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“Your House is Left to You” – Second Sunday of Lent Sherry Lohman – Feb. 28, 2010 Luke 13:31-35 Things are not always as they seem—isn’t that true. We look at our neighbors and imagine that their lives are perfect; they have a beautiful home, a nice car, respectable jobs, and bright, good looking children./ What we may not see is that under that exterior, this family is in heavy debt, their jobs are in question and one of their kids is suffering from drug abuse. But that’s not the picture they present, nor the ones we may concoct in our imaginations. Things are not always as they seem. So it is with this brief paragraph, in the life of Jesus. It appears straightforward. Jesus finally enters Jerusalem, and the Pharisees are there, warning him that Herod is after his life. Seems reasonable. The truth is, Jesus has been on a long journey, from Bethlehem to Nazareth, to Galilee, Samaria and now, finally, Jerusalem. He has been heading, with grim determination, to Jerusalem for a very specific reason, and that is, to announce God’s love, calling people to God. This is where his journey, life and mmission culminates. He has been called, empowered and sent, by God, and all along the way, Jesus has been teaching, preaching and healing . This is God at work, through Jesus. God’s mission, with hands and feet. Finally, Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem—his destination, only to be met by the Pharisees who warn him that Herod is after his life. // Actually, this isn’t his first encounter with the Pharisees. Just a little before this reading (Luke 13:17) we would have heard about a little confrontation between the Pharisees and Jesus…or maybe it wasn’t so little. Remember, the Pharisees are the religious authorities in town…and they didn’t take so kindly to Jesus’ questioning their practices. In fact, they felt humiliated by his very presence. / Right or wrong, have you ever been humiliated by someone? You just want to disappear, or better, you want THEM to disappear, right off the face of the earth. So doesn’t it seem strange, now, that suddenly, the Pharisees are concerned about the welfare of Jesus, warning him about Herod’s death threats?// What’s wrong with this picture? It doesn’t make sense, does it. It’s true that Herod is a mutual thorn in the side for both Jesus and the Pharisees---but it’s unlikely that Herod knows that Jesus is in Jerusalem, at this early point.// / I would venture to say, that it’s not Herod or the Roman authorities that want Jesus out of Jerusalem. It’s these Pharisees. They don’t care to compete with Jesus, much less want him looking over their shoulders, confronting them./ Their warning neither alarms nor surprises Jesus. He states his claim—they can go tell Herod that Jesus has come to do what he must do. He says, “Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work.” That’s what he has for Herod. This isn’t the first time Jesus has had to deal with rejection. Remember, early on, one of his first preaching gigs in his hometown. It wasn’t exactly a warm homecoming. Nor has it been smooth sailing, since. But this is his mission. And it’s God’s mission, and ours, too. It sounds a little crazy when we say it out loud—God’s love is rejected. It has ever been this way. Our biblical history speaks of our human flight from God—our creator, beginning with the story of Adam and Eve, hiding in guilt and shame,-- to its bitter end, putting Jesus away, with the crucifixion; the base consequence of sin; death. How is it that we flee from God—on a daily basis? Are we so self sufficient? You know, if I were God, I think I would give up---why bother. I don’t do well with rejection./ Anyhow, what’s in it for God? Why does God even care to pursue us and promise to be with us, always, even while we find ourselves content to keep God waiting--- which is a degree of rejection, itself. Sounds a little like a one sided romance. A young man calls a young woman, hoping for a date. She doesn’t return his calls, doesn’t acknowledge him next time she sees him./ That’s a good indication he’s being ignored; rejected. So how does Jesus deal with rejection? I’ll tell you—he doesn’t do so well with it, either. He responds with a sad lament. The remainder of his words weren’t for Herod. Jesus speaks directly to the Pharisees. He cries out, as if he’s just taken a direct stab to the heart: This is Jerusalem we’re talking about. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how I long to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” This is deep longing; the voice of God’s seeking and searching, likened to a mother gathering her children, only to be rejected…hushed; shooed out of town by false threats; resistance and rejection of God. They cover their ears, they didn’t want to hear; they’ve no time for God; no time for claiming and sharing God’s love. They have found their own way of life, so, “Move on, Jesus, get going.” And with that, Jesus responds, “See, your house is left to you.” Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!// It’s heartbreaking. This is not the holy mountain God intended…. what has happened to God’s people? Why, we wonder, do they turn away from God? Is this an appropriate response to God’s love? Tell me, then, what is an appropriate response, and are we living into that, or, and I cringe to think…are we as guilty as the Pharisees? What are we to do with God’s love? I doubt we are simply here to absorb it? We believe we are in covenant with God. What does that mean? What’s our part? Are we the people, the church, God intended? How are we responding to God’s love? I don’t know about you, but I get a little nervous when things fall completely into my own hands. I know the damage we, as humans, can do when we leave God out of the picture. I know it, firsthand. I am 100% certain that God can and will use us….if we give God the go ahead. That doesn’t mean that we sit back and wait to see what happens. It means we all do our part. We gather for spiritual growth, we study, we sing, we pray for guidance and give thanks for the honor, we fast, we exercise, giving of ourselves to God, to others; our time, our energy, our money, our witness. We cultivate and practice the presence of our almighty gracious God. This is an appropriate response to God’s love. But it doesn’t stop there. God’s got something—some mission for us. We’re not exactly sure what that is, yet…..and later this morning, we will just begin to start exploring that….just the very edge of it. Does God need us—Does God need our help? I’m not sure that’s the right question. Better, do we need God, or will this house/church be left to itself? My grandparents had a plaque hanging at the entry of their little apartment. It went with them, everywhere they moved. The words, written on it were this, “As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.” The truth is, God loves us, unconditionally—I can’t say that enough. What is the proper response to this great love? And is that response where we will truly feel at home? By the grace of God, may we hear and attend to God’s call. Amen. |