(Engaging in) Resurrection Life - a sermon on Luke 24:36-49

How can we best live out our lives in the knowledge that Jesus is alive? Obviously our lives should show something for the trust that we have put in Jesus. I’m tempted to say that our lives should be spectacular, but it seems that the reality of life on earth continues to dent that possibility for all of us. Spectacular joy and worship seems to be reserved for heaven. But should that be the case? Should we give in to that?? Even given how difficult life now can be, can’t we just find at least a little bit of resurrection and eternal life to embrace now!

1. Astonishment and Fear

Things can come to us out of left field. Things that surprise, things that scare us; things that we just don’t know how to deal with! Even being presented with something potentially wonderful can frighten us if we are not ready for it. Despite having this previously explained to them, the disciples were still not expecting Jesus’ resurrection. They didn’t know how to respond because they were not prepared for this great happening. In their defence of course, was the fact that they hadn’t had the chance to get over Jesus’ death yet. This too had taken them by surprise, and they were suffering from sudden and deep grief, not only because of Jesus’ loss, but also that they were not able to stop it!

Having come into their presence, Jesus identifies himself through the wounds that were inflicted upon him at his crucifixion (verses 39-40). He is no ghost, he is a mortal human being brought back to life. But sometimes things that are plainly before our eyes, still allude our understanding; the disciples still had trouble recognising that Jesus was alive again. Excitement was building, the disciples started to feel that something amazing was happening, but we read that, “in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering” (verse 41). It seemed too good to be true, and they just couldn’t process properly what had happened.

And I can’t blame them given what had happened on that cross. And Jesus didn’t blame them either; rather, he helped them out of their disbelief – first he ate some fish right there in front of them (something only a physical person could do), and then he “opened their minds to understand the scriptures” (verse 45).

2. Having Our Minds Opened

Jesus fully and wholly represented the attitudes and interests of God in his life on earth, especially in the last three years. Everything that God had done, and in each of the ways God had communicated with humankind over the centuries, had led up to this dramatic point in time. Thus, all of the Scriptures, all of the holy writings used to teach the people of Israel, if read correctly and with understanding, pointed towards God acting in this remarkable way with the Messiah Jesus. Jesus was the absolute fulfilment of all God’s desires to connect with and liberate all people. Look at Jesus ... reconsider these scriptures ... ah ha!!

It’s not that obvious sometimes, but it’s certainly there to be found. Jesus and his gospel brought the new hope first promised in Genesis and the new life typified in the Exodus liberation experience. The heart behind the old covenant foreshadows the new covenant that Jesus inaugurates. Jesus and his gospel are the ideal which all the judges and kings either inclined towards or rebelled against. Jesus and his gospel add the necessary insights to the life experiences of David, and certainly fulfils the visions of prophets like Isaiah, Hosea and Joel (Michael Wilcock).

These disciples had actually heard before ... many times ... that Jesus would “die and on the third day rise again” – but they hadn’t understood it. But now was the moment for them to really get it, for the penny to drop, so Jesus “opened their minds” to new understanding. Why?? Why was this so important?? Verse 48 tells us – they were to be “witnesses of these things”. The future of the Jesus movement in the world depended upon them being able to witness to the reality and meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

It seems that the disciples’ minds were opened whether they liked it or not ... I’m sure in hindsight they appreciated that this has happened. I think for us though, we have to allow our minds to be opened – we have to be ready and willing to receive new insight. We have to be listening well, and prayerful, and expectant; and then we will recognise and understand all sorts of things that will aid our level of influence and true witness to Jesus.

Once the disciples’ minds were opened, they fully appreciated that the Jesus whom they followed through his public ministry, and then saw crucified, had been raised from the dead; and that all of this was central to God’s desire and plan to offer salvation to all people. Wow!! They had witnessed the cross, knew Jesus was dead and buried, but now they’re seeing him back with them in person, touching him, and watching him eat lunch.

3. The Message of Repentance and Forgiveness

What was that third thing that Jesus was opening their minds to (as you read verses 45-47) – the third thing that the disciples would need to witness to? Here it is in verse 47, “... that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations ...”. Jesus’ death and resurrection had a purpose – a real tangible and worldwide purpose, i.e. change ... personal, collective and cultural transformation.

This call to repentance, of course, was not primarily a judgement of humanity, even despite the rejection of Jesus just seen; but it was embracing humanity through the eyes of mercy and compassion. God does not seek “repentance” because of how bad people are, but more so because of how much better they could be! This is not a reactive response to evil, because if that was God’s primary attitude, he would not have created in the first place; and even if God did create, he could not have abided how things turned out, and could not have been this patient for this long. No! God always had the hope that people would be prepared to respond to grace and change; so much so, that the Son of God was prepared to suffer the indignity of the cross. This is what we are to be witnesses of – God’s continuing love. God understands people’s situations, their burdens, and their very great need ... way more than we do. But God does call us to connect with their need.

Yet first, to be witnesses of “repentance and forgiveness”, we need to be free of some of our own shackles, the chains that bind us to our past. Otherwise we don’t have much to offer! “Repentance” means to have a turnaround of attitude that accepts Jesus’ rule over our lives (Paul Baxendale). This means we will be serious when we seek forgiveness about doing things differently. The call to “repentance”, which lies right at the heart of Luke’s gospel proclamation, includes both the call to reform individual lives and reform community practices – in line with the prophetic vision of justice found in the Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Testament (R.B Hays).

4. A Promise of Effectiveness

The disciples were not going to be left on their own or simply to their own devices, even though Jesus was returning to Father God; for surely the mission ahead of them would be just too hard if that were the case. They were going to be “clothed with power from on high”. Wow again!! So that’s how we can truly live the resurrected life! Where the amount of fear we experience makes us feel naked in the face of the crowd (which is full of antagonism and materialism), the Holy Spirit will clothe us with all the resources we could possibly need.

Why should anyone believe in the resurrection of Jesus. Sure, for many, Jesus could have died as the Bible says, and that he did this as a martyr for a cause would not be too hard to accept. But to rise again, to be the Son of God ... now that really is stretching it! We can argue our case if we’re clear enough, but really the only way forward is to live a resurrected life ourselves, a life truly transformed by the events we have read about this Easter; and continue to let God open our minds to new insight and provide the effectiveness that comes from the Holy Spirit.

There is still a step of faith required for us here. Does all of this now make sense? Would this be good enough news to take out on mission? Would it be worth staking your own life on? Would this now define the cause that we stand for? Do we really serve the risen Saviour?

"The Dawn Came" - reflection from dawn service in Altona

The wait is over. Jesus has risen. And we stand here joyously celebrating this reality.

The first century disciples though didn’t quite know what was happening. Thomas doubted; others didn’t recognise Jesus; they were generally pretty well unconvinced; for them this all came as a bit of a shock. These early disciples were still coming to terms with Jesus dying, let alone him rising back to life. For they had not understood when Jesus had told them on those various occasions that he would die and on the third day rise again. Indeed they had downright rebelled against such a notion, especially the bit about Jesus’ death. Peter had been well and truly put back in his place when he tried to divert Jesus from his cause, but then Peter still remained reticent to accept the inevitable.

We, however, know and understand the story well. Jesus died for us on that cross – so that we might experience God’s grace, receive forgiveness and have eternal hope. Jesus rose again, because even death could not limit the creative power of God. Jesus would have a major victory over evil. Light had returned to illuminate the darkness. Jesus, the innocent sufferer, would rise to take up his position as the leader of a redeemed people. So here we are, out in the cold, at a time that most of us would still be in bed if it wasn’t resurrection Sunday. At the same time, I hope you feel a warmth inside because Jesus lives, causing you to rejoice and be thankful. And this warmth, this joy that Jesus lives ... I hope that we will still have this tomorrow? How long will the fire of Jesus’ resurrection burn within us? For the society in which we live needs a credible living witness to the resurrection of Jesus!

Now, it’s true that the first disciples, Peter, James, John and all the rest, and the women who had attended the grave as well ... they were all a little slow on the uptake. Mark’s gospel even concludes with them all fleeing! Yet when they fully got it, and waited in expectancy as they were commanded, and were subsequently empowered by the Holy Spirit, they began to change the world. They were completely dedicated to the Jesus cause, as shown by the way they lived, worshipped and worked together. In a very short time the good news of Jesus reached all the way to Rome. A former persecutor Saul was encountered by Jesus on the Damascus road and became the great missionary Paul, planting churches on his many travels around the known world. This resurrection of Jesus was having revolutionary impact, and we can get excited as we read through the book of Acts and see the progress that was made.

The question is, as we stand out here this morning: are we a part of the modern day progress of the good news through our neighbourhoods and city? For surely, gathering out here is not just about a short commemoration of an ancient event! Rather it must show a commitment to the ongoing relevance of this blessed event every day of our lives.

May all those who live in Altona and Altona North, Altona Meadows and Seabrook, Laverton and Laverton North, Point Cook and Sanctuary Lakes, everywhere around Hobsons Bay and Wyndham, know the power of Jesus’ resurrection! May each one know that they are not alone in their fear and uncertainty, but have access to a living Saviour who offers peace and hope and purpose! May the self-centred and materialistic come to understand that there is another and more preferable framework for living. May all injustice bow to Jesus and be overcome.

May we, I pray, shine the light of Jesus into any places of darkness; the whole of our lives saying that we have been with the resurrected Jesus this special Easter Sunday.

Good Friday message entitled "Darkness before the Dawn" (based on Luke 23:44-56)

The time was noon, just when the sun should have been at its brightest, and the light at its most potent. Yet, we read that ... “darkness came over the whole land” for the next three hours. What the world was doing to Jesus, despite what Jesus had come to do for the world, was a dark deed for sure. We could also look at this “darkness” in terms of the darkness of sin that Jesus was bearing. In either case, “darkness” is certainly appropriate, for it would be so difficult for God to look upon this scene of unjust torture.

Yet Jesus himself showed complete commitment to his cause and absolute trust in God, saying, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”. Jesus quotes this from Psalm 31 verse 5. Here, in one phrase, is both a lament and a thanksgiving; a lament for the horrible circumstances of his death, yet a thanksgiving for how God would use this sacrifice for the salvation of so many. Jesus was hoping that he would be the forerunner of many of us who would likewise commit our spirits to God’s cause. This would be possible as we embrace the forgiveness being offered to us by Jesus from the cross. This forgiveness brings the new possibility of a harmonious relationship with God as seen by the temple curtain being torn in two. We’ll come back to the significance of this in a minute.

In our Luke reading, we see various onlookers at the cross. What did these onlookers make of all this?

· The Roman centurion (verse 47), involved in putting Jesus to death, now considered Jesus to be “innocent” and praised God; he would no longer be silent in simple solidarity with the dark and oppressive Roman authorities. To deem Jesus to be “innocent” or “righteous” is to agree that Jesus was who he said he was – the ‘Son of God’. This Roman officer now knew that Jesus was not a disreputable criminal like most of those who went to the cross, but an innocent man who endured undeserved suffering. Thus there had to be more to this than met the eye! There would be much to go home and think about.

· Then there was “all the crowds” who watched (verse 48) – just like a football crowd at the MCG who’d come out to see the match of the day. We read that they dispersed back home “beating their breasts”. What was this about ... what were they feeling? First the crowds from some five days earlier had yelled “Hosanna”; then in a big about-face had yelled “Crucify Him”; now they didn’t know what to think. If in “beating their breasts” they were grieving, it was likely, given their recent track record, that they were grieving for their own lost opportunity, rather than for the death of Jesus. They were likely disturbed and second-guessing themselves: Was this a mistake ... were they wrong to cry out for Jesus’ death? Where does this leave them?? Maybe Jesus is worth another look! One wonders how they will react to Jesus next, when they are confronted by his resurrection, and the preaching of the disciples on the day of “Pentecost”? Dawn will follow the “darkness” that they have witnessed, but will the true meaning of the events before them really ‘dawn’ on these people?? The same question is put to us!

· Jesus’ own “acquaintances” remained standing at a distance taking all this in (verse 49). We know some of these were the women who had become devoted to Jesus, but surely some of the male disciples were here to, standing at a safe distance. They understandably would not want to be so connected with Jesus that they would risk suffering the same fate. Interesting that they were only called “acquaintances” here ... the jury was still out as to whether they would continue as disciples or not. They were starting to sense even more danger involved in going forward as part of any Jesus movement ... fishing certainly would be easier! They were still trying to make sense of it all; why had someone so obviously sent by God finished up like this? Peter and the others would not hear of it when Jesus had told them that this was going to happen. Time will tell!! Eventually women in this group showed solidarity by going to the tomb (or cave) in which Jesus had been laid, and by preparing spices and ointments to be later applied to Jesus’ body (verses 55-56).

· Then there was Joseph of Arimathea (verses 50-53). We wonder about the motivation behind his actions. According to Matthew, this was the tomb set aside for himself that he was giving over to Jesus. This request to Pilate would avoid Jesus’ body being thrown into a common grave as usually happened to those crucified. For this Joseph, there likely would have been some guilt that he, as probably the only voice of reason within the ruling council, could not save Jesus. There might have been some desire to make a stand that he, Joseph, had not been a part of this injustice. As we read, we can sense real compassion in Joseph of Arimathea for a man so badly tortured and executed (when he had really been innocent). Joseph of Arimathea, through actions like this, would no longer be silent. He had been open-minded for the truth, he had been “waiting expectantly for the Kingdom of God” – now he was receiving it!

Decisions, decisions – what do we make of Jesus?

Despite the “darkness”, there is mention here of a unique happening – “the curtain of the temple was torn in two”. This curtain separated God’s symbolic dwelling place (the “Most Holy Place”, the “Holy of Holies”) from the rest of the temple. [Blood sacrifices were made behind the curtain on an altar on the ‘day of atonement’.] Access beyond the curtain was limited only to the high priest once a year (on this ‘day of atonement’), when he would go behind the curtain to pray for the forgiveness of the sins of Israel. The curtain represented the division that existed between humanity and God ... a division that was due to humanity’s sin. Could it be that this tragic sacrificial death on the cross meant a whole new era in religious affairs was about to dawn? Absolutely yes!!! From God’s point of view, this one sacrifice, being made by Jesus on the cross, will be the only sacrifice required and effective for the forgiveness of all sins for all time.

We know that there needed to be a complete renovation when it came to the temple (which represented the centre of religious life) ... a spiritual overhaul and a far more inclusive attitude. The attitudes and priorities taught and modelled by Jesus over three years would now be paramount. And now God was ushering in a movement that included all the nations of the earth. This new “temple” would not have curtains or blinds or even walls, and certainly no ugly fences. Rather it would be open with free admittance. This new ‘function-centre’ would be called the Kingdom of God, and it would exist, not just in one place, but, within and around the followers of Jesus (wherever they gather in community).

We will have to wait to see how this pans out ... just a couple of days!! We have this inkling though, that God is about to turn this “darkness” on its head! And not for the first time!! For, “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth ... darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light” (Genesis 1:1-3). Light will return. Jesus is the light of the world, and we sense that he is not done with yet, far from it!

Jesus himself was content in trusting God for the right outcome, in fact he confidently stated to all those present (according to Luke), “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”. As we said earlier, this was a statement of complete and absolute trust in God. All of what Jesus was doing was going to be used mightily according to the will of God.

Don’t let us all get complacent over this cross scene, just because we’ve seen it all before! Don’t let’s move on quickly back to normal comfortable life unaffected!! Let us ask ourselves some questions about how this event should impact us and even change us. I certainly don’t want any of this suffering to be wasted. Maybe for the first time today, some of us will be prepared to say: “Loving God, into your hands I commit my spirit”. Then it will be, that this is the last breath that we will take only in our own strength – each breathe from now on will be breathed with Jesus firmly in our lives.

"A Heart for Giving" - a sermon on Luke 21:1-6

1. Another day at the temple. We left Jesus last week teaching in temple, having cleared out the sellers and money-changers, trying to reveal to those with the ears to hear and the eyes to see what God was truly about. At the beginning of chapter 21, we see Jesus taking a break from his teaching long enough to notice gifts being brought to what is termed “the treasury”. This “treasury” would have been an area in the temple set aside for various collections. Apparently in this particular temple treasury there was thirteen trumpet-shaped collection boxes, each bearing an inscription indicating the use to which its contents would be put (Morris). First he saw the parade of rich people bringing their gifts, then he saw a “poor widow” coming forward. She must have been dressed in a certain way that made it obvious that she lacked the financial support of a husband so necessary in that culture. This “poor woman” put in two small copper coins. These would have been worth very little to most people, coins you’d throw in a dish at home and forget about, or without thinking give as a tip to the pizza delivery driver. But of course this was a great sacrifice for this particular woman; and Jesus judged this small amount to be greater than all the other gifts combined. 2. What was so remarkable about this poor widow’s offering? (a) A higher percentage / a greater sacrifice – the gift of this “poor woman” was likely to be a much greater percentage of her income than it was for any of the rich that had given. This woman’s gift was a greater sacrifice than the “rich” had made (no matter how much they gave) because of her limited resources and basic poverty. If the value of a gift was assessed in terms of what was left for the person themselves (rather than what was given), then certainly this woman had given the gift of greater value. Darrell L Bock writes, “... real giving happens when one gives sacrificially”. (b) Heart attitude / basic trust – it seems that while the rich had the ability to give without a second thought or any sense of inconvenience (because it just didn’t hurt), this “poor woman” was moved to give out of a conscious commitment to God. Even though the use of the temple funds were unlikely ever to produce practical help for her (the way things were being run), this “poor woman” gave anyway ... in the knowledge that this benefitted the depth of her relationship with God. Sincere giving connected her to the heart of God. And this “poor woman” had made a statement in her giving, that no matter how bad things were, she was prepared to trust in God. In one way we admire her, but in another way we should be shocked that this woman, in giving so much, then becomes even more vulnerable – she was actually increasing her personal hardship. Jesus may be commending the woman’s sacrifice, as is often taught, but Jesus would equally be lamenting this woman’s situation in life (and the fact that she herself was obviously not being helped). One could only hope that those who were there that day witnessing this event and hearing what Jesus said, would get the point and begin to emulate this woman’s attitude. She had clearly reflected on God’s place in her life and responded in line with this. By her actions this “poor woman” had clearly challenged a temple system unconcerned for the poor, the needy, the orphan and the alien. And she had challenged the “rich” as to whether their giving was through unthinking compulsion or selfish restraint, or, on the other hand, a generous heart. (c) Prophetic statement – so there is also here a prophetic critique by Jesus about the gap between the rich and the poor. Jesus is wanting us to face up to the absurdity and blasphemy of those who love building wealth while others live in poverty. But we only clearly get this if we look at the context. So we read back three verses – Luke 20:45-47 and hear the scandal at the beginning of verse 47 concerning the “scribes” – the teachers and legal experts of the temple – “They devour widow’s houses, and for the sake of appearances say long prayers”. That is to say, that through their economic activity and desire for more wealth, the rich “scribes” in effect ‘rob’ defenceless widows of their houses and quality of life. It has even been suggested on this that certain “scribes” may have taken up roles as legal trustees for widows and then either mismanaged or downright cheated them out of their property, or that certain “scribes” gave loans that were impossible to pay back and subsequently foreclosed on poor widows, or that through their elevated position took financial advantage in some way or other of the vulnerable. No wonder the poor widow’s offering was much more highly rated. But also we are here confronted with the perversion of the inequality in the economic life of society, and should be horrified that this was being aided and abetted by those who were supposed to be leading people toward God. This scripture actually shows more than just the “poor woman” setting the example of right giving, but also shows that this woman should not have been so poor in the first place (if the priorities of the community were better and more Godly)! The gifts of the rich should have been changing the situation of this “poor woman” for the better. But where were the gifts actually going?? Verse 5 (of chapter 21) gives a real hint. One could imagine that the spending of vast sums on the over-adornment of a building was about certain people wanting to feel good about themselves and how they were especially blessed by God, and how special they were. But this was all so external! In reality injustice was rife, and it was so difficult for outsiders to even find a place to pray. The beautification of the temple and all its excess (as we read on into verse 6) is actually worthless and will amount to nothing. Worse than this, it is actually blasphemous when it stands in the face of the homeless poor. May injustice bow to Jesus, as we walk before the cross. It is the great irony of this passage, that a “poor woman” teaches us what our attitude to the poor should be!! God seeks giving and generous hearts to make up for the inequities that exist in society. Such hearts will lead us toward change in small ways – the immediate response to presenting need; but also in big ways – as such attitudes become more commonplace and widespread. Giving takes us right into the heart of God. 3. Thank-you for giving. Each of us has no doubt given of ourselves and given of our resources in a variety of ways to help those in need and advance the cause of Jesus. Giving of course is not just about money, or sharing our resources, but also about sharing our life. As Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become so dear to us” (1 Thess. 2:8). This is a giving of encouragement, solace and practical support. In God’s Kingdom here on earth, widows will be supported, along with the orphan, the homeless, the unemployed and the refugee, by those of us who have been given so generously of God’s grace. So I reflect on this church’s recent journey. We have given, but then there is so much to give to. We have given time and effort and creativity in a variety of outdoor marquees and classrooms, so that children and families might get just a sense of light and hope and Jesus. We have given Bibles so that homes may have somewhere to turn for ultimate truth. We have listened to people’s stories. We have shared life experience so that others might grow. We have cooked biscuits for prisoners and given toys for their families. We have sown dolls for stricken children overseas. We have packed Christmas treats in shoe-boxes that have gone far afield, where gifts can be a rarity. We have seen the big picture of global desperation and responded as God has convicted us. We have offloaded our excess to support the Morrison’s op-shop. We have sacrificed our gold coins for the sake of greater need. We have banded together to help a family divided by conflict and addiction, and found God able to bring energy and resolve in the midst of trauma and tiredness. We have rejoiced with those who rejoice and wept with those who weep. We have prayed for those in need and experienced God’s wonderful undertaking. We have offered God’s love, acceptance and teaching to our children and young people, so that they might truly know Jesus. Sometimes we have failed, but sometimes we have really helped. Giving allows us to discover the good that can emanate from within us, even from our weary souls. And our giving can reach right up to heaven and have eternal significance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFrdJ2V3r7Y. Giving and receiving is the essence of the Gospel story ... God gives, we receive; we give, others receive, we receive again! We can only be generous givers as we enter deep in to the heart of God – the greatest giver. Jesus at great sacrifice has given us all the ultimately important gifts – access to forgiveness, freedom from the fear of death, bringing hope and purpose in living. It is God’s heart for giving that should inspire us in our daily living, and in our every interaction with the world. Today the “poor woman” of Luke 21 inspires us in our giving. The sum total of her “two small copper coins” didn’t buy very much, but her heart attitude speaks volumes and brings us to tears. In one simple act, she faced off against hypocrisy and injustice, and declared that the Kingdom of God is not about beautiful temples nor self-satisfaction, but about addressing human need.

"Weeping leads to Action" - a sermon on Luke 19:41-48

1. Jesus Weeping (Luke 19:41-44) What a scene! Jesus is coming down the path from the Mount of Olives approaching Jerusalem and sees the city before him. And he cheered!?! No ... he didn’t ... he wept! Why did Jesus weep over Jerusalem?? We need to explore this. The famous time we hear of Jesus weeping was at the death of Lazarus in John’s Gospel – the shortest verse in the Bible – John 11:35. There we read that Jesus was “greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved” leading to his tears; that was at the death of a friend. This time when Jesus weeps, it’s in the face of the potential death of a whole city including its temple. We read that Jesus wept because there was a lack of understanding (or recognition or acceptance) of the things that made for peace (v.42a). What does this mean? “Peace” is a need set deep within each human being. The need to feel at “peace” is a human necessity. Without peace there is only turmoil, just like without light there is only darkness. We need peace with God so that the spiritual void within us becomes filled through having a relationship with our loving Creator. We need peace within ourselves, so that we can sleep well at night and properly and freely pursue the purposes for which we were born. We need peace with each other and all of our neighbours so that there would be some chance of harmonious dealings in our community and fairness and justice in society. We need both forgiveness and a forgiving attitude to be at peace. This was lacking in the Jerusalem. Yet all of this peace that Jerusalem needed that day was available in the Divine gift of Jesus ... but this had been missed completely. In most people’s minds, Jesus would have been alright if he had just overthrown the Romans and made life more bearable, but not if he expected individuals to actually ‘repent’ and change their ways. The system was the problem, or so they thought, not them! But who is it that makes and maintains the systems! “If you, even you, had only recognised on this day the things that make for peace!” We could simply just blame the crowd or the population of Jerusalem at the time, and we could certainly point the finger at the religious leadership of the time (which should have known better), but we then might just miss something. For the lesson is made dramatically clear. There are consequences when the things that make for peace are ignored. Jesus drew on Jerusalem’s previous misadventures and destruction six centuries earlier to predict a similar fate reoccurring. We know that Jerusalem remained unrepentant and vulnerable and was destroyed (including the temple) by the Romans some 41 years after Jesus spoke these words. In this case, the consequences of disbelief were extreme. The answer, the solution, that should have been addressed, was to give attention to “the things that [actually] make for peace”. But we go on to read that this was “hidden” from their eyes (v.42b). How were things hidden from their eyes? How are things hidden from our eyes?? How could I miss something that was right in front of me??? Well I guess my eyes can be closed and blissfully oblivious of what’s ahead of me ... or I can put a cover over my eyes so I don’t have to face it ... or I can be looking in the wrong direction ... or my vision can be blocked by something else that stands between me and what lies a bit beyond. What could that be? In the Pharisees case, it was the power and privilege that they had that they didn’t want to give up. We might think self-protection and reducing risk is a good idea, but it won’t necessarily bring the results we would hope for. It is also possible for us to fill our lives with so many other things that we miss ‘seeing’ the most important thing. Jesus looked at Jerusalem and wept. Are we sufficiently drawn to tears at the state of our society and the lives of those around us? For the sake of the welfare of the places in which we live, there needs to be an emphasis on Godly, harmonious, just and generous living – all the things that make for peace – beginning with those of us who have already seen the light! Otherwise civic life will crumble around us, and Jesus will weep once again. 2. Praising God or something else (Luke 19:35-40) Five days before his crucifixion Jesus rode toward Jerusalem to a far deal of acclaim. You would think that this would make Jesus happy, and make him think that he had achieved some success. Yet Jesus knew that what these people wanted (and were cheering about) was not what Jesus was offering. They wanted to be rid of the Romans and return to an independent nation – the ‘good old days’ if you like (without addressing spiritual change). They wanted preferential treatment going forward (again without addressing spiritual change). They wanted Jesus to be their own parochial national ‘Messiah’ ... that’s what they were shouting for (they were not shouting for the suffering servant Son of God)! The ‘Palm Sunday’ text (just before today’s reading) is often read in isolation as an affirmation of Jesus, when in reality and in context it’s part of the mass rejection of who Jesus really was and is. Jesus had tried to tell and show the crowds what he was all about – a suffering servant who worked from the bottom of society up, but generally speaking people were too fixed in their minds to see it. Jesus shunned fame as a healer and called for silence about this – such healing was for those who had already begun to show faith. Jesus sought committed disciples not political office. Wouldn’t you weep too ... if you were so misunderstood! And anyway Jesus knew how fickle people could be – favouring one thing one day, and something very different another day – one day “Hosanna – Praise the Lord”, the next “Crucify Him”; how people could seem very good with the right words, but actually live in quite contrasting ways – “Hosanna” as long as this makes my life easier and more comfortable, otherwise “Crucify Him”. People can get excited in a moment of apparent significance, but they don’t often follow through. Fortunately though a few people were genuine that day, and later became the beginnings of the ongoing Jesus movement. 3. Action at the temple (Luke 19:45-48) Perhaps Jesus could best judge the real level of spiritual health of the city by looking at the temple. This was the place where people of all nations and backgrounds were supposed to be able to connect with and worship God. But what was happening here? This was a central place for people to commune with God, but instead of providing refuge for the spiritual pilgrim it was preoccupied with the self-interest of the powerful elite (who profited from the commercial arrangements carried out there). The outer area of the temple was the only area where non-Jews were allowed to pray, but this area was taken up by ruthless business types ... selling animals for the required sacrifice at highly inflated prices, or cheating people in exchanging money from one currency to another. To not see God in the life and ministry of Jesus was culpable ‘blindness’ – they should have been able to ‘see’. No wonder Jesus wept; but he still didn’t weep in judgement so much as in compassion. And Jesus doesn’t weep for himself, even though his torturous death is pending in just a few days. But I reckon there might be some tears at the prospect of his sacrifice being in vain!?! The reality of the consequences of disbelief weighed heavily on Jesus. There was so much misery ahead. Things could be so much better ... if people knew the things that make for peace. Jesus was lamenting lost opportunity (Morris). People were missing out on this whole “visitation from God”. Specifically, at this time, they were missing a real ‘God moment’! What a tragedy. God is made available, even in human form, and people still miss out. There was so much to appreciate – God had not forgotten them, far from it. Here were tears of sadness, tears of frustration, and tears of regret. We would surely wonder that if Jesus came down from Mount Dandenong or from the top of the Westgate Bridge and approached the neighbourhoods of Melbourne, what his emotions might be. And then as Jesus approached the churches, the places of supposed restoration and transformation, what he would be thinking. It‘s like back in the 1990’s when Jeff Kennett famously referred to Crown Casino as representing “the true spirit of Victoria”. God help us! If that’s true, we certainly need redeeming. Jesus weeps over those people who just can’t seem to help themselves and break their various addictions; like those who can’t stop gambling themselves and their families into ruin over and over again. Yes they are responsible, but where there is addiction, we are responsible for helping where we can. Some people may refer to legislation to restrict a person’s capacity to lose at gambling as being the ‘nanny state’, but it is clear from the Bible that we are our brother and sister’s keeper – especially where there is real vulnerability. And we all suffer together as Jerusalem or any other city crumbles. [First I loved Brendon Fevola for his unique talent; then I felt cheated as he wasted this great ability through outrageous behaviour and letting my team so badly down; now I feel sorry for this train-wreck happening before my eyes and scream out for someone please to help him.] Jesus followed up his weeping with action. Jesus could not abide the misuse of the temple. Even though it was likely that the traders and charlatans would return again by next week, Jesus would take strong prophetic action. He called upon the witness of Isaiah and Jeremiah and swept the temple clean – “My house shall be a house of prayer – but you have made it a den of robbers”. There is more details in the other gospels about Jesus’ ‘housekeeping’ activity in the temple, with Luke wanting most to emphasise that Jesus cleared the temple to allow for him to teach there about the true nature of God (in response to so much misunderstanding) – as if to say, ‘I’ll keep trying to the end to make them appreciate this visitation from God’. Jesus taught people about God and God’s love and God’s ways until he was arrested. The people were “spellbound” for a time, but eventually many caved into the darkness. As mentioned earlier, there would be a remnant though, who would become excited at the news of Jesus’ resurrection and be the catalyst for a new movement that eventually came to be known as Christianity. The church of today needs to be a house of prayer that leads to an understanding of God’s truth, the development of mature faith, the nurturing and building of good relationships, and a missional engagement with the surrounding society. The church needs to be a place of faith, love, peace and hope. Unfortunately the temple in Jerusalem had become a place of self-interest and material appeasement. Thus the city itself was a mess; and Jesus wept. We, as we gather together, are experiencing a visitation from God. We need to start with our personal response to Jesus, our own inner cleansing, and our openness to be guided by God’s Holy Spirit. We need to guard our personal behaviour and business dealings. Our society (largely without knowing it) is depending upon us. Jesus lived, taught, healed, loved people, revealed God, died for our sins, rose again – and people are still missing out on this “visitation from God”.