“To Be Like Jesus”                                                                                           Date: February 28, 2010                                                                                                                                               Luke 13:31-35

Revd Randy L. Johnson   -   First United Methodist Church, Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Today is the last day of Black History Month.  Being a child of the 1960’s, my first thought triggered by Black History Month is of the Civil Rights Movement.  Those of us who remember the 60’s recall the vivid images of church people of all classes, races and denominations marching hand in hand led like a parade by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on that road to freedom. 

But, we who witnessed that civil rights journey also remember that the road to freedom was not an easy road – while Dr. King was called a “drum major for justice” he led his chosen band straight into the face of life-threatening adversity and hate-filled opposition.

In today’s Gospel we are reminded that Jesus led his disciples on a similar road.  Sometimes we forget that while called the Prince of Peace, Jesus was not loved by all. 

In this gospel story we see that Jesus encountered great opposition and adversity.  Even a group of Pharisees, who we usually think of as religious leaders who opposed Jesus, came to him and warned him: “Get away from here,” they said, “for King Herod wants to kill you.”

“Get away from here.”  Now that is a pretty attractive alternative when things seem overwhelming.  Part of our personal journey of Lent is for us to become more aware of the unhealthy ways we might choose to escape when we face adversity:  abuse of alcohol and drugs; compulsive sex and use of pornography; escaping through overworking or overeating or excessive shopping; we each have our temptations – destructive ways to run from the problems and people that trouble us.  But when facing adversity Jesus set before us an example.  He did not choose to run, to escape, to get away.  No, in Jesus’ response to the Pharisees’ warning, we discover how God expects and empowers us to respond when we face adversity today.

First, Jesus responded with courage.  Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Go and tell that fox for me…” –wow!  Jesus called the king a fox.  The king!  The same king who wanted to kill Jesus!  This month I read that Brett Favre was nicknamed the “Silver Fox” by a Vikings teammate.  I’m sure that is a compliment.  But Jesus calling King Herod a fox was no compliment.  In that day a fox was a symbol of three things: first, a fox was regarded as the sliest of animals.  Second, it was regarded as the most destructive of animals.  And, third, the fox was the symbol of a worthless, insignificant man. Jesus called King Herod a fox- all who heard it knew what Jesus meant.   It took courage for Jesus to call the reigning king a fox – the king who had the desire and authority to kill Jesus.

There’s a story of a preacher named Latimer who was well known in the Church of England back several centuries ago.  Latimer was once preaching in the great Westminster Abbey when King Henry was sitting in the congregation.  In the pulpit Latimer soliloquized, “Latimer! Latimer! Latimer!  Be careful what you say.  The king of England is here!”  Then Latimer went on to say, “Latimer! Latimer! Latimer!  Be careful what you say.  The King of Kings is here!” 

Jesus could respond with courage to adversity and opposition because he knew who and what he served – his first allegiance was to God and to do God’s will.  No earthly king or any other person could deter Jesus from doing what he believed God was calling him to do.  Jesus set before us an example.

Courage in the face of adversity and opposition comes much easier when we know who it is we are trying to please.  Recently I met with someone who was struggling with a decision.  They knew in their heart what was the right thing to do, but they feared displeasing some of their relatives.  I reminded this person of faith that if Jesus had first considered the opinion of his relatives, his friends or even his closest disciples, he never would have taken the Lenten journey to Jerusalem.

To be like Jesus is to have the courage that comes from being clear about our first allegiance.  We can face adversity and opposition with courage when our trust and loyalty is first toward God. 

This kind of courage is not easy.  I am reminded of a young adult I counseled recently.  She was tearful as she explained that she believed it was God’s will, that it was best for her and her two little children,   that she break up with her boyfriend.  She had good reasons for breaking up with him, but she also knew how much she would miss him, especially the companionship, intimacy and affection she so desperately wanted in her life. 

Each of us needs courage to do the right thing in our lives.  Like Jesus we all experience times of testing; we all face adversity.  The older I get, the more tempting it is to quit trying to do the right thing, to quit worrying about what it means to love God and to love my neighbor – as I get closer to retirement, the more tempting it is to put what energy and time I have left into building for myself and my family a haven of physical comfort and financial security.  But this temptation to turn inward, to act only to protect myself and those I most love, can become a consuming idol – a false god that feeds on and fosters greed and fear and leads to isolation and destruction.  As the Apostle Paul describes it in his letter to the church in Philippi, “Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is their shame; their minds are set on earthly things.” 

In contrast to living out of fear and greed, Paul calls us to stand firm in the Lord – to follow the example of Jesus who chose to follow God no matter what the cost.  When we seek first to follow Jesus, we discover the courage to stand firm in the face of adversity and opposition.  As the Psalmist declares, “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?”

But to be like Jesus means more than to respond to adversity with courage.  Returning to the Gospel story we see that Jesus also responded with compassion: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” Jesus cried out, “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” 

The picture of Jesus as a mother hen is a picture of compassion and grief – grief over those who reject him, who reject the One who loved them and who would die for their salvation.

This picture of the mother hen reminds me of the many parents I have counseled over the years who have openly grieved as they told me about how their trusted and beloved children had somehow grown into defiant and troubled teenagers – these parents were brokenhearted, discouraged and confused - how could the same children to whom they had given their love and their lives now reject them, call them terrible names and even run away from home. 

Such heart-wrenching lamentation is part of our faith tradition.  In the Hebrew Scriptures we often find communal or personal lamentation.   Some adversity is faced, whether a personal illness or family misfortune or a community tragedy or national disaster.  There comes an outcry, a turning of pain into anguished expression. 

To lament is meant for our healing and for the healing of those for whom and with whom we cry.  For the promise of God’s Word is that God hears the pain expressed by his people.  Indeed, when Jesus laments over Jerusalem, he connects to the foundational, historic event of his Hebrew people – their Exodus from Egypt.  You recall the story – how back before their journey to the Promised Land, back before the parting of the Red Sea, back before the ten plagues against their Egyptian oppressors, what sets the whole thing rolling is when the Israelites join in lamentation – the people groan under the weight of their slavery and cry out from their oppression– as one voice, the people lift up their cry for help to God.   And God hears their mighty cry, their heartfelt lamentation. 

When Jesus laments over Jerusalem, he builds on this ancient, familiar story of how his people became God’s people; how through their reaching out to God for hope in the midst of adversity and opposition they became people of courage and compassion.

So today, to be like Jesus means that we follow him with courage and compassion and discover  those places in this world, this nation, this city where Jesus still weeps and cries out.  Like Jesus crying over the people of Jerusalem, we today lament when we see the faces of children and adults who have suffered devastation in places like Haiti. But like Jesus our hearts are also broken when we come across poverty and hopelessness in our own community.  With Jesus we cry out, “St. Cloud, St. Cloud how often have I desired to gather your children together as a mother hen gathers her brood under her wings.”  Because we share the compassion of Jesus our prayers of lament lead to prayerful action as we open our church doors to those who are hungry and homeless each month for our third Saturday community meal.  Because we share the compassion of Jesus, we collect school supplies for children in need in our public schools and we gather other products for infants being cared for at Anna Marie’s Shelter.  Because we share the compassion of Jesus, we donate food and money to the Salvation Army Food Shelf and to Minnesota FoodShare and we supply Christmas gifts and winter clothing to families in need .  These are just some examples of the ways people of this congregation share the compassion of Jesus in nearby places of need today. 

But, because we have the compassion of Jesus we also recognize that charity is not enough.  Along with charity comes our shared work for justice as we partner with other churches in the Great River Interfaith Partnership.  Last Sunday I had the joy and privilege of preaching at one of our partner churches, Nu Way Missionary Baptist Church which is a pre-dominantly African-American congregation.  Just three days before, I had read with dismay an article in the St. Cloud Times about the unacceptable gap between the educational success rates of St. Cloud area white students and black students.    This article reported that while white students are passing reading tests at 80 percent , black students are passing at 40 percent.  Similarly while white students are passing math at 74 percent, black students are at 35 percent.

I am glad that our church is part of GRIP which has a Racial Equity in Education Team working with 80 parents and school district leaders to strengthen the achievement of all of our city’s school children.

Now some might wonder – why should I care about people who are from a culture different than my own?  In 1955 when the South was still highly segregated, Emmett Till, a black teenager from Chicago, visited relatives in Mississippi.  After Emmett “dared” to talk to a white woman, two white men brutally murdered him.  An all-white, male jury found the two “not guilty” after deliberating for barely an hour.  The two men later confessed to the crime.  Following the verdict, Emmett’s mother said, “Two months ago I had a nice apartment in Chicago.  I had a good job.  I had a son.  When something happened to black people in the South, I said, ‘That’s their business, not mine. ‘Now I know how wrong I was.  The murder of my son has shown me that what happens to any of us, anywhere in the world had better be the business of us all.” 

As Jesus taught us in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, God calls us to see all people as our neighbors, and to encircle all people with the compassion of Christ as we read in our Litany of Mission this morning.

Now we know looking back that Jesus ended up being crucified for his courage and compassion.  But we also know that while King Herod had his day – he did not have the last word.  For the same Jesus who was crucified by Herod and his men, God raised by the power of the Holy Spirit.  And whom God raised he also glorified.

This vision of Christ’s glory is what gave the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the courage and compassion to continue on that road to freedom even in the face of life-threatening adversity and hate-filled opposition.  You recall his words when he prophetically proclaimed: “I’ve looked over and I’ve seen the Promised Land.  I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land.  So I’m happy tonight.  I’m not worried about anything.  I’m not fearing any man.  Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!”

And so, likewise, when we follow Jesus and share in his courage and compassion , we will also one day see and share in his glory- as Paul put it God will transform our bodies and conform them to the body of Christ’s glory. 

It is because of this promise of sharing in Christ’s glory that we can stand firm in the face of adversity.  For we stand firm in the Lord- in the presence and power of the Risen Savior, Jesus Christ.  To him be glory and honor now and forever- Amen!