Lent 2C + Blessed + 3.13.22

M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

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

Blessed is he, the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

We say this every Sunday during Holy Communion.

Jesus showed us how to use this affirmation to remember that the Messiah was coming; to remind us to look forward to the moment of salvation. And this is important not only because of the words he said, but because of the context in which Jesus spoke.

Here the Pharisees tell Jesus that Herod wants to kill him - and this was probably the truth. But they also say it because they want Jesus to leave Galilee. Ironically, Jesus knows that it is in going to Jerusalem that he is going to die. Because Jerusalem, the beautiful city of our faith, is also a place that rejects the prophets, those who want to express something different about God. And Jesus is strong. He says, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way.” He knows what his mission is and it's not time to kick him out of town yet. He does face danger and death, but not before serving God's people. He says he is like a hen that wants to gather her chicks under her wings—what a tender picture. He makes me think of the Church on the Mount of Olives from which one can see Jerusalem. And on its altar, there is a hen and her chicks. And the name of the Church is "Dominus Flevit" or "the Lord wept"-because it broke Jesus’ heart to think of the rejection of his beloved Jerusalem. But even thinking about his end, Jesus says that we will not see him until the time comes when we say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord." Now this phrase is used to greet the Messiah. Even thinking of his death, Jesus thinks of his triumphant return, and our salvation. As we say in the burial rite, even in the grave we make our song, a song of resurrection.

This is important to remember today because every day we are seeing destruction. We live in a world where the fox seems to have entered the hen house. Did you see that Russia bombed a maternity hospital in the Ukraine the other day? What kind of leader and country destroys mothers and their babies? This does not reflect Christianity, nor any of the great faiths of this world.

And we have to raise our voice. Because if we don't, even the stones will cry out. A priest in Russia raised his voice last week and preached against the war in Ukraine. He was imprisoned and will surely suffer from his outspoken stand against his country's actions (Newsweek 3/7/22). But he said that he could not keep silent while others suffered.

We too have an opportunity to make a difference. We can give to Episcopal Relief and Development efforts in Ukraine and we can pray for our brothers and sisters. We can raise our voices for people of color in Ukraine who are experiencing discrimination in the process of trying to leave the country.

Last week we talked about how Jesus' time in the desert was part of a Vision quest for him. And today he continues to inhabit God's special time, Kairos. He knows that it is not his time to die, because he still has work to do. And he knows that God has him. We are also in the hands of God, and we are in a special time of God. Because during Lent we enter into the special time of traveling alongside Jesus in his ministry as he approaches the Cross. And even when we think of his suffering, we remember, Blessed is the one who comes in the Name of the Lord! Yes, blessed is he and blessed are we. Because we are not alone. We have a Messiah who has a purpose for his ministry and for our lives.

We take action, not just because we are saved, but because we believe we can help others in the process, just like Jesus healed people and cast out demons on his way to the Cross.

This week Pastor Alene and I rented a room in the Ukraine. Don't be afraid, we're not going there. We rented it through Airbnb and asked the woman who rents her apartment to use it for the benefit of the refugees who are in her region of Ukraine, if possible. She replied that she was going to share it with people in need and that she hopes that we visit in peacetime. We affirmed that we hope to do just that, and in the meantime, we will be in prayer for her, for Alina, and for the people fleeing their homes.

Blessed is the one who comes in the Name of the Lord. Because we have this Lord, this Jesus as our brother and Savior, I trust that we will have the opportunity to see that day of peace. And the ultimate day of peace, beyond. That day when everyone can feel peace and blessing. When we can all unite under the wings of that Divine Hen, Jesus. We will be like the happy chicks under his wings. And he won't be crying then, but in that moment of peace, he will be happy with us. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

Amen