Chicken Wings....
Luke 13:31-35
I would like to begin my sermon for today with the words of our psalm for this morning:
One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. Psalm 27:4Again:
One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.And the psalmist goes on:
For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock. Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD. Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! Psalm 27:5-7We hear from the writer of this psalm a shout, a cry from the heart to reach out to God. Notice that it is expected that there will be enemies all around, but notice too that our heads can be lifted high even in this situation.
If only we could reach out and hold on to this understanding, this wisdom that the ancient author knew so well.
It is what we were made for, and it is how we are happy: to reach out for the Lord, to "live in the house of the Lord" - in other words to seek the Lord always, in all that we do wherever we are, and to: "inquire in his temple" - to strive to understand his calling on our lives.
If we turn now to our Gospel we find Jesus in quite a state. He is being told that Herod is trying to kill him. Now that wouldn't have been any new news for Jesus, but it wouldn't be fun to be told by your enemies either. One wonders if this was true right then, or just a ploy by the Pharisees to try to keep Jesus out of Jerusalem.
Anyway, Jesus turns to the Pharisee, and says some rather unflattering words about Herod, and then goes on with the most amazing thing:
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! Luke 13:34
These words are straight from the heart of God. OH, Oh how I long to gather you together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.God longs for us, and wants to gather us up, if only we were willing!
Have you ever been out with a small child, a three or four year old, who gets just out of sight?
I was reading this week about a little girl who went to an amusement park, into one of those mazes, and got out of sight of her father. She became increasingly confused by all the paths, until she heard her daddy call out, "Don't cry, honey. Put your hands out and reach all around. You'll find the door. Just follow my voice." As he spoke the little girl became calm and soon found her way out and ran to the security of her father's outstretched arms. 1God's voice is calling us too. From the confusion of the maze of this life. To come to him.
"An unknown author wrote, "Longfellow could take a sheet of paper, write a poem on it and make it worth sixty thousand dollars. That is talent. Rockefeller could sign a piece of paper and make it worth millions. That is capital. A mechanic can take material worth $5 and make it into an article worth $50. That is skill. A merchant can buy an article for eighty cents, put it on his counter and sell it for a dollar. That is business. But God can take a worthless, sinful life, wash it, cleanse it, put his Holy Spirit within it and make it a blessing to all humanity. That is salvation. And that salvation is available for all who choose to accept it." 2Why do we get so wound up in all the cares of this world, when that one truth can make more of a difference than any other.
God does reach out to us. God calls to us in all sorts of ways. In the beauty of the morning sky, and in the cry of a little baby. In the words of the prophets, and in person of Jesus Christ.
It's a miracle you know. All we need do is answer the call. Just like Abraham learned so long ago, and we heard about in our first lesson. It says:
And he believed the LORD; and the LORD 1 reckoned it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6He believed, and all the rest follows. Now that's not to say there aren't struggles to keep that in front of us. Maybe that's what Lent, THIS lent is for.
To remind us…..
We are not good enough for God. Abraham wasn't. I'm certainly not. And neither are you. God expects us to change.
BUT in it ALL..
God cares for you. Longs for you. Loves you. Values you. and Wants the best for you.
Let me say that again… God cares for you. Longs for you. Loves you. Values you. Wants the best for you.
Don't ever forget it.
Amen
©2007 Steve E. Timpson
1 from a sermon by Tim Zingale.
2 from Timothy Williams.
(613) 272-2360
P.O. Box 69
2764 Highway 15, Portland, Ontario
stimpson@ontario.anglican.ca