MAJOR PROPHETS, AND THE ONE CONSISTENT TREAD IS THE REFUSAL OF THE PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO WHAT THE PROPHETS TELL THEM ABOUT WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY TO THEM. THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHETS CONTRADICTED THEIR PRECONCEIVED IDEAS AND CONFLICTED WITH THEIR OWN DESIRES, OR WAS JUST NOT IMPORTANT TO THEM, SO THEY WOULD NOT LISTEN. THIS IS THE CONTEXT FOR TODAY’S GOSPEL ACCOUNT. SOME OF THE PHARISEES, WHO HAD BEEN LISTENING TO JESUS, CAME TO HIM TO TELL HIM THAT HE BETTER GET OUT OF TOWN BECAUSE KING HEROD WANTED TO KILL HIM. THIS WAS A TRANSPARENT LIE, BECAUSE HEROD DID NOT WANT TO KILL JESUS; HE HAD NOT EVEN WANTED TO KILL JOHN, BUT WAS FORCED TO DO IT TO SAVE FACE AFTER HIS PROMISE TO SALOME, AND BY THE VICIOUSNESS OF HIS WIFE. HEROD ACTUALLY WANTED TO MEET JESUS, NOT TO LISTEN TO WHAT HE HAD TO SAY, BUT TO SEE HIM DO SOME OF HIS REPORTED MIRACLES. THE PARISEES WERE NOT CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF JESUS, BUT WANTED TO GET HIM OUT OF GALILEE, WHERE CROWDS OF PEOPLE WERE LISTENING TO HIM, TO JERUSALEM, WHERE THEY WERE IN CHARGE AND COULD ARREST HIM. NEITHER THE KING NOR THE RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES WANTED TO HEAR OR LISTEN TO WHAT JESUS HAD TO SAY. JESUS DISMISSED THE LIE FOR WHAT IT WAS, AND TOLD THEM, “GO TELL THAT FOX FOR ME” THAT I AM CONTINUING TO CAST OUT DEAMONS AND CURE THE PEOPLE FOR A SHORT WHILE, SO IF HE WANTS TO SEE ME HE CAN. WHEN I AM READY, I WILL MOVE ON, AND I AM NOT AFRAID, BECAUSE IT IS ONLY IN JERUSALEM WHERE THE PROPHETS ARE KILLED. HIS NEXT STATEMENT IS A MOURNFUL CRY FROM THE VERY HEART OF GOD. “JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM (THE CITY OF PEACE), THE CITY THAT KILLS THE PROPHETS AND STONES THOSE 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! SEE, YOUR HOUSE IS LEFT TO YOU (IF THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT, SO BE IT!). AND I TELL YOU, YOU WILL NOT SEE ME (YOU WILL NOT RECOGNIZE ME FOR WHO I AM) UNTIL THE TIME COMES WHEN YOU SAY, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD.’” IN SPITE OF OUR UNWILLINGNESS TO LISTEN, GOD HAS NEVER GIVEN UP HIS WILLINGNESS TO SPEAK TO US. FOR EVERY PROPHET KILLED IN THE STREETS OF JERUSALEM, GOD RAISED UP ANOTHER TO SPEAK TO HIS PEOPLE. FOR EVERY REFUSAL TO LISTEN, GOD CONTINUED TO SPEAK IN NEW AND DIFFERENT WAYS TO HIS PEOPLE. HE MADE A COVENANT WITH ABRAM. HE SENT HIS ANGELS TO TELL US HIS WILL. HE GAVE US HIS LAW THROUGH MOSES. HE SENT HIS SPIRIT TO THE PROPHETS TO SPEAK HIS WORD TO HIS PEOPLE. ALL THIS WAS TO CALL US BACK TO HIM, THAT HE WOULD BE OUR GOD AND WE MIGHT LIVE SHELTERED IN HIS LOVING CARE. HE CAME TO US HIMSELF, IN THE PERSON OF JESUS, SO WE MIGHT SEE HIM FACE TO FACE AND LISTEN TO HIS CALL TO TURN BACK TO HIM. WHEN JESUS SPREAD OUT HIS ARMS ON THAT CROSS OF SHAME, OUR LOVING GOD TOOK ALL OUR REBELLION, OUR SIN, OUR SHAME ONTO HIMSELF IN HIS ONLY SON. OUR GOD SPARED NOTHING, NOT EVEN THE LIFE OF HIS SON, TO CALL US BACK TO HIM AND TO COVER US WITH HIS LOVE AS A HEN COVERS HER CHICKS WITH HER WINGS. GOD CONTINUES TO CALL HIS PEOPLE TO TURN BACK TO HIM, BECAUSE HE DOES NOT CHANGE AND HIS DESIRE IS ALWAYS TO SHELTER ALL OF HUMANITY AND ALL OF CREATION IN HIS LOVE. WITH THE COMING OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT, ALL WHO TURN TO HIM HAVE HIS CALL INSCRIBED UPON THEIR HEARTS AND SPIRITS, AND ARE NOW THE NEW PROPHETS OF GOD SENT TO THE WORLD TO CALL EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD TO TURN BACK TO THE LORD OUR GOD. YES, WE ARE THE PROPHETS OF GOD, CALLED AND SENT TO PROCLAIM GOD’S LOVE FOR ALL PEOPLE, EVEN THOUGH THE MAJORITY STILL REFUSES TO LISTEN, STOPS THEIR EARS, AND REJECTS GOD’S LOVE FOR THEIR OWN AGENDAS AND DESIRES. WE TEND TO THINK OF A PROPHET AS ONE WHO FORETELLS THE FUTURE; WHICH WE DO BECAUSE WE HAVE GOD’S PROMISE OF HOW THINGS WILL EVENTUALLY TURN OUT. THE REAL MARK OF A PROPHET, HOWEVER, IS THAT HE OR SHE HAS A BURDEN FROM GOD; THE BURDEN OF PROCLAIMING GOD’S LOVE AND DESIRE FOR HIS PEOPLE, IF THEY WOULD ONLY TURN BACK TO HIM. EVEN IF THEY WILL NOT LISTEN, EVEN IF THEY REJECT THE WORD OF GOD WE PROCLAIM, IN SPITE OF THE ALMOST CERTAINTY OF REJECTION, STILL IT IS OUR BURDEN TO PROCLAIM THE TRUTH OF GOD’S LOVE TO THE WORLD. WE CAN DO THIS BECAUSE WE, WHO HAVE HEARD THE CALL OF GOD IN JESUS CHRIST, ARE NOW SUBJECT TO AN ALLEGIENCE HIGHER THAN THAT OF ANY WORLDLY POWER. AS SAINT PAUL SAYS, “OUR CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN,” AND WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE OUR GOD AS THE BEARERS OF HIS WORD OF LOVE TO THE WORLD. THIS SEASON OF LENT IS A TIME FOR US TO REDEDICATE OUR SELVES TO OUR CALLING. IT IS A TIME TO STOP AND LISTEN CLOSELY TO WHAT OUR GOD HAS TO SAY TO US. IT IS A TIME TO REFLECT ON THE SACRIFICE OUR GOD MADE IN THE DEATH OF HIS SON FOR US; WHO’S BLOOD MADE US INTO THE PEOPLE OF GOD. IT IS A TIME TO PICK UP AGAIN OUR BURDEN OF PROCLAIMING GOD’S LOVE TO THE WORLD AROUND US. IN THE SHADOWS AND THE SILENCES OF THIS LENT, WE MUST LISTEN AGAIN FOR THAT SMALL, STILL VOICE DEEP IN OUR SPIRITS THAT CALLS US TO TELL ALL THOSE AROUND US HOW MUCH GOD LOVES THEM AND WANTS TO GATHER THEM UNDER HIS GRACE AND CARE. IN HEARING HIS VOICE, WE MUST THEN PICK UP OUR BURDEN AND SPEAK THE LOVE OF GOD IN WORD AND DEED, FOR THAT IS OUR CALLING AND OUR PURPOSE IN BEING THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD. AS THE PSALMIST PROCLAIMS; “THE LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION; WHOM THEN SHALL I FEAR? THE LORD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY LIFE; OF WHOM THEN SHALL I BE AFRAID?” WE CAN SPEAK AND ACT BOLDLY IN THE FACE OF REJECTION, EVEN TO THOSE WHO WILL NOT LISTEN, BECAUSE OUR BURDEN IS GIVEN TO US BY GOD, AND THE WORDS WE SPEAK AND THE ACTIONS WE TAKE, ARE THE WORDS AND ACTIONS OF GOD’S LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE. IF THEY WILL NOT HEAR, “SO BE IT!” WE MUST MOVE ON TO ANOTHER TO SPEAK GOD’S WORD AND DO GOD’S LOVE FOR THEM. OUR PURPOSE, OUR LOYALTY, OUR STRENGTH IS NOT IN OUR SELVES, BUT COMES FROM HIM WHO SENDS US WITH HIS LOVE AND GRACE TO THE WORLD. IN CHRIST JESUS, GOD’S PROMISE TO US IS CERTAIN; BY HIS HOLY SPIRIT HE WILL BE WITH US IN ALL THAT WE SAY OR DO, EVEN WHEN THOSE TO WHOM WE ARE SENT WILL NOT LISTEN. THE REJECTION WE EXPERIENCE, THE EMBARASSMENT AND HUMILIATION WE FEAR WHEN PEOPLE WILL NOT LISTEN, IS MEANINGLESS COMPARED TO THE SUFFERING AND DEATH JESUS BORE THAT WE MIGHT HEAR THE WORD OF LIFE; BUT IT WILL NOT GO UNNOTICED BY OUR GOD. “HE WILL TRANSFORM THE BODY OF OUR HUMILIATION THAT IT MIGHT BE CONFORMED TO THE BODY OF HIS GLORY” IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD. SUCH IS THE LIFE OF A PROPHET; WE BEAR THE BURDEN OF BRINGING THE WORD OF GOD TO HIS PEOPLE, AND SHOWING HIS LOVE BY OUR DEEDS; EVEN WHEN THEY WILL NOT LISTEN. WHAT FOLLOWS IS THE WORK OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT AND NOT OUR OWN. SO STAND FIRM; AND BOLDLY CALL THE WORLD BACK TO GOD AND SHOW HIS LOVE IN ALL WE DO. THAT IS WHY WE HAVE BEEN CALLED BY GOD.
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