The LCA provides this sermon edited for lay-reading, with thanks to the original author.
Lent 2C
Luke 13:31-35
Dear heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit on us so that we may be willing to receive the loving attention of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Are there some people or places in your life you want to stay away from?
For example, perhaps you had some bad experiences in the dentist chair when you were younger, so now when you need to visit the dentist, your anxiety levels rise considerably? The sounds of drills, the light in your face and the smells might bring back memories of pain and discomfort. On the other hand, you might know what it is to be thankful to be able to see a dentist when you really need one. A place of pain and discomfort can also be a place of healing and restoration.
So, what are some of those places you try to stay away from? Is it the dentist? Do you fear the hospital because it’s full of sick, injured and dying people and you don’t want to be one of them or to be reminded of your own fragility? Do you stay away from old folks homes because you don’t want to see a glimpse of your possible future? Do you stay away from funeral homes and cemeteries because you wish to avoid feelings of grief, loss and mortality? Do you stay away from a town, a school, or an old home because of things that happened to you in the past?
Rather than a place, are there certain people you steer clear of? Perhaps they hurt you. They may have spoken harsh and uncaring words. Maybe they attacked your self-esteem by putting you down, or your sense of self-worth through undue criticism. They may have hurt you physically, perhaps even abusing you. Perhaps they bullied you and manipulated you. Understandably, you don’t want to be hurt again, so you avoid them. It’s easier to run from the foxes of this world.
In a similar way, some even steer clear of congregations like this one because they may see us as hypocrites. They see us acting like goody goodies on Sunday but also see how we live during the week. We sing of love and forgiveness and peace and salvation, but during the week those same tongues curse, swear, lie and deceive. People stay away from the church because they see no real change in our lives. They don’t see Christ living in us.
Some don’t gather together here with us in worship because they’ve been hurt by one of us and so being here reminds them of injustice, shame and heartache. While many in the Church work hard to receive newcomers into the faith, the good work is so easily undone by Christians who refuse to admit and confess their sins to those they have wronged, thinking ‘God forgives me, that’s all that matters’. Sure, God forgives you, but your refusal to confess your sins to those you have wronged may hinder any reconciliation with them, and may also hinder their eternal salvation through their despair and anger. You may be tempted to think your ego and pride is more important than their peace and salvation.
Now this may seem a little tough, but anyone who thinks they’ve never offended or hurt anyone through their actions, words, or thoughts, is fooling themselves. We’ve all offended others, but we’re also reluctant to admit it and therefore we avoid seeking peace and reconciliation. We’re not after a perfect church of perfect people, but a people of God who live in truth and humbleness, seeking forgiveness and peace wherever possible.
All of us, for various reasons, have places or people we stay clear of and try to avoid.
For prophets and others sent by God with a message, the place to avoid was Jerusalem. You see, they’ve got a history. They’ve killed prophets in the past, stoned messengers of God, and they were going to keep doing the same. Rather than running away from Herod, Jesus should be running away from Jerusalem! Yet Jesus says it’s necessary he goes there. Jesus has a task to complete.
He says to those around him he’ll be finished soon – finished in the sense that his mission will be soon completed, but his life will also soon be finished. This task will be complete in three days. Unlike us who often try to avoid those uncomfortable and painful places, Jesus sets his face to go to that very place which promises pain, suffering, and death.
To understand the depths of his commitment, just think of a person you want to stay away from. You stay away because you want to avoid more pain. If you were ever to be near them again, you would only do so if there was some sort of guarantee that it was all going to be ok and you wouldn’t be hurt again. But what if it was guaranteed there will be more pain and suffering? Would you go? Yet that’s what Jesus was facing! Jesus approaches Jerusalem, knowing he was guaranteed to be rejected and whipped and spat on and abused and crucified! Why on earth would he want to do such a thing? It’s almost beyond our comprehension!
Jesus explains that in the same way a mother hen wants to gather her brood under her wings to keep them safe, Jesus to wants to gather the people of Jerusalem under his arms. He still cares for those cruel and heartless people, even though they reject, kill and persecute the faithful people of God who are sent to them. Jesus came to heal, to cast out demons, to restore, and to reconcile, but laments the fact his people weren’t willing to receive him and his mercy. As strange as it sounds, the people of God have often persecuted, criticised, misunderstood and even got rid of God’s messengers. It still happens today.
Even today people don’t want to receive God’s mercy and forgiveness because they think they’ve done nothing wrong and are too busy pointing at everyone else’s wrongs. Even today people don’t want to receive God’s love and refuse to come into his presence. Even today people avoid being confronted with the pain of their past and so also avoid healing and restoration through the blood of Christ. It is easy for us to point to the old city of Jerusalem and criticise them, but the Christian church is the New Jerusalem which still has many of the same problems of rejection, persecution, and killing people with our harmful words and thoughts.
The irony is, this so-called holy city of killing, stoning, persecution, religious fanatics, and death is to be the launching pad of the Gospel to the whole world. Just outside those city walls of Jerusalem, Jesus would die the death reserved for terrorists. He received the punishment his people deserve. He received the death you deserve. He did this in order to bring forgiveness, reconciliation and peace.
Jesus confronts the place and the people full of pain and suffering and death in order to bring hope and peace and life. He came to reconcile and restore broken relationships – both the broken relationship between us and God, but also our own broken relationships with those around us. Without his journey to that painful city, there would be no peace. It was necessary for Jesus to do this for us.
With Jesus’ help, we too may be able to confront the painful places and people of our past. Yes, our anxiety levels might rise. Yes, we may be hurt again. Yes, it could get worse. Yes, Jesus knows what it’s like to confront such pain and suffering and has already borne the worst of it. Yes, there is a chance for peace.
In a strange twist, the places of pain can be the best launching pads of the Gospel – the gospel of forgiveness; the gospel of reconciliation; and the gospel of peace.
With the Holy Spirit’s help, how might we live as in God’s presence, even outside these walls? For example, imagine what might happen if you went to a person you’ve hurt before and confessed your sin against them with no if, buts, maybes, or excuses. Even if they weren’t yet able to forgive you, how might they be affected by your own confrontation of the truth of your own sin? Rather than seeing the devil of lies and deception live in you, will they be able to see Jesus Christ live in you – the Christ of truth, love, forgiveness, and peace?
On the other hand, if others have sinned against you, with God’s help you may be able to confront those painful places and people of your past and see Jesus’ holy blood wash away the grime and stains of sin, as well as your anger and pain. Even if the other person won’t offer you peace, you may be able to take your burdens of guilt, shame, and anger, and dump them at the foot of the cross, leaving them there for Jesus to deal with. In return, Jesus offers you his open arms and his cleansing blood that washes every dark blemish and stain from you.
We all try to steer clear of people and places in our past to avoid further pain and heartache, yet we can learn from Jesus that those same places and people can be the cornerstone or launching pads of peace and new life. While there is still some discussion as to what the name ‘Jerusalem’ means, one of the most commonly agreed is ‘foundation of peace’. The city of Jerusalem, that place of killing, persecution and death became the foundation stone of peace and salvation for the world through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The same still happens today. The New Jerusalem, the church, is the launching pad of forgiveness and peace to our world today, and God knows it needs it!
Therefore, with the Holy Spirit’s help, may our own places and people of pain be the launching pads of forgiveness, reconciliation and peace for us and those around us through the holy and innocent blood of Christ.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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