Is This Gathering, Gathered?

Luke 13: 31-35

When this Olympiad comes to a close, many athletes who were gathered to compete in these "Winter Games" may find themselves either wondering what they could have done to possibly achieve a better performance, which may have resulted in a medal, or being very grateful they were good enough to win one of those most most-desired medals...How many tenths or even hundredths of a second separated competitors from winning...or not?  Timing and physical placement in our Gospel text is vitally important as well.  It is God's timing and the obedience of Jesus - and might I say you and me - to follow. 

Immediately, the gospel writer, Luke, specifies "at this very hour..." well, when this occurred, Jesus and the Pharisees were outside of Jerusalem in the Galilee region, which is north of Jerusalem, and apparently they were being quite friendly to the Lord, warning him of Herod's desire to kill him.  What was Jesus' response?  He told the Pharisees, "You tell that fox for me..."  In so many words, Jesus says to them; "You tell him - it's not time.  It's not MY time.  You just wait foxy-old-boy; right now I'm doing God's work here and in 3 days time, the work will be finished and then I'll get to Jerusalem." Timing and placement.

And what about the Pharisees; that group of people who always seemed to be scrutinizing Jesus' activities?  Granted it might be easy to think of this group as one, who seemed to want to bait Jesus while speaking "non-truths" about him; lump all the Pharisees together as a people who only have contempt for Jesus.  And from what we read the relationship recorded in scripture between Jesus and the Pharisees had not been most cordial.  But - just as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea were Pharisees who believed in Jesus, I tend to think these Pharisees were legit and should be taken at face value; they were straightforward, wanting to help the Lord.  Not to appear to be justifying the negative movements of many of the Pharisees in past scripture readings, however, I think caution is necessary when labeling a group within society.  Today's world isn't much different, is it?  There are many who stereotype people which can be very painful, not to mention quite unlike Jesus and his command to love others as we love ourselves.    

Then Jesus tells the Pharisees how to address Herod the Tetrarch.  Did you think of anything in particular when Jesus called Herod a "fox?"  Was there a specific feeling that came over you?  Did it sound like something Jesus would say?  Personally it took me by surprise when I first read it years ago…but I kind of like it.  While in this passage it appears to be used to describe him as cunning - you know; "sly like a fox" - it's perfect as the metaphor used for Jesus is "hen," but we might also consider its use as showing contempt for him, as Herod was known for his horribly brutal past.  Peeling off another layer of this verse, doesn't it seem as if Jesus is totally relying on God's faithfulness to shelter him as he continues his journey to Jerusalem?  In other words, you and I may not fully understand what God wants from us at certain times in our lives, but we need to remember that when the dealings are God's they will not be shaken.    

This leads to a very important word - the word MUST.  Jesus says he "MUST" be on his way because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside Jerusalem.  Furthermore this describes that Jesus MUST obey God's directives.  The word MUST is quite important for Luke as he uses it 14 times in his gospel, with one particular example found in Chapter 2: 49; "Did you not know that I MUST be in my Father's house?"  This is indicating that Jesus must be in the temple at that time based on God's divine plan of salvation which drives Jesus' mission - the same guide for what MUST direct OUR obedience to follow God's will.  You see, whatever Herod has planned for Jesus is a "non-issue" at this time, because God's plans trump any human ideas.  Yes, in God's time and place.

The place is Jerusalem.  Jesus laments over Jerusalem - the holy city - one which had such horrifying treatment of prophetic figures of the past.  Jerusalem - the city in which Jesus finally arrives in Chapter 19 and weeps over it.  Yes, the holy city in which a number of prophets had been killed - one specifically in Jeremiah 26, where Uriah prophesied against the city with words exactly like those of Jeremiah, which ultimately had King Hezekiah send out a search party to find him in Egypt, bring him back to Jerusalem where he was not only killed; his body was thrown - dumped - into the burial place of the "common people."  Yes, this is the city where Jesus shall journey to complete God's perfect timing, and is a foremost illustration of the determination the Messiah had for God's mission which will not - cannot be deterred.  Please, let us not forget --- it is this journey and all it encompasses for us to be mindful of...as we pace ourselves in our particular Lenten walks.   

Now the words of Jesus' lament: "How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!  See your house is left to you…" What a visual this passage is - what a feeling it gives!  Oooohhhhh - consider the concern you have for your children - your grandchildren - your friends - and when you know they're outside the safety of your home or surroundings, how you desire to go out and gather them in.  Can you see the hen with her wings trying the best she can to gather the little ones together?  How she scampers around, especially if there is impending harm in the barnyard?  Right now there's devastating harm from the earthquakes yesterday in Chile and Argentina, as well as the tsunami warnings for the Hawaiian Islands.  Of course, there's the harm of the wreckage and all the death in Haiti from the earthquakes there 6 weeks ago.  I can't imagine the fear and despair, with the wings of families reaching out to make sure of each others' safety.  Then there are the wings of God - truly reaching out to comfort and give hope, and we pray for the safety and faith for those exposed to these dreadful happenings.  

What about us?  What can we say is impending harm in our barnyards???  Think of all the devices that lead our children away from our care - God's care.  As sick as it sounds, it's much of the same things that lure adults to fall into the ways of the world.  The list is so lengthy, including the likes of alcohol, drugs, extra marital affairs, gambling, pornography, the constant emphasis on being the right size; how we should look, or to be successful which many times bring out human greed and lusts for power.  And although Jesus was referring his desires to gather the Israelites in our text, are we any different as so often we're far outside of the loving reach of Christ?  Do you ever ask yourself, "What in the world am I doing?  Why am I doing these things?"  And if we get too far outside the wings Jesus, like with addiction or the lust for worldly matters, many times it takes even longer for us to return to the refuge of his care.  Yes - His care, yet the metaphor of hen is female…wonderful, isn't it?  Consider the traits of Jesus and how they resemble the perceived male AND female characteristics: protective, yet nurturing, filled with kindness, compassion, patience, love…just like the hen - some of the attributes the Apostle Paul describes in Galatians 5:22 as fruits of the spirit…and each of those traits are female gender.   

Jesus wants to gather us into a redeemed community under the compassionate wings of God.  You see Jesus laments because so many really have left the care of God, which is why he's on his way to Jerusalem - his way to the Cross.  That's where his obedient walk is taking him.  But the tears he'll shed aren't for him and his ultimate death.  They're for all of us, and especially those who want to be gathered but might not know the way, which is why it's so vital for this gathering to stay close to Jesus - not just to be in the comfort of his refuge - his wings.  We need to spread our wings so we can help gather others to hear the words of welcome - to feel the life of the Cross - to feel the life-giving waters of baptism - and to taste the Bread of Life.  We give you thanks Lord Jesus for gathering this gathering under your wings.  May we stay gathered during our Lenten journey and far beyond.  Yes indeed, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."

AMEN.