Easter Sunday

 An Emmaus Moment

04/20/2025

This week we are celebrating Easter. Easter is the day Jesus’ tomb was found empty and later he was seen by many to be alive. The resurrection of Jesus is a pivotal piece of the Christian faith and tradition. Our passage this week comes from Luke chapter 24 verses 13 - 49. The events in the passage occur later in the day of the resurrection and I will be taking a look at what happened to the men in the story and what it means for us.

Two men, Cleopas and his friend, are walking from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. These two men were disciples of Jesus so obviously as they walk they are discussing the events of the past few days. A man joins them, whom they do not recognize, and asks what they are discussing. They are shocked by the idea that any person in Jerusalem could be unaware of the events that took place regarding Jesus. Cleopas gives the stranger a rundown of the recent events. Then the man, who was Jesus but not recognized, replied to them as found in verse 25-27, 

“25Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.”

I have two reactions to this passage. First, I wish the whole story had been captured and here in Matthew Chapter 24 we had a record of Jesus’ plain and direct teaching about the Messiah. That we could see his clear line of thought from Moses up to that very moment. However, that was not recorded, instead we are given the responsibility to grapple with it, and with him, ourselves. Second, I am shown that Jesus does come and speak directly to us. The resurrection of Jesus is the symbol of Christian hope and it is also the reminder that God continues to live and to speak to those who seek him.

I have decided not to dwell on my first thought. We don’t have a concise explanation from Jesus captured here. We are not given insights into the mysteries of how the ancient Jewish people misunderstood how the Messiah would come. We are not given a detailed understanding of how Jesus, as the Messiah, fulfilled the law. We are left to ask and seek and find those answers for ourselves. I think that was on purpose. God knows that if given the perfect answer or perfect world (or garden) the first thing we would do is see if we could break it, because our nature is to seek. So our scriptures are filled with parables and stories and from those we dig into what they mean and who they point to. The result of doing that is the building of a faith that cannot be shaken, that can not be broken and contains everything we could ever wish to seek after.

Knowing that I have been left to seek, I take great encouragement from what we find in the passage. These two men loved Jesus and believed him to be the long awaited Messiah. They did not understand how the Messiah could be taken by Rome and put to death. That was not how they understood the story to go. Here in the passage Jesus hears their discussion as a plea for understanding. He drew near to them and after giving them a scolding, probably to get their attention, he gave them the answers they were seeking. He opened up to them from the prophets how they had carried incorrect expectations about the Messiah. He showed them how He fulfilled the prophets words. He explained to them how death and resurrection and not political insurrection was the plan from the beginning. These men asked God about what was on their heart and God showed up and gave them the answers they were seeking.

I think of these as Emmaus moments. A time when we, individually or as a group, are seeking God about whatever is on our heart and he shows up with an answer. He speaks into our lives in some way that we know he has heard us and is giving an answer. It may be an encouragement. It may be instructions. It will come in whatever way God determines is best for us in that time or season. Emmaus moments have been happening since God spoke to Moses at the bush and they still happen today.

Since last week was late, and not really an article about the reading at all I am going to do something a little different today. Instead of continuing to write about Emmaus moments that can be found in the scriptures I am going to write about a very specific Emmaus moment from my own life. This is going to be a long story. I understand if you want to skip to the end to find out if I make a point, I will try to, but I want to tell this story. In 2001 I found myself desiring a new church home. Now I am a systematic and detailed oriented fellow (most of the time) and I felt like finding a new church was an endeavor worthy of serious attention. 

I began by making a list of churches in the area that I would consider. There was no live streaming back then or youtube archive. If you wanted to know about a church, you had to go to that church. Once my list was complete near the end of 2001 I let my current church know that I would be taking some time away. You see, I was the adult Sunday School teacher at the time and I had to recruit a replacement. We finished up the current book of study the final Sunday in December and I handed the leader guide over. 

The first Sunday in January 2002 my family and I showed up at the first church on my list. Then we showed up Sunday night for the evening service. If there was a business meeting scheduled, that was open to all, I attended. For eight weeks I engaged in everything that church had to offer. I wanted to know what they stood for and I wanted to know if that was the church God wanted me to attend. I took note of what I liked and what I was not sure about. I talked about what I was looking for with the staff and my family. I listened to what God was telling me about this new church.

On the ninth Sunday in 2002 I arrived at the second church on my list. This did not happen because I was unhappy at the first church. On the contrary we were enjoying it very much. However, I had started with a plan. The plan was to attend 6 churches for 8 weeks, immersing my family into everything they had to offer for the time we were there. So after 48 weeks, I would be able to know which church was right for us or know that I needed a new list.

If you think this sounds extreme you are probably right. If you think it was a bit startling for the people at the first church, again you would be right. But this was the plan that God and I had worked out, or at least that I thought God had helped me to work out. Eight weeks at church two went by quickly. We all felt very engaged and connected. Week nine came and list indicated where we were supposed to go when Sunday arrived. However, there was just one or two more weeks left in a sermon series or perhaps it was in a class we had joined, so we decided to stay until that completed and then proceed with the plan.

One night after work in the week between Sunday number nine and Sunday ten I was leaving my office and walking to the Metrolink station in St. Louis. If you know me in real life you know that I am a whistler. I whistle songs, I whistle random tunes, I just enjoy whistling. As I was leaving the building, going through the revolving door and down the steps to the sidewalk, I was whistling the Battle Hymn of the Republic. I mention these details, the revolving door and steps, because I remember them so vividly. As I whistled this song, which I love, I had a thought. If I join church number two I will probably never sing the Battle Hymn of the republic again. You see, this church did not have hymnals. They did not have a pick your favorite song Sunday. While this song could be sung in church services it seemed extremely unlikely to be sung in this church which preferred modern worship songs over hymns even for the most serious of occasions. So this thought occurred to me, and then the response was “finish the series and then get back to the plan and you will know what to do”. I guess at the time I thought that was my thought in my brain telling me how to proceed. So I resolved to do just that. We would go to church two one final Sunday to finish whatever it was that had caused the delay, and then we would be off to church number three.

Sunday ten at church two arrived like all the other Sundays. We went in, found our places and started to sing. Song number two that day, was the Battle Hymn of the Republic. God spoke to me and said he would make sure we had what we needed at the church he had for us. That even tiny things, like songs to whistle, were important details to Him and He would use them to communicate to us, to me specifically, in this case. We joined that church that day. There was no other action to take. I had been walking on the road to Emmaus, or the Metrolink, and God had spoken directly to me in a language that I could not misunderstand. God went on to confirm for many years that he had a purpose for me and my family at that church. Many hours of labor went into that church. Over time things started to change and instead of taking a walk to Emmaus to see what God would tell me I held on to what I had. In the end we parted and life changed, both for me and for that church, but that does not change the clear message that I received in 2002 as I walked with God and he answered the question in my heart.

What is on your heart and who are you sharing it with? Most importantly, how are you sharing it with God? God still walks with us. God also enjoys going along on a nice run, or a bike ride. God will join you while you play pickleball or fish. God is here and he is waiting for a chance to hear you and then to speak with you. He will speak in a voice so clear that you can’t deny it is his even though it may sound like your thoughts in your head or advice from a friend or even a scolding from someone. God can come through the words of anyone he chooses. But God usually does not show up uninvited. Got wants to be spoken to and sought. He wants to be our companion and not our wish granter or even our Lord and ruler. God walks with those who seek him and in that walking He will provide the answers that we need. I encourage you to spend some time with God today in whatever mode you choose. Do that with an earnest question in your heart and see if you don’t hear from him.

Thanks for reading.

David

Want to know why I am writing these articles? Look here.

You can find this week’s reading here.

Palm Sunday

Maybe next year

04/13/2025

I did not publish an article this week.  The reading for this week covered the passover meal through the crucifixion of Jesus. This is an extremely significant event but not one that I feel like I am prepared to write and publish on this year. Maybe next year. I do expect to publish a normal article this coming Sunday.

Thanks for reading.

David

Want to know why I am writing these articles? Look here.

You can find this week’s reading here.

The Fifth Sunday in Lent

 Preparing Jesus

04/06/2025

This week’s Gospel reading is from the Gospel of John chapter 12 verses 1 - 8. Today’s reading has been difficult to interpret and extract a lesson from, so I am going to start by just including the full text right here.

1Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)7Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

The story is about a feast given by Lazarus in honor of Jesus. We are reminded that this is the Lazarus who Jesus raised from the dead. The story has some things to teach us but it also has some that we should not try and make more of then Jesus intended.

Jesus is not telling the disciples, or us, that as long as we are doing, or spending, for Jesus then we have a pass to do as we like. We are not able to avoid our duties and responsibilities in the “name” of worshiping Jesus. However, if we are called to honor Jesus as Mary was in this passage, then many day to day activities and responsibilities will take a back seat.

Jesus is also not giving us the green light to evaluate and judge how every other Christian spends their time and money. We have no idea what someone is called to do or be in the kingdom of God. We have no right to proclaim what they should do in service of the kingdom.

So now that we have picked some of the low hanging misapplications let's take a look at Mary. Mary Loved Jesus, we are told that here as well as in other places in the Gospel. We are also told how much Mary loved her brother and how she was impacted by his death. Here we have Mary carrying out an act to symbolically prepare Jesus for his burial as Jesus sits at the table with her very much alive, but previously buried, brother. Jesus has demonstrated his power over death to these very people. He has also told them that his own hour of death is approaching. Mary understands that the burial of Jesus may be short term, like Lazarus’ but it will not be missed. The group is going to have to face this event. In light of what is coming she honors him and anointed him. She is preparing him for what is to come.

We have a responsibility to be away of what is to come. Jesus has called us into service for the kingdom. We should be watchful to know how and when to act in order to honor that call to service.

Thanks for reading.

David

Want to know why I am writing these articles? Look here.

You can find this week’s reading here.

The Forth Sunday in Lent

What does it mean to be lost?

03/30/2025

This week’s Gospel reading is from the Gospel of Luke chapter 15 Verses 1 - 3 and 11b - 32. This is a well known story, often referred to as the parable of the prodigal son. The prodigal son is actually the third parable that Jesus told to this group of listeners. The first two parables are about something that is lost and later found. I think this causes our minds to fall into a bit of a groove about lost and found things, and when we get to the third parable, we may only see one part of the story: the young son who is lost for a time and then recovered. But the third story is not just about something lost being found, it is a story about what it means to be lost as well as what it means to be found. In the parable Jesus is talking about a family farm. What it means to be a part of the family and what it means to be separated from it. The true meaning of connected and separated is much more than just being at the farm vs benign away from it. It is the relationship to the family and the farm that is meaningful. This is a picture of what Jesus has been teaching about the kingdom of God. Jesus came to earth not simply to raise awareness of God’s kingdom but to call us to live in it.

Jesus’ ministry and message was about the kingdom of God. He spoke about it all the time. He taught about what it is. He invited his hearers to be part of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is the place on earth where God’s will is done as it is in heaven. It is not a territory or a domain with borders on earth and it is not only a heavenly realm outside of earth. The kingdom of God is all around us. That is a core part of Jesus teaching throughout his ministry.  Exactly what that means or exactly where the kingdom of God “is” will be set aside for a future discussion. What is important to understand is that Jesus spoke often of the kingdom of God being here on earth. When he talks about someone being “lost”, as in this parable, he is not talking about knowing where the kingdom is, but about being in a connected relationship with it.

Verse one begins this chapter by telling us that tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus. Verse two tells us that the Pharisees and scribes are also nearby, but they are not happy about the “other group” being included. The Pharisees, we are told, are grumbling near Jesus and it is into this environment that he begins to tell his parables to the crowd.

The parable that we are going to be looking at begins in verse 11 with this phrase “there was a man who had two sons.” I have read this story many times. I am familiar with the setup: sinners gathering and Pharisees complaining. For many years I have read this parable as a story with two points. First, if I am “the lost son,” God is watching for me, and he will welcome me home. Second, if I am a Pharisee, I should keep in mind that God is watching for his lost children to return, so perhaps I should as well. The first lesson is a message of hope for the lost and the struggling.  The second message is a lesson about God’s patient love extended to his children.

This time I read it differently. This time I saw something that I had never seen, or thought about, in previous readings. The first line of the parable sets off an alarm when it says that “a man had two sons.” If this story was a lesson about the lost “sinner” son returning to the father, then why were there two sons in the story? A man with one son would have been just fine for the tale of sin, repentance and joyful reunion with the father, but the father had two sons. This parable is about two sons who are both lost, just as Jesus had two groups of listeners that had been called out to us before this parable began. The first was described as tax collectors and sinners. They are represented in the story by the younger son. Tax collectors, having good jobs with the Romans, could afford an easy life. They could indulge in wine or fine goods as they liked. The younger son came to his father and asked for what would be his and the father granted him his request. Now flush with funds, he proceeds to leave the father and seek out pleasure and fortune as seems best to him. If the father’s house and farm are the picture of the kingdom of God then the younger son is certainly lost at this point. He has left it behind to seek his own way, disregarding the customs and responsibilities that come with being a son “of the kingdom” would require.

I don’t think anyone reading this story would argue that the younger son is anything but “lost” at this point. The story goes on to relay how things go for the young son, and soon they turn bad. He is poor in a foreign land and soon finds himself feeding pigs while he goes unfed. He is lost. He has lost his access to food and shelter. He has lost his friends. He has lost the protection of his father and family. I think it is clear what it means to be lost here. Soon this young son comes to his senses and realizes that even a servant in his father's  house has food to eat and a place to sleep. He recognizes he is lost to the father, living outside the kingdom, and choses to return. He is returning in hopes of being taken in as a servant. He does not consider himself worthy to even ask to again become a son of the father. However he recognized that the position of servant inside the kingdom is far better than being a son who is outside of it.

As the younger son approaches the fathers land, the father sees him and rushes out to greet him. This is where we could talk about God’s forgiving love, which is true and important but not the main topic for today. The short version is that the younger son is welcomed home, his sonship is restored and a celebration is held to rejoice at his return. This is true for each “sinner” that returns to God’s kingdom. God is watching and inviting our return, and he does celebrate when any lost soul finds its way back to the kingdom.

At the time that the younger son is outside the kingdom, pursuing his own pleasure, the older son remains with his father. The elder son is within “the kingdom” of the family and farm. However, we have to investigate if he too is lost. Geographically he is not. He is on the farm. If the farm is the picture of the kingdom of God, then he is right in the middle of it so we can hardly say he is lost. But how is he living in the kingdom of God?

The answer can be found in verse 29 where we read “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your commands.” The elder son here states how he has lived for all these years. He is obedient.  He is dutiful. He lives as a slave to his father on his farm, inside the kingdom. But, he is lost because he has failed to know who he is. He is a son and all that the father has is his. It was given to him when the younger son went away, but he doesn’t recognize it. He has chosen to live as a slave to the father, when the father has lifted him up to own all that he has.

Here in the elder son we also find the picture of the other group speaking to Jesus before the story began. The scribes and Pharisees are invited into God’s kingdom as well. They know all the rules to be good members of the kingdom. But they see themselves as slaves to those rules. They do not understand they are invited as sons to partake of the kingdom and all that it has. They miss the fellowship with the King that has been offered, because they are devoted to his power and authority and not to his presence. 

Being lost is not about geography. It is about recognizing who we are, and what we have been invited to be in God’s kingdom. Each one of us are sons and daughters of the King. Yes, we have rules to follow and tasks to complete. We are not called to these tasks as slaves. We do what has been set before us because they are what is best for us as individuals and best for the kingdom of God. We are called, invited, to work in cooperation with God’s Spirit here on earth, as we live in the kingdom. We share in the prosperity and joy of the kingdom, and not just in the temporal pleasures that we can pursue outside of the kingdom. God is patiently calling to us and waiting for us to return to fellowship with Him, in the kingdom that has come to earth. Our reconciliation is guaranteed and the celebration is prepared. Our place is in the kingdom. To take that place, we have to look at ourselves and ask if we are lost. We must remember that we can be lost because we are outside the kingdom, but we can also be lost inside the kingdom by  not remembering who we are.

Pharisees and tax collectors are both invited by Jesus to hear the message, the good news of the Kingdom of God. How they chose to respond determined if they were inside or outside of that kingdom. The good news is we are all also still invited. It doesn’t matter if we come as a son who is confused and thinks they are a slave or a son that has run away from the kingdom entirely. Once we realize we are lost, we can return. God’s Spirit is a faithful guide to bring us back safely into the kingdom.

Thanks for reading.

David

Want to know why I am writing these articles? Look here.

You can find this week’s reading here. 

The Third Sunday in Lent

Called to Bear Fruit

03/23/2025

This week’s Gospel reading is from the Gospel of Luke chapter 13 verses 1 - 9. I am going to divide this passage into two parts. The first part is a back and forth between Jesus and some people in the crowd who ask a question. Jesus gives them an answer but not the one they are looking for. The second half of the passage Jesus tells a parable. In it he is speaking of a fig tree, and using it to help everyone who is listening, that they are called to produce fruit for the kingdom of God.  Through the parable he is reflecting back on the call to repentance in his answer and issuing a challenge to his hearers. God is patiently calling his people to review their lives and respond to his call so that they can honor Him, regardless of the circumstances they are in.

The passage opens with a group of listeners asking Jesus about a recent event in Jerusalem. The question is about the terrible death of some Galileans at the hands of Pilot as they were sacrificing at the temple. The implication is that their death was “judgment” from God because they must have been great sinners. Jesus’ response was certainly not what they expected. Jesus told them that this was not a wrathful judgement of God, but just a circumstance of living under Roman rule. He went on to mention a separate tragedy that had occurred in Jerusalem. He asks if they thought those killed in a tower collapse were worse sinners than all others in Jerusalem. He again answers his own question by saying they are not. Then Jesus turns the teaching back onto the questioners. He tells them that unless they repent they two will perish. 

This was not what the questioners wanted to hear. They wanted to live in a world where God judged. They wanted to excuse their own deeds, whatever they may be, because God had not killed them as the Galileans had been killed by Pilot. Jesus makes it plain that we are all responsible for our own sins. He wants us to understand that sinners and saints are all subject to events in the world that we do not control, but that does not mean God is the cause.

Why does Jesus tell them to repent? What does it mean to repent and what are they, and we, to repent of? Repentance is always tied to sin. What is sin? The word translated in the New Testament as sin is the Greek word hamartia. Hamartia is a term often used in archer or other sports relying on accuracy, it means “to miss the mark.” What mark are we missing when we sin? To answer that, we need to understand the “mark” that we are trying to hit, which we will talk about in a bit. Going back to “repenting” from “sin” we are talking about turning from actions or behaviors that cause us to “miss the mark.” By telling us to repent, Jesus is telling us to review our lives. He wants us to be aware of our actions, and where we have made a choice that “missed the mark,” he wants us to acknowledge that we missed the mark and to change that action in the future. Each action we take and each word we speak has the potential to honor God or to disregard Him in some way. In other words our daily lives may be filled with sin, some of which we don’t even recognize. 

Since we live here on earth, things can often be complicated. We can commit an act, perhaps at work, that dishonors God, but ends up providing us with a financial benefit. The world has been known to reward sinful acts when they suit the purposes of the group in power. On the contrary, we can act in a way that honors God and receive nothing but personal hardship in return. But this does not mean God rewards sin and punishes faithfulness. This means that God allows the world to carry on around us. We are subject to the ways of the world all the time. Not because God can’t “right the world,” but because he has chosen to use his people to do so. 

The point is, our circumstances are outside of our control. We may face a murderous Roman guard or perhaps just an audit from the IRS, but in either case it is out of our control. What is in our control is what we have done up to that point, and what we do going forward. 

So this is the reason Jesus calls his listeners to repent. It is not because the next tower may fall on them, or the next band of Roman soldiers may be at their door, it is because they have an opportunity to do better than they are, with what they have. That is what it means to “hit the mark.”  We are all given a variety of talents and treasures and then placed into some corner of the world. What we do next is what matters to God. How we choose to use our talents and treasures is what is key. What matters most is how we interact with the world, based on our talent and treasure, not on the conditions under which we live. 

Now Jesus takes his teaching in a different direction to make this point. The story is about a man who owns a vineyard. In that vineyard is a fig tree that despite being old enough to produce fruit remains bare. They man’s expectation is simple, he has invested in the tree and it should be giving figs by now. His decision is quick, and he tells the gardener to cut it down. But the gardener says to  wait. He asks for one more year to tend the tree. He will aerate the tree and provide it with fertilizer. He wants to give the tree another chance to produce. He asks for patience, but he also recognizes that time is limited. He does not suggest that the tree just be left forever because he knows that resources have limits and space is valuable.

God is that gardener. He is waiting patiently to see his children produce the fruits they were meant for. Those fruits are the outcomes of our life when we are aligned with God’s Spirit. You will note that the man in the story was not angry because the fig tree failed to produce olives. Each tree has its own fruit to produce. Each tree has its own mark to hit. We are never judged by our ability to hit a mark that God has not set before us. Oftentimes the world will set expectations that we don’t meet and we will judge ourselves. That action is something that we can learn from and correct. Our responsibility is to hit our mark. How do we know what is our mark to hit? 

I would like to make a simple example. If my brother and I are out for a fun day of shooting and we set up two targets, one at 20 yards and one at 500 yards, we have very different targets. If I pick up a bow and arrow and my brother picks up a rifle we will be assigned a target. I will be placed in front of the 20 yard target and asked to do my best. I will not be asked to hit the target at 500 yards with a bow. My circumstance, choice of tool, makes that an impossible target for me. However, my brother’s tool gives him a chance. Our tools are different and that makes the expectations different. God is not asking us to do the impossible, he is asking us to take the tools that we have and act in a way that brings fruit into the world. If I take the bow and put the arrow in at the top of the string and pull it back and shoot directly into the ground, then I have missed the mark. I had the right tool, but I used it the wrong way, and that is what sin is. Maybe I didn’t know how, or maybe I was just being lazy. That is what repentance does for us. It prompts us to evaluate what we have and what we have done and how we hit or missed the target that was set for us.

God, like the land owner, expects fruits from his children. He expects spiritual fruit to bloom out of our lives and feed the world around us. God is patiently waiting and cultivating us to be able to produce. But time is limited, not because God runs out of patience but because the world has limits. But the words of Jesus are the kind gardener. He offers us fertilizer and rain. He offers the Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us every day. He encourages us not to focus on the circumstances of the world, which we can not control. He tells us to look at our tools and look at our life, then listen to the spirit and understand what mark is set for us that day, that instant, and then to act. The next minute everything may change, and that’s ok. The Spirit is still with us and we can choose how next to act. Every moment is an opportunity to choose to act in a way that honors God and produces fruit for his kingdom or not. It is the daily changes of life and our connection with the Spirit that enables us to use what we have at this moment to do what God has called us to.

We are the fig tree. We are all planted in different soil, with different environments, but we can all bare figs. It is what we are called to do. The world may make it difficult, but we have the tools we need for the soil we are planted in. God will never ask a fig tree to produce olives. God will never plant a fig tree in the desert without providing the hidden stream it needs. God’s plan is for us to produce figs. He provides everything we need and our responsibility is to look at where we are and what we have, and take the actions that produce fruit for God’s kingdom.

Thanks for reading.

David

Want to know why I am writing these articles? Look here.

You can find this week’s reading here.

The Second Sunday in Lent

 The Protection of God

03/16/2025

Today’s Gospel reading comes from Luke chapter 13 verses 31-35. If you would like to read it, and the other passages for today, you can find a link at the bottom of this article. This chapter is part of a long section of the Gospel of look where he is recounting events that took place as Jesus and his disciples moved about the region. This entire section is full of parables and instructions. Much of what Jesus said to the people was very challenging. Some of it was difficult to understand while other statements were clear but difficult for the hearers to accept and put into action. The crowds often included people both interested in and hostile towards Jesus’ teaching. In today’s passage Jesus is confronted with news of a physical threat from Herod. Jesus’ response showed that he had little concern at that time of threats from Herod. Instead, Jesus expresses his love and grief for the City of Jerusalem, and for all the children of Israel. Jesus goes on to express God’s true feelings. God’s desire, then and always, is to offer a covering of protection for his children.

The warning comes from a group of Pharisees. This group was often made up of people who were interested in Jesus as well as those looking to condemn him. We are not given any indication where the majority of this group fell, but we do know that they did not bring a hostile message from themselves. They came with a word of warning about a threat from Herod that they must have felt was serious and imminent. Herod is coming and you must flee, because he wants to kill you. A hostile group of Pharisees may have said “Herod is on his way, and he is going to take care of you”. But I read this as a warning in earnest, not a second hand threat.

Jesus responds by talking about his mission. He tells them to report back to Herod that “I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow and on the third day I finish my work.” His plan is to continue with his missions without regard to the threats of Herod. He then tells them that he must be on his way to Jerusalem, not because they also need to hear his message, but because that is where prophets are killed. So in the face of a threat he says he will continue his work, but soon will go to the city where prophets are put to death. This was not an idle statement, but a historic one. Jerusalem has a history of killing God’s prophets when they preach a message they can’t accept. 

Now Jesus’ focus takes a turn. He is no longer thinking about Herod or any other threat against his life. He is thinking of Jerusalem, the great city of David. God anointed his King to rule in Jerusalem. God directed Solomon to construct the temple so that all of Israel could worship in Jerusalem. While Jerusalem is one of many cities occupied by God’s people, it was the center of the Israelite world. This is what Jesus has to say about Jerusalem in verse 34. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it.” Strong words, but not spoken in condemnation, but in sadness. The second half of the same verse says “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under wings, and you were not willing.” That is a statement of love.

That is the good news for today. God is always looking for a relationship with humanity that protects them. That relationship is not just for the Israelites, but for all of humanity. We are all his creation and he seeks to draw us in as his beloved children. Several of the morning readings in the daily office came from the book of Deuteronomy. Each of these passages began with Moses calling the people in to hear what God had to say to them. In passage after passage Moses would remind the people what God had already done for them, and then give some instructions on how they were to live. These instructions were not given in order to control or condemn the people, but to guide them. God knows the world is a difficult and dangerous place. We are surrounded by threats and temptations from all sides. He has directed Moses to give his teaching to the people to empower them to live differently. We can live a life of higher purpose than just controlling the land and filling our bellies. God has given the land to us as a gift, just as he gives many gifts, but not for us to use for ourselves. God has given us rules and guidance so that we can be safe and successful for all our lives and not just when our bellies are full.

Jesus is reminding us of that love from God and that purpose for our lives. He is not wishing to gather us in a chicks who are defenseless forever, but as children who need protection and direction as we grow. He expects us to grow in our understanding of who he is and in our relationship to God, through him. In verse 35 he is trying to help the listeners how they must change. He says “See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’” What house? The houses that Moses helped to bring them into. The protection and blessing of God generations ago to the Israelites. They are living in those houses and holding on to their security, but have lost sight of the God who provided them. Jesus says that when they are able to recognize him that they will again be in relationship with God.

Our opportunity and challenge is to look beyond the provisions of our own hands. So often, we consider ourselves to be the provider of our safety. We work our jobs and buy our houses. We heat them and fill them with food from the fruits of our labor. But our houses and our food are only the temporal provisions of daily life. Jesus is inviting us into a relationship that offers provision beyond our basic needs. Needs that we may not even realize we have as we focus on the day to day living. But Jesus is not just talking about eternity. He is offering a relationship, a way of living, that provides for both our daily needs and our eternal protections.

Can we hear the call of Jesus to look beyond what we think we have control over, and seek his face? He is waiting and watching and working all around us, inviting us into his protection like a parent watches over a child, even like a hen gathers in her brood. We need only to enter into and hold fast to the offer of relationship that he has made to us. 

Thanks for reading.

David

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