Bible Text: Genesis 15:1-21, Luke 13:31-35 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes
I experienced many sermon illustrations while on my recent trip. In fact, whenever something particularly significant happened someone int he group would inevitably say, “Hey Jenn, that would make a great sermon illustration”, so you can bet you will be hearing about African adventures for a while. I do want to say that it was an absolutely wonderful trip. The people were a delight and incredibly hospitable, the scenery is awe-inspiring and I did get to see some fascinating wildlife and the places we visited and experiences we had can hardly be expressed in mere words. It was quite the journey! Not only were the various flights to get to Nairobi journeys in and of themselves and not only were we each experiencing our own personal revelations while on the road. But the very act of driving across the southern landscapes of Kenya and Uganda, from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara to Jinja to Entebbe, was quite the journey. All of the CanAssist supporters, 21 in total, travelled as a group in this large over-lander vehicle- it was some kind of cross between an eighteen wheeler and a greyhound bus or between a jeep and a tank. The truck itself was enough to stop people in their tracks as it drove down the highway or through various rural communities, but when the people observing this large vehicle realized that it included over 20 white North Americans, shouts of joy would erupt. People of all ages would run and wave- but the children in particular would get a real kick out of it all. We struggled at first to make a comparison but eventually we realized it was like the circus had come to town and we were a car load of clowns. Now, the Swahili term mzungu means “to wander without a particular destination” and it came to mean the various white people who would come to Africa on safari during the exploration and colonial periods- it is not a derogatory term but rather a term of endearment. As the truck drove by, children would be outside, doing chores, getting washed, or walking to school. They would have this look of awe face and then drop whatever they were carrying or jump out of the basin and scream with delight, “Mzungu!” and wave enthusiastically. Being someone who loves a little attention, waving back with a big smile made me get quite the complex. Some of the places we visited were so remote that many children under the age of 10 had never seen a Caucasian before and they certainly had not seen so many in one place. It was an added perk to our journey that we were the object of mystery, wonder and delight. It is also one fine example of how joyful the people of Kenya and Uganda are and how much we felt welcomed. There are many stories like this that come to mind as it was an experience and journey like no other.
In our Gospel passage Jesus is on a journey and experience like no other with his disciples, a journey to Jerusalem and ultimately to the cross and empty tomb. What is remarkable is that while on this journey Jesus finds the energy and time to heal, preach, minister, and teach. What is equally remarkable is that in the passage that was read this morning, it is the Pharisees who warn Jesus of upcoming conflict, remarkable because the Pharisees are often the ones who who enter into conflict with Jesus. We get the sense that this particular group of Pharisees seek Jesus out, as it says in our NRSV, “the Pharisees came to him to warn him of the danger he is in”. It is a rare day indeed when the Pharisees come looking for Jesus and rather than wanting to start trouble are coming to assist him. Jesus not only replies to this group of Pharisees but then seamlessly turns the conversation to all who will listen and most importantly to the city of Jerusalem, to the place where Jesus is headed. Jesus reveals his concern for Jerusalem and his perception of the city’s (and his) fate. This conversation is also recorded in Matthew, but Matthew has it in a very different place- after Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. Luke places these words much earlier in Jesus’ ministry while he is still in outlying villages and therefore in Luke it has some very important prophetic meanings.
This text is often broken into two parts, verses 31-33 and 34-35. In the first section immediately I am touched by Jesus’ confidence and commitment to God’s will at all costs. Jesus is rather brave. Jesus is casting out demons, performing miracles, preaching to the outcasts while also heading toward that holy city. But this is not a route that he has mapped out but one that God had planned since the beginning of time. While Jesus’ words, “I must be on my way,” reveal that God has a will for the course of life in this world- and explicitly Jesus’ life. It is also Jesus’ life that is at stake here. But it will affect us all, most specifically our salvation, our relationship to God as children of God. It may not seem like it but this passage is telling us that God is at work for our well-being. Jesus must be on his way, to Jerusalem, to fulfill the will and work of God.
The second section, verses 34 and 35 reveal Jesus’ concern for Jerusalem. It is a lament for this city in which he sees Jerusalem’s inability to love and listen to one another. I love the gender defying comment that Jesus is like a nurturing mother hen in which he opens up his arms and invites Jerusalem to gather under his protection.But the pain in Jesus’ words is that even though he extends this invitation they, the dwellers of Jerusalem, are not willing to gather. Perhaps they are unable due to things like pain, pride, hurt, anger, or skepticism. Author and Presbyterian Record contributor Katie Munnik once wrote, “Jesus longs to stretch out sheltering wings to show Jerusalem that there is refuge here, that there is comfort, and the solution for all its missteps and mistakes. Jerusalem may be broken and Jerusalem may be proud, but Jesus longs to give her the words she needs, to begin again to see the light.”
I have wondered about this reference to Jerusalem. What is Jerusalem? What does it represent? Are we talking about the physical city or is it a symbol for the Jewish people? Could it be a reference to all life here on earth? Is Jerusalem us? Of course for Jesus the literal city of Jerusalem is important as it is where Jesus is headed. It is where Jesus will enter the gates to the words, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” It is where Jesus will be persecuted and charged with death. It is where he will die. But what about if Jerusalem is analogous with us? What if Jerusalem means more than the city that has endure so much conflict? What if we are the ones, who despite Jesus’ desire to gather us up, to protect us, are not willing? Because we have our own pain, pride, hurt, anger and skepticism.
We have begun a journey through Lent, a time when we acknowledge our mortality, our frailty, our fallibility and the further we move into Lent, the clearer it becomes that things are not going to go well for Jesus. Jesus has stirred resistance. Even the Pharisees are uneasy. Herod is a major threat. Yet, Jesus refuses to journey down a safe path for safety’s sake. At this stage in Lent, Palm Sunday seems like it is a month away (which it is) but Jesus knows that with palm Sunday comes another chance for Jerusalem but while the shouts of praise resound there are still dark days ahead. The closer Jesus gets to Jerusalem the more road signs there are warning of the price that will be paid. It is the trip of a lifetime, a journey and experience like no other, for us and for Jesus. Jesus is the ultimate mother hen, who is willing to risk his own life to spare the life of his children. Amen