Choosing peace in a world gone mad

Lent 2, Year C

Presented to Warners Bay Uniting Church and Boolaroo Uniting Church - 16.3.2025
 

Focus text: Luke 13:31-35

 

The second Sunday of Lent finds Jesus on a hillside, filled with compassion and speaking with great candour about the impending plot against him. He paints Jerusalem as a city that has lost its way and he is imploring them to return to God. 

And so begins the journey toward the cross for him. But even with the threat of that ‘fox’ Herod Antipas hot on his heels, Jesus is determined to continue to do his work before he sets his face toward Jerusalem where he knows already instinctively that this will mean for Him and the prophets before him, certain death.

 

Jesus laments how he was unable to bring lasting peace to Jerusalem and by extension the wider known world at the time. Perhaps in his death people will see the error of their ways. Perhaps in him being handed over to make the ultimate sacrifice it might wake humanity up to the futility of this world’s desire toward power and cruelty, hard heartedness and hatred. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing?” The people were well known for looking the other way and going in the opposite direction when faced with prophetic truth in the past, and Jesus, knowing full well they may do so again simply wishes to gather them together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but he realises he can only do so much and the decision for Jerusalem to listen to their better angels would ultimately be up to them. 

This is of course not just something we can project onto Jerusalem. For we face such decisions in our time too. What are the limits of our willingness to listen to our better angels, to face up to whom we are and all the ways we have colluded with a world that chooses corruption and control over care and compassion? How do we show our commitment to peace amidst political and religious tensions? Are we willing to lay down the letter of the law in order to consider the spirit of the law as Jesus showed us time and time again? Will we, this Lent be willing to soften our own certainties, agendas and vested interests to allow our hearts to attune ourselves to the spirit of Jesus who lifted up the lowly, broke bread with the outcasts, and consistently reminded his followers that the kingdom of heaven belonged to those not allowed into the Temple? Will we allow the power of Lent’s invitation to turn toward God once again to transform our hearts into the heart of Jesus who came that we might have life in all abundance, and who stood defiantly against those who would seek to diminish it?

 

We too long for peace in our world and for our own lives some 2000 years later. We also lament alongside of Jesus over the myriad of problems we face in our own world today. As we watch the 24/7 news cycle, we're reminded everyday of the dire consequences of humanity’s desire for power and control which has led to countless wars, societal breakdowns, a climate emergency, and an impending sense of doom that keep many of us up at night wondering when will this madness end? How do we continue to strive for the things that make for peace when the overarching axis of the world today leans toward the very powers Jesus came to overturn? The image of Jesus gathering Jerusalem together under his wings is an apt metaphor for our time because it reminds us that there is only so much we can do. Just as Jesus expressed there was only so much he could do, he nevertheless held Jerusalem with a Shepherd's heart and loving intent for the world as it could be. We too can do the same. We too can hold our world’s situation with that same level of love and compassion Jesus chose to express, as loving as a hen gathering her brood under her wings. We too can do the same in how we show up in our local neighbourhoods and committees, in our churches and in our community groups, we too can be purveyors of peace and kindness and the kingdom’s values amidst the tumult of a world gone mad.

 

The Gospel this morning falls within what scholar’s refer to as Luke’s rather lengthy “journey narrative” from chapters 9-19 which begins with the declaration “he set his face to go toward Jerusalem.” In Luke’s narrative, Jesus is constantly moving onwards, toward Jerusalem to fulfil his purpose. He goes from town to village, one after the other, propelled ever forward toward Jerusalem. Luke appears fond of this journey format, not only for presenting Jesus’ ministry in the Gospel, but also for characterizing the early followers as pilgrims, those of “the Way”. This journey narrative is a fit analogy for our own spiritual development as well, particularly during this season of Lent, a time of reflection, of turning toward God, and new beginnings. 

St Theresa of Avila wrote in the 1500's a book entitled, "The Interior Castle". It was a metaphor she used to speak of how we as human beings have limitless potential to delve into the depths of our own souls, exploring the many rooms in our own inner castle. She uses the metaphor of the castle to speak of the soul, and how we can sometimes neglect certain rooms that could use a little more light and tending to. She believed if we were able to nurture our inner castle, our inner spiritual home, we would be much more effective in attending to the outer world, cultivating peace in places just as Jesus did, recognizing that not all places will receive it, nonetheless the invitation for us remains, to cultivate peace within our inner world, that we might bring peace into the outer world in some form. 

 

I’d like to invite you to let your imagination run free for a moment and picture your own inner castle, your own inner dwelling place. Any kind of dwelling will do. It could be on a mountaintop or on a beach that is out in nature where you can feel your feet planted firmly on the earth. For some it may be a huge castle, with many chambers a place that is safe and secure. For others it may be a rustic cabin, tucked away in the woods, a peaceful and quiet refuge. For others still, it might be a nice little holiday cottage, with a rocking chair on the front porch. Now, move in closer and imagine the front door of that house. Now, picture someone walking toward you up the mountain, on the beach, or someone waiting for the drawbridge to lower, or pushing the doorbell, or knocking on the door. How comfortable would you be in letting them in?

 

You may have met people who gave you the distinct impression that if you went inside their home you would be met with a warm and hospitable experience. Others may be so cluttered with junk that there wouldn't be any room to sit down. Still others might look great and impressive on the outside, but once you crossed the threshold you automatically feel like you aren't welcome and you don't belong. How comfortable are you in visiting your own spiritual home? How open would you be to welcome others in? We all have rooms that could be a bit more cared for and kept. Is there a room in your interior castle that could do with a bit of a spring clean? Are there rooms in there that seem inhospitable to life? Are there rooms that require some cobwebs to come down?

 

Lent is a season where we’re able to do an introspective cleaning and rearranging of our own interior spiritual homes, for whilst we cannot influence complete control over the powers that dominate Jerusalem, Washington and Moscow, we can influence how we nurture our inner world, our inner castle, our spiritual life. We can make decisions about how hospitable, how welcoming, how loving, how kind we will be toward those who are in our lives, and in those moments we can choose peace, we can choose love, we can choose life.

 

Today Jesus prepares to make his way toward Jerusalem. Jesus attends to some last minute matters, but will shortly be on his way, as will we. On our way to stand in solidarity with those who weep and watch and pray for a world where hate and war will be no more, where God's kingdom will finally break through. So, let us be on our way. Let us do what we can do to bring in the kingdom of God in our local backyards and neighbourhoods, being purveyors of God's peace. Let us tend to our spiritual homes, let us engage with Jesus’ mission to proclaim the good news and work toward justice and peace. Let us each do our part along the way to build up streams in the desert, preparing a highway for our God’s love to permeate and redeem this suffering and hurting world that God so loves. Amen.