“Jerusalem Jerusalem, that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it, how often I desired to gather your children together like a hen her brood under her wing, but you did not want it.” What a poignant moment this is for Jesus. He has just been warned by some Pharisees to flee from Herod. In response, Jesus says that he has work to do, and besides, it’s not imaginable for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem. His train of thought then travels to what Jerusalem has meant for prophets in the past and what it will inevitably mean for him.
It’s hard for us in this country to imagine what this was like for Jesus. We have no “Jerusalem.” We do not have a city that represents all of our hopes and dreams. (Mention “Washington” and people will scoff, although it has not always been that way.) Jerusalem first appears as Salem, the city of peace, home of the mysterious Melchizedek to whom Abraham gave a tenth of everything. It was the capital established by David, the idealized king. His son Solomon built the first Temple there, and from then on Jerusalem’s Mount Zion became the focal point of Jewish religious life and hope.
Yet the people of Jerusalem, like people everywhere and like us today, became too busy with their own lives to recognize how God wished them to live. They rejected the messengers God sent to them, year after year. They preferred to think that, because they were chosen by God, they could do whatever they liked and God would protect them.
Today there is a similar rejection of prophets who call us to account, who dare suggest that our way of life must change. There is little desire for civil discourse. The focus is on power, either getting it or throwing out those who are in power. Evan Bayh, the Indiana Senator who recently announced his retirement, laments the loss of collegiality that has gripped the nation, including Congress. “It’s difficult to work with members actively plotting your demise,” he wrote in a New York Times Op-Ed article.
But God is still willing to gather us like a hen gathers her brood under her wing. God is still waiting for us to turn our lives around, to serve God rather than ourselves, to live in ways that are just and sustainable. Lent gives us an opportunity to do that: to quiet down enough so that we can hear Jesus’ lament, and then reorient our lives while there is still time.
Lent 2: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35. The translation of Luke 13:34 is mine.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
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How amazing our world would be if we all took the time to slow down and listen to what God wants us to do rather than what we think is best. I was reflecting upon your sermon this afternoon and came back to reread your blog. I have been perplexed over the last day at the lack of coverage and concern over the earthquake in Chili. The media seemed almost upset rather than relieved that the resulting tsunami didn't affect Hawaii like they expected. Where is the outpouring of concern and help that was extended to Haiti? Wouldn't Jesus want us to extend the same amount of love and help to all who hurt? You mentioned the lack of collegiality in Congress. I would also call it a general lack of respect for each other in our society. Some of our Olympic athletes cannot even compete without disrespecting their oppenents. Let us hope that someday we all can learn to listen to how God wants us to live with one another.
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