Lent 2
Preaching
Preaching Luke's Gospel
A Narrative Approach
This week's assigned text comes from the heart of Luke's Travel Narrative: 9:51„19:27. (For comments on the Travel Narrative see Chapter 19.) Next week's text will come from this same chapter of Luke. These texts are assigned for us in the church year without much respect for their context in Luke. We just suddenly jump into the middle of the Travel Narrative. These verses have a definite context.
David Tiede describes that context as follows:
This passage stands in the midst of Jesus' journey to Jerusalem ... It is a reminder that the way of the determined Messiah is God's mission which will not, cannot, be de-terred. But it is also a prophetic sign that the Messiah is well aware of the resistance and tragic rejection which lie in the path of God's saving purpose.1
Within the Travel Narrative itself we have just come out of a lengthy discourse in which Jesus teaches the disciples many things. In 13:22 a time of teaching is past and Jesus went "on his way" to Jerusalem (cf. 9:51: "... he set his face to go to Jerusalem"). Today's text reveals great conflict of wills in Jesus' journey to Jerusalem. We have before us in these few verses, "... the intention of Jesus' adversaries, the determination of the Messiah, the unwillingness of Jerusalem, and the fulfillment of the will of God."2
We hear in this week's text that Jesus is on his way to his death in Jerusalem. The first preview we have in Luke that trouble may face Jesus the prophet is in Luke 4:24: "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown." (For a discussion of the theme of Jesus as Prophet in Luke's telling of the gospel story, see Chapter 15.) Today's passage makes it very clear that Jerusalem is a place that kills prophets. There are some Old Testament stories about prophets being killed in Jerusalem: Jeremiah 26:20-23; 2 Chronicles 24:20-22. See also Luke 11:47-51. Furthermore, today's text is not the only text in Luke that refers to Jerusalem as the city that stands under God's judgment. See 19:41-44; 21:20-24; 23:27-31.
It was not always so that Jerusalem was cast in such a dark light. In Luke 2:36-38 we heard that when she saw the newborn baby Jesus, the prophetess Anna told one and all that this child had come for the redemption of Jerusalem. The story of the child filled everyone with great hope for Jerusalem. But judgment, not redemp-tion, will characterize Jerusalem in this story. Jerusalem passed judgment upon Jesus. Jesus passed judgment upon Jerusalem. Redemption comes only after judgment!
Death for Jesus in Jerusalem is no accident. Jesus himself prophesies of his coming death. "The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised" (9:22). We are not surprised, therefore, that in this week's text Jesus refuses the seemingly friendly counsel of the Pharisees. "Go," they say, "Herod wants to kill you." "Go," Jesus says, "tell that fox that I must be about my mission; I must be on my way."
A "divine must" hangs over Jesus' mission. This is a common theme in Luke. Chapter 26 (Luke 12:49-56) discusses the nature of God's plan, the "divine must" in Luke's Gospel. Jesus' life is lived out according to a kind of sacred plan. Luke's emphasis seems to be that Jesus' life and death fulfill that plan. Luke takes much more care to tell us that the plan is carried out than he does in try-ing to explain what the plan is. The plan is Luke's point. Most other biblical writers are much more attentive to the content of this plan. For Luke the plan must be carried out, and when it is carried out the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins can be preached to the nations. See Luke 24:44-49.
David Tiede refers to a prophetic sense of history that is present in this passage. A prophet cannot be killed anywhere but Jerusalem. This is the place for death to come to the prophet. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!" Jesus must finish his course. He is the prophet. Jeru-salem lies just ahead. Jerusalem, therefore, becomes the city where great evil takes place. On the other hand, it is the place where God is to do marvelous things. Human sin and divine intervention meet up in Jerusalem. Prophetic history will be fulfilled.
There is hope in this story for us today. Human sin dwells deep within each and every one of us. Will God have anything to do with sinners such as you and me? The answer is YES. Grace and sin met in Jerusalem long ago. Grace won! So it may be for us. Our sinfulness meets the crucified prophet. Grace wins again. Grace is God's final word on the sinful character of our human hearts.
Jesus' concluding words in this week's text indicate that people will not see him again until the day they say, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord." (Cf. Psalm 118:26.) This is precisely what the crowd of disciples shouts on Palm Sunday. At last Jesus enters Jerusalem. The journey is complete. He has fin-ished his course. The crowd sings: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" (19:38). The time has come. The king rides on to die.
Homiletical Directions
In the first place, we would ask that you read the Homiletical Directions in Chapters 15 and 26 where many of the themes of this week's text are dealt with. These chapters contain most of the narrative possibilities for putting this week's Lukan text in analogy with other biblical stories. From Chapter 15 it is particularly the section about Jesus as a "prophet like Moses" that is relevant to this week's material.
A teaching sermon on this text might follow the outline given above from David Tiede. He speaks of a challenge of wills that collide in Jerusalem. All of these challenges are present in this story. Each willful challenge can be set forth as a point in our sermon: 1) The intention of Jesus' adversaries. 2) The determination of the Messiah. 3) The unwillingness of Jerusalem. 4) The ful-fillment of the word of God.
What does this mean for us? See the section above which discusses the encounter of sin, judgment, and grace in Jerusalem. The good news for us here is that a plan is being fulfilled. Sin and grace engage in combat, and grace prevails. Now, therefore, the word of repentance and forgiveness can be preached to all nations (Luke 24:44-49). Jerusalem ultimately means good news for the sinner. Grace prevails. Forgiveness is possible. Our sinful human hearts do not doom us to judgment. Even if you do this as a teaching sermon you may wish to put the good news of God's forgiveness which is part of God's sacred pattern for the world in the first person, present tense language of proclamation.
It might also be important to note that Jerusalem is not just the end of something in Luke's telling of the story of Jesus. More importantly, Jerusalem is the beginning of something! Luke 24:44-49 indicates that this is so. So does Acts 1:8 ("You will be my witness in Jerusalem ... and to the ends of the earth"). Acts 2 tells of the story of Pentecost that takes place in Jerusalem. The Church is born in Jerusalem. The Church is commissioned to carry on the proclamation of repentance and forgiveness of sin. Grace prevails!
____________
1.aDavid L. Tiede, Luke: Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament (Minne-apolis: Augsburg, 1988), pp. 250-251.
2.aIbid., p. 256.
David Tiede describes that context as follows:
This passage stands in the midst of Jesus' journey to Jerusalem ... It is a reminder that the way of the determined Messiah is God's mission which will not, cannot, be de-terred. But it is also a prophetic sign that the Messiah is well aware of the resistance and tragic rejection which lie in the path of God's saving purpose.1
Within the Travel Narrative itself we have just come out of a lengthy discourse in which Jesus teaches the disciples many things. In 13:22 a time of teaching is past and Jesus went "on his way" to Jerusalem (cf. 9:51: "... he set his face to go to Jerusalem"). Today's text reveals great conflict of wills in Jesus' journey to Jerusalem. We have before us in these few verses, "... the intention of Jesus' adversaries, the determination of the Messiah, the unwillingness of Jerusalem, and the fulfillment of the will of God."2
We hear in this week's text that Jesus is on his way to his death in Jerusalem. The first preview we have in Luke that trouble may face Jesus the prophet is in Luke 4:24: "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown." (For a discussion of the theme of Jesus as Prophet in Luke's telling of the gospel story, see Chapter 15.) Today's passage makes it very clear that Jerusalem is a place that kills prophets. There are some Old Testament stories about prophets being killed in Jerusalem: Jeremiah 26:20-23; 2 Chronicles 24:20-22. See also Luke 11:47-51. Furthermore, today's text is not the only text in Luke that refers to Jerusalem as the city that stands under God's judgment. See 19:41-44; 21:20-24; 23:27-31.
It was not always so that Jerusalem was cast in such a dark light. In Luke 2:36-38 we heard that when she saw the newborn baby Jesus, the prophetess Anna told one and all that this child had come for the redemption of Jerusalem. The story of the child filled everyone with great hope for Jerusalem. But judgment, not redemp-tion, will characterize Jerusalem in this story. Jerusalem passed judgment upon Jesus. Jesus passed judgment upon Jerusalem. Redemption comes only after judgment!
Death for Jesus in Jerusalem is no accident. Jesus himself prophesies of his coming death. "The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised" (9:22). We are not surprised, therefore, that in this week's text Jesus refuses the seemingly friendly counsel of the Pharisees. "Go," they say, "Herod wants to kill you." "Go," Jesus says, "tell that fox that I must be about my mission; I must be on my way."
A "divine must" hangs over Jesus' mission. This is a common theme in Luke. Chapter 26 (Luke 12:49-56) discusses the nature of God's plan, the "divine must" in Luke's Gospel. Jesus' life is lived out according to a kind of sacred plan. Luke's emphasis seems to be that Jesus' life and death fulfill that plan. Luke takes much more care to tell us that the plan is carried out than he does in try-ing to explain what the plan is. The plan is Luke's point. Most other biblical writers are much more attentive to the content of this plan. For Luke the plan must be carried out, and when it is carried out the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins can be preached to the nations. See Luke 24:44-49.
David Tiede refers to a prophetic sense of history that is present in this passage. A prophet cannot be killed anywhere but Jerusalem. This is the place for death to come to the prophet. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!" Jesus must finish his course. He is the prophet. Jeru-salem lies just ahead. Jerusalem, therefore, becomes the city where great evil takes place. On the other hand, it is the place where God is to do marvelous things. Human sin and divine intervention meet up in Jerusalem. Prophetic history will be fulfilled.
There is hope in this story for us today. Human sin dwells deep within each and every one of us. Will God have anything to do with sinners such as you and me? The answer is YES. Grace and sin met in Jerusalem long ago. Grace won! So it may be for us. Our sinfulness meets the crucified prophet. Grace wins again. Grace is God's final word on the sinful character of our human hearts.
Jesus' concluding words in this week's text indicate that people will not see him again until the day they say, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord." (Cf. Psalm 118:26.) This is precisely what the crowd of disciples shouts on Palm Sunday. At last Jesus enters Jerusalem. The journey is complete. He has fin-ished his course. The crowd sings: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" (19:38). The time has come. The king rides on to die.
Homiletical Directions
In the first place, we would ask that you read the Homiletical Directions in Chapters 15 and 26 where many of the themes of this week's text are dealt with. These chapters contain most of the narrative possibilities for putting this week's Lukan text in analogy with other biblical stories. From Chapter 15 it is particularly the section about Jesus as a "prophet like Moses" that is relevant to this week's material.
A teaching sermon on this text might follow the outline given above from David Tiede. He speaks of a challenge of wills that collide in Jerusalem. All of these challenges are present in this story. Each willful challenge can be set forth as a point in our sermon: 1) The intention of Jesus' adversaries. 2) The determination of the Messiah. 3) The unwillingness of Jerusalem. 4) The ful-fillment of the word of God.
What does this mean for us? See the section above which discusses the encounter of sin, judgment, and grace in Jerusalem. The good news for us here is that a plan is being fulfilled. Sin and grace engage in combat, and grace prevails. Now, therefore, the word of repentance and forgiveness can be preached to all nations (Luke 24:44-49). Jerusalem ultimately means good news for the sinner. Grace prevails. Forgiveness is possible. Our sinful human hearts do not doom us to judgment. Even if you do this as a teaching sermon you may wish to put the good news of God's forgiveness which is part of God's sacred pattern for the world in the first person, present tense language of proclamation.
It might also be important to note that Jerusalem is not just the end of something in Luke's telling of the story of Jesus. More importantly, Jerusalem is the beginning of something! Luke 24:44-49 indicates that this is so. So does Acts 1:8 ("You will be my witness in Jerusalem ... and to the ends of the earth"). Acts 2 tells of the story of Pentecost that takes place in Jerusalem. The Church is born in Jerusalem. The Church is commissioned to carry on the proclamation of repentance and forgiveness of sin. Grace prevails!
____________
1.aDavid L. Tiede, Luke: Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament (Minne-apolis: Augsburg, 1988), pp. 250-251.
2.aIbid., p. 256.
