Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] March 13, 2022 “Under God’s Wings” Luke 13: 31-35 – Common English Bible At that time, some Pharisees approached Jesus and said, “Go! Get away from here, because Herod wants to kill you.” 32 Jesus said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Look, I’m throwing out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will complete my work. 33 However, it’s necessary for me to travel today, tomorrow, and the next day because it’s impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ 34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who were sent to you! How often I have wanted to gather your people just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you didn’t want that. 35 Look, your house is abandoned. I tell you, you won’t see me until the time comes when you say, Blessings on the one who comes in the Lord’s name Context. You expected me to use that word, right!? OK, here goes. Leading up to today’s reading, Jesus has been teaching. For example, the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. The Kingdom of God is like yeast. He’s been on a roll, but the teaching part of his life is coming to a close. The last words before our reading today, Jesus said, “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.” That’s when some Pharisees approached and warned him to get out of there because Herod wants to kill you. The Pharisees. Now, who were they again? The Pharisees were part of a reform movement within Judaism concerned with purity. Unfortunately, sometimes they were so focused on every jot and tittle in the law that they lost sight of the people. For example, they complained about Jesus healing a man on the sabbath, implying it’s more important to hold sabbath than to heal on it. Those are the kinds of things that really upset Jesus. Jesus has been really rough on them. Just two chapters before, Jesus was eating a meal with some Pharisees. That’s a good thing. Eating together was everything is those days. But while sitting around the table, Jesus told them they were stuffed with greed and wickedness. Jesus called them foolish. Repeatedly. He told them that even though they were very diligent in giving their tithes to the Temple, they neglected justice and love for God. He kept repeating “How terrible for you, how terrible for you… You’re like ‘unmarked graves that people walk on.’” Talk about something that would make them impure! And this wasn’t behind their back after dinner. This was to their face. So, why would any Pharisee want to protect Jesus from Herod? But Pharisees were not a monolithic group. Some Pharisees were actually devout followers of Jesus. Some believed he was the Messiah. Some Pharisees belonged to early Christian communities, but there was a falling out over whether someone had to become Jewish first before they became a Christian. Pharisees argued for it and lost the argument. Topics for another day. So anyway, were today’s Pharisees Jesus’ friends or foes? We don’t know. The text just says that “some” Pharisees approached Jesus to warm him about Herod. But, wait, who was Herod again? Actually, there were lots of them. The Herod family reigned for about 140 years. This one is Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. Remember the wise men from Christmas? Herod the Great was the one the wise men went to see. They asked for directions to the newborn King of the Jews. A new king was a threat to his legacy. Therefore, among the horrific things this Herod did was to order the massacre of every boy under the age of 2 in and around Bethlehem. We call it the massacre of the innocents. Shortly after this, Herod the Great died and his son Herod Antipas became king, except that they weren’t really kings. They were tetrarchs, which means they were put in place by the Roman Empire, the occupying force. Like puppets, right? They were Jewish but only served at the pleasure of Rome. And though they were Jewish, they didn’t care about Judaism. The Herods had power but no popularity among their own people. And they ruled with the same impulsive cruelty as Rome, such as ordering the massacre of infant boys. Rome didn’t care. They actually liked it. Herod Antipas was cruel, ambitious, and lustful. One night he had a lavish banquet where his step-daughter danced for him. It’s as creepy as it sounds. Herod was so enthralled by her, he offered to give her anything she wanted. Her mother told her to ask for John the Baptist’s head on a platter. John had called out some really appalling behavior and she was angry about it. She got back at him, though. In front of all the party guests, John’s head was indeed served on a platter. But when the Pharisees warned Jesus that Herod Antipas was out to get him, his response was “Who, him? Go tell that fox I’ve got more important things to do.” A fox was a pathetic, scared little animal – definitely an insult, but Jesus didn’t care. He had a mission and was on the way to Jerusalem for his final confrontation with power. Jesus actually did eventually face the fox. It was the last day of his life. Jesus first stood accused in front of the chief priests and legal scholars, then faced trial in front of Pilate who sent him to Herod, who sent him back to Pilate and on to a cross for crucifixion. But for today’s reading, at this point he is still on his journey to Jerusalem. OK, so that’s a long back story. How is it relevant? Ukraine is on my heart this morning, likely yours too. And the reason I wanted to make sure you knew exactly who Herod is… It’s Vladimir Putin. I lament for Ukraine. I lament how Herod the Great ordered the massacre of all those innocent infant and toddler boys around Bethlehem. Just like I lament over Vladimir Putin who ordered, or doesn’t mind, the destruction of maternity hospitals full of mothers giving birth. How can we comprehend the intended death of infants in Bethlehem? By watching it play out in Kyiv. Sadly, the Bible is all too relevant today. And what can we learn? Lamentation. In response to the massacre of those children, the prophecy of Jeremiah was cited: “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.” Lamentation. I lament for babies born in bunkers underneath hospitals. And scenes of the elderly crawling through rubble to save themselves. And families waiting on crowded train platforms that resemble the train platforms of World War 2. I lament for teenagers sent to fight a war that serves only the purpose of one ambitious, lustful, and cruel man. Not for Herod. Putin. Jesus lamented over Jerusalem. Jesus wished he could be a mother hen who protects her chicks under her wings from the Herods of the world. We lament over Kyiv. And I wish the world could protect the men, women, and children of Ukraine under the protective shelter of our Mother God against another mad man. We can respond with generosity toward the millions of refugees, but otherwise, I feel helpless. And so, I think the word lament is really helpful. We can pray for them, but sometimes prayer feels like too small a word. Especially when paired as “thoughts and prayers,” as though prayer is something we think about. Lament is something we feel. Deeply. So, what is lament? Here’s five things: 1.Lament is like a biblical vocabulary beyond words – often found in groans and sighs too deep for words. It’s a language of sorrow that comes from the gut when words aren’t enough. And it’s a language God understands. 2.But lament is also a means for holding silence. Sacred silence. We don’t always have to say something. It’s OK when we have nothing to say. Sometimes it’s best to say nothing. Just to hold silence. 3.But lament also welcomes us to shake our fist and complain and protest. Complaining to God is good. The Psalmists did it all the time. It’s an expression of grief mixed with faith. God can take it. 4.Lament isn’t just a feeling. It’s a process for our pain, like the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. But lament is also explicitly about faith, that knows God is with us in the denial, anger, and the rest. 5.Because lament is also worship. Grief-filled prayers of pain are among the deepest expressions of worship. It is when we most feel dependent on God. As we sit here today, far removed, what can we say about Ukraine other than to groan or sigh because we have no words. To be silent. And shake our fist and complain. And not be afraid of grief because we trust that God is with us, the only source of comfort we can always rely on. Whom we worship and upon whom we depend. I think the word lament helps. It’s something we can do – to lament for Ukraine today. To lament for the people of Russia. To lament for Europe. May they all find shelter under the safety of God’s wing. In the words of Psalm 27: May God hide them in Her shelter in the day of trouble; May God conceal them under the cover of Her tent; May She will set them high on a rock away from danger; May She keep them strong to take courage in their heart.
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March 2024
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