FEBRUARY 28, 2010  SERMON ARCHIVE

Grace to you and peace, from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The text for our meditation today is the Gospel Lesson for this Sunday from Luke chapter 13. There we read these words:

At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, "Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you." He replied, "Go tell that fox, 'I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.' In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day--for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' "

Thus far the text.

There was an old saying that developed during the period of the Roman Empire that went like this. "If you don't like the message, kill the messenger." This practice, for all intents and purposes, was designed to cover messages that tended to be false or misleading.

Now, I don't know what Jeremiah expected that day, the day when he went to speak to God's people. He was a prophet, you know, meaning he was sent by God. He carried in his soul, the very words of God. Being that he was sent on a divine mission, perhaps he expected a warm reception, a kind embrace, even a resounding word of appreciation for his efforts.

For sure, he knew that he had a tough message to deliver to the people, one that they wouldn't necessarily want to hear, that God was displeased with them because of their unfaithfulness.

Still, Jeremiah spoke with a certain confidence that God's Mighty Word would finally accomplish the task for which it was sent. He was, no doubt certain, or at least hopeful that it would soften the hearts of those who were rebelling against God and that it would finally lead them to repentance.

As he finished speaking, Jeremiah waited for God's Word to cut through the hardened layers of the people's hearts. He waited for that blessed admission of guilt, for the voice of the helpless to ask him to tell them more, to lead them to the living water of Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One who God had long ago promised to send. Perhaps it seemed like an eternity to Jeremiah as he waited for the people to react to God's Word. Finally, the priests and the false prophets spoke to the princes and all the people. And they said "this man deserves to die! For he has prophesied against this city with all the words that you have heard."

God, of course, spared Jeremiah's life that day. But, as a prophet, Jeremiah was ready to die if he had to. He said "the Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city with all that He has pronounced against you. As for me, here I am, in your hand; do with me as seems good and proper to you. But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will surely bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing."

Again, Jeremiah lived, but the people of the Old Testament often followed through with their threats against the prophets. Jesus, as He prepared to give His life for the sins of the nation and for the sins of the world, looked out over Jerusalem and He cried out the words that we have before us here this morning…"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!"

As a people today, you are, of course, much more sophisticated in your treatment of the prophets, those who profess to speak the word of God to you. You don't stone your pastors to death, for instance, when they call you to task for your faithlessness or your wayward lives. When a man confronts you with your sin, you don't demand that he be drawn and quartered or impaled on a staff

Could it be then that Jesus' lament over Jerusalem really doesn't apply to the Church today? Do you suppose His words were meant for a harsher people, for a more calloused bunch?

Things are very different in today's church, aren’t they. Different, that is, than they were in Jesus' day, or perhaps even than they were just 50 years ago or so. There are several ways that people deal with the message or the messenger today when they don't like one or the other. And, by the way, I'm speaking here only and specifically of issues relating to the clear Word of God. I want to make that clear. What I am talking about is how people react when they are confronted with the hard truths of God's Word and how those truths apply to and relate to their lives.

First, if we are a member of 1st Church, Mason City, well, there is always 2nd Church, Mason City, right? If you don't like what the pastor says, you can just pack your things and move on to another church. And, if you don't like things there, you can move on, and move on and move on until you do find someone who tells you what you want to hear.

People don't stone the prophets today like they used to. They are much more sophisticated than that. Now, they ignore them, they avoid them, they deny them, they refuse them.

On the other hand, if you resolve to stay, you might well make the situation such that the pastor simply cannot effectively minister in that place anymore. Now, bear in mind, what I'm telling you at this point is for future reference. We don't, by God's grace, have this sort of conflict here at Bethlehem.

But, my friends, you may well be in a church one day where the pastor is, in a sense, being crucified for his faithful stance on the word of God. The question for you at that time will be "how shall I respond? How should I react? Should I not defend God's servant, unless, of course, he is clearly and persistently shown to be preaching and teaching against God's Word, or should I join the fray? If I contribute to the mis-treatment of a pastor would I not find myself in the lamentable position of "stoning the prophets and killing those sent to me?"

The church, you see, is different today than it was in Jesus' day. If a pastor today is driven off from his Call there is one final way in which you might well contribute to the rejection of God's message, His messenger.

Again, you don't pick up those stones to hurl them, but when the pastor leaves you might make it your mission to get someone else who better suits your style, who will be more attentive to you, who will, let's just say "preach what you want to hear." It is a scary prospect though isn't it?

Reminiscent of Paul's words to Timothy…"the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth." "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!"

Though your hearts are often hard toward the things of God, Jesus, your Savior, never ceases to make His good and gracious will toward you known.

The imagery is that of a hen who gathers her brood under her wings. The hawk, or some other predator looks to swoop down on the hen's brood, but she will protect her young even with her very life. She painstakingly rounds up her brood, knowing that, given the opportunity, every one of them will drift away from her protective care. The brood, you see, never does really understand that they need to stay under the hen's wing in order to truly be safe.

So it is that the prophets cried out, and while the message they spoke seemed burdensome, or troublesome to some, it was nonetheless the voice of the One who had sent them. It was truly the voice of Jesus who longed to gather His people together, to shelter them, to protect them. Sometimes it was a voice of warning, other times it was a voice of consolation and comfort. It was always the right word at the right time.

As you hear the caution, and the sweet word of forgiveness and grace from those whom God has sent for the care of your souls, be reminded of this imagery of Jesus lamenting over the people of Jerusalem. Jesus longs to gather you under His protective care, knowing full well that there are too ways today that you can stone a prophet without picking up a stone.

It would only be three months time from this incident in Luke 13, when Jesus would be received triumphantly into Jerusalem. He would arrive in that holy city, the city of prophet killers, to stretch out His arms one last time. Those who heard His word, who fled their own wisdom, who confessed their sin, found protection beneath the arms that bled in a manner unlike the prophets.

And as Jesus hid them within His holy wounds they truly knew the love of God for them and they rejoiced to hear the counsel of this One who loved them unto death, even death on a cross.

Christ Is Risen.

Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.