Lent 2 (C) + Don't resist God + 3.17.19

(www.westconcordiaunionchurch.org)

M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(Genesis 15:1–12, 17–18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17–4:1; St Luke 13:31–35)

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Blessing. This is what I imagine that Abraham felt when the saw all the stars in the sky and there saw the number of all his descendants. What the future would look like. Although he was a humble man, his life would lead to multitudes.

This story in the book of Genesis always makes me think of the time when I visited a synagogue in Eastern Europe – Budapest - and there we saw the roof of a synagogue that was covered in painted stars over the place that the Torah scroll is kept, as a way to remember this promise of God to Abraham and the Jewish people.

It was a strange to see this image of hope there because on this trip I was made even more aware of the destruction of the Holocaust in the Jewish community in Europe and around the world. More than six million people died. A number almost so large that it seems more than the stars in the sky, at least those visible to the human eye. Where was the promise of God to Abraham then? But there it was, visible in a synagogue that persisted and survived an attempt in the life of its people. And this promise continued for the future of all its descendants – those stars reminded us that the promise endures. God does not tell us that it will be easy, but God helps us survive and continue collectively. To see the dawn of another day in faith.

The story was a little different when Herod sent word via the Pharisees to Jesus in the scene remembered in today's Gospel. Herod wants to kill Jesus, it says here, but to understand the situation, we have to remember who Herod was. It is a little confusing because this Herod, Herod Antipas, was the son of King Herod, who reigned at the time of the birth of Jesus. This was his youngest son, and not his favorite successor to the throne. Herod Antipas was a tetrarch instead of a king and was only in possession of a portion of the land. He did not have the power that the Kings of Israel had because his claim to the throne was less than certain. But he had heard something of Jesus and the trouble he was making.
To Jesus, surely Herod did not appear to be the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham so many years hence. In fact, although as a Jewish monarch Herod was a so-called representative of the Jewish faith, the truth was that the received more power from the Roman Empire than from his position as a Jewish leader. The promise of Abraham, sold to the highest bidder.

Then it is not surprising that Jesus did not have time for Herod, or for his threats. He had time only for Jerusalem. That is to say that at that time he only had time and energy to devote to the roots of the faith of his people. To dedicate to the city representing the unity of the Jewish faith. But sadly it was is exactly there, in Jerusalem, that Jesus will find his end. He loves his people as a mother hen takes care of her chicks, but he will be rejected, and will even die because of this rejection, and the hatred that develops from the reaction of the people to his ministry.

Where does this strong reaction against Jesus come from? This anger in the face of love? Of course at that time killing Jesus seemed a mature decision to the religious leadership because they were just upholding their laws (or perhaps their power), but sometimes this seems to us as a reaction of fear.

However, Jesus describes himself in this passage as a hen who gathers her chicks. To God, perhaps this is the reaction of a child who kicks out against his or her parent. But we who are parents or other kinds of caregivers know that the most difficult rejection we can receive is sometimes from our children or the children in our care. When we show love and they cannot receive it at the time. This multiplied by one hundred is what Jesus felt with us, because God loves us more than the best Mom or Dad in the world. But God also loves us and forgives us, better than any parent can do, although we can learn how to forgive. Even on the cross, Jesus said, "father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

This also relates to our relationship with God. I know that sometimes God asks me to do something and I don't want to hear, or sometimes I'm very slow to respond. But whenever this happens, I have another opportunity to say "Yes" to God.

Every time we say yes to God is an opportunity to unite us more to God’s image, to God’s being. It is an opportunity to grow because we trust our lives not only to ourselves but also to God’s guidance. We know that with God nothing is impossible, so responding to God in the affirmative necessarily opens more doors in our lives.

But not only is this important individually, it also has to do with the collective good. Just as we Christians always pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and in this we pray not only for the city but we pray for the blessing of all of Abraham’s descendants, which includes Jews, Muslims and Christians. We especially lift up our Muslim siblings in faith in light of the heinous killings this past week in New Zealand in the mosques. Every time that we say "Yes" to God helps to bring us closer to the moment that there really will be peace in Jerusalem. We grow closer to the moment of peace for all. Because I suspect that the healing of that part of the world will bring peace to all of us. Just as healing of violence against any member of the Abrahamic faiths will bring peace to all of us. At that time the false monarchs will not be able to threaten us with death. Because in the Holy City will be a tree for the healing of the nations. And there we will all be united, following the path towards our gracious and merciful God. Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Amen.