Sermon 13th March 2022 – 2nd Sunday of Lent
Text: Luke 13:31-35 – Jesus weeps
We are all quite familiar with the shortest passage in the Bible – just
2 words – Jesus wept. Jesus wept at the death of his dear friend Lazarus but
his tears were most likely for the tears that he saw in the grief shown by
Lazarus’s friends and family. I’ve had that experience before when I’ve
conducted a funeral for a person I didn’t know. There was no personal
connection or grief for me as I didn’t know them But as the coffin departs and
I see the tears in the family especially in the young children I cannot help
but also weep. But here in our Gospel reading we see Jesus weep because of his
own personal grief. It doesn’t mention that Jesus wept but it’s hard to imagine
that Jesus did not have tears running down his face at he looked at God’s own
children, his brothers and sisters, the children of Israel, who had continually
rejected the love of their Heavenly Father. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that
kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I
desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her little chicks
under her wings, and you were not willing!
In this encounter we see the extent of the love of God shown through
Jesus that despite Israel killing the prophets who came to bring them God’s
message – despite them stoning everyone God sent to them – and soon about to
even put to death God’s one and only Son, Jesus’ desire is to still wrap his arms
in an all embracing hug like a mother and her new born baby. What we see here
is the extent of God’s love for us that even though he knew what we would do to
Jesus that he still sent him to save us. And it is this extent of God’s love
that brings us great comfort knowing that there is nothing that separate us
from the love of God or prevents God from wrapping his arms around us in an all
embracing love.
As St Paul so beautifully puts it in Romans chapter 8 Can anything ever
separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have
trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger,
or threatened with death? And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us
from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our
fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can
separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth
below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the
love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul goes to great lengths to make sure he has not left out any
situation that separates us from the love of God in Christ Jesus and that it
was even while we were still sinners that Christ died for us. This is something
we need to constantly keep close to our hearts because there is a narrative in
the world today that would want us to look away from God and his love for the
world. There is so much that makes us question God’s promises that his love is
at work in the world. The twenty-four-hour news cycle reveals a
different story with death, war, and dishonesty with so much despair fillings
our minds.
We watch the news on our TV and these days at the sound of a news alert
on our phones we quickly grab them to see the latest catastrophe unfolding
wondering if there will be a better world for our children to inherit?
Can we trust God’s promise that he continues to love the world and cares
for the world with all that is devasting it? We absolutely can because what God
promises God delivers as Paul reminds Israel who rejected Jesus as the Messiah.
They may have rejected Jesus but Jesus never rejects them because as far as the
gospel is concerned, even though they are enemies as far as election is concerned,
they are loved because God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. For Abraham,
it was the despair of not having a child even though God had promised him one
but as he will discover, God will deliver his promise even though Abraham will
be 100 years old.
God makes promises to each of us. The promise is that we are all
children of God with an irrevocable promise that as Children of God we are
heirs with Christ of eternal life in heaven. We are baptized into Jesus’ death
and resurrection, and we are reminded of that each Sunday when we hear “this is
my body given for you – this is my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of
sins. Lent is a time of repentance and for self-examination and renewal as the
Gospel strengthens us to withstand the assaults of the enemies of the cross of
Christ, as St Paul calls them, who want to put a different face on God as
powerless and irrelevant in today’s world.
Paul calls us to reject those enemies of the cross and reject the
constant focus on bad news and wicked and evil in the world as if that is our
reality. And that’s why St. Paul reminds us where our true citizenship is and
where we expect our help to come from.
Our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting
a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation
that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also
enables him to make all things subject to himself. So, as Christians, as fellow
brothers and sisters in Christ we need to encourage one another along the way
and turn our focus away from the world’s focus on chaos that leads only to
death.
For us, Jesus leads the way. In the Gospel reading from Luke for today,
Jesus is also confronted with the fear of what Herod might do. They wanted to use fear to distract Jesus
from his ministry work. Some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, "Get away
from here, for Herod wants to kill you." He said to them, "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. Jesus stands his
ground, assured that he is doing God’s work, “casting out demons and performing
cures today and tomorrow.” And on the
3rd day Jesus will complete his work when he defeats death and the Satan.
We too are to reject the negativity of the world that constantly tries
to undermine the unique work of the church to bring hope into the world by assuring
the world that God has not rejected his love for us even though so many have
rejected their love for God. Maybe we need to refuse to watch the news when it
becomes disturbing to you. We are
powerless over much of what happens, but we often let it take control of our
lives, and we lose our focus when we do. I can’t tell you how many people lost
hope these past 2 years through Covid not because loved ones had contracted it
but because of the 24 hour news cycle that engrossed them. As a result we miss the
amazing work God is doing in the world. There are so many stories of Good
News. They are often buried in the
newspapers if they are there at all. So we need to share them with each other.
Lent is a time to take heart the extent of God’s love that not even our
rejection of his Son would stop God from carrying out his plan of salvation for
us. Now is the time to bear one another’s burdens with grace and care for each
other and to take care of ourselves in our faith life so that we are strong for
others, and to be witnesses to the promises made to Abraham, the patriarchs,
matriarchs, and prophets who came before us and will come after us. Let us
remain hopeful and remember that our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from
there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is coming – Come Lord Jesus Come.
And let me finish with St Paul’s words today: Therefore, my brothers and
sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord. And
may the peace of God that surpasses all our understanding, keep your hearts and
minds forever in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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