Turn and Live
Lent 2 – Narrative Lectionary 3
March 12, 2017
Grace, Mankato, MN
Luke 13.1-9, 31-35
A number of years ago in a previous call, out of the ten or so funerals I did that year, I had four or five of people in their fifties, and not early fifties. Because I was of similar age at that time, it hit me hard though of course it hit their families even harder. As you can imagine, I’ve done a number of tough funerals: babies, a teenager, an accident fatality, and even murder. Hardly a week goes by that someone doesn’t ask me the “Why” question: why did this happen? For people of faith, implied in that question is, “How could God allow this to happen?”
Two thousand years later and it seems as if nothing has changed; we still struggle with the question, “Why?” Some of the people present with Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem are asking similar questions as they bring the first century version of current events to him. We really don’t know any specifics about the occurrences in question, but that hardly matters. What’s striking is how Jesus responds, rather harshly I might add. “Do you think they were worse sinners or offenders? And then Jesus seems to twist the knife even deeper: “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”
As one of my colleagues says, this belongs in the category of “Stuff I wish Jesus hadn’t said.” So we have to ask, is Jesus really telling us that unless we repent we’ll end up like them? Well, kind of. Let me explain. First, Jesus denies that our suffering is punishment from God. That’s hard to unpack because of how he phrases it, but if you hear nothing else from me today, hear that. God does not cause our suffering. Second, though God does not make us suffer for our sing, suffering is nonetheless still connected to sin. It is often the sins of others but sometimes suffering is a reflection of the brokenness of creation. We know all too well how suffering comes from sinfulness.
Third, and most importantly for today, Jesus invites us to use these occurrences as a wake-up call regarding our life of faith. That may sound harsh, but I think it’s helpful to remember that the word for repentance means to change one’s mind and go the other way. Literally, Jesus encourages us to turn around and walk toward the way of life, not of death. I know that every time I do a “tough funeral” or am with people going through a rough time I go home and hug my wife and daughters a little longer and kiss them a little harder. These excruciating events have a way of stopping us and giving us pause.
Lent can be a time of reflection about our own journeys of faith, not from fear but from a sense of urgency. It’s a good practice from time to time to ask ourselves where we have wandered away from God or Jesus. We reflect on our devotional or prayer life. Are we taking care of ourselves, body, mind and spirit? How are our relationships doing? Are we willing open ourselves up and admit we need help or are we still trying to go it alone? Are we working so hard to be perfect and not make mistakes that all of joy has gone out of our lives?
The good news is that God through Jesus Christ already stands with open wings to welcome us back. I’ll say more about that next week as we encounter the parable of the father and two sons. But for now, know it is that posture of outstretched arms that give us the strength to turn around and go toward life. For it is in those open arms that God will also gather up all of our brokenness and put it to death. God does not cause our suffering but suffers with us and will redeem all of our suffering. So, this week, know that the one who unjustly suffered for us invites you to turn and live. Amen.
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