Introduction
We often bemoan the type of world we live in. Violent assaults, murder, abuse, break-ins, racist attitudes, division, war, persecution, injustice. The question is … where do we go with this? We will, or should, go to God in prayer, desperately seeking better! But followers of Jesus will also consider what we should do ourselves in response to the world’s woes. God is continually opening opportunities for us to make a difference for good, and the Holy Spirit is with us … to help us to interpret and discern the best way forward.
God’s Visitation
We see in our text (Luke 19:41-46), that when Jesus, coming down from the Mount of Olives, had a clear view of Jerusalem, he could only weep. His tears welled up with the prophets of old, as he saw brokenness, illness, poverty and greed. Such unaddressed social dysfunction had brought this nation undone in times past, and would do so again. This was because, in essence, God was being ignored. You would think, that when God presented himself in human form, in the person of Jesus, there would have been an instantaneous response! Nuh! Life as normal in Jerusalem.
Jesus was basically rejected there. There were some who followed Jesus; and some willing to proclaim him … as long as it suited them – but the crowd was easily turned. On [what has become known as] Palm Sunday, many joined the authentic disciples, and got carried away with some leafy palm branches – joining the chorus of ‘Hosanna’ … because they thought Jesus might just overturn Rome. But how many of these would, just a few days later, under the influence of corrupt leadership and peer pressure, cry out something entirely different – ‘Crucify Him’!! Love thrown back in God’s face!
We know that God reversed the negative side of this, to produce a stream of forgiveness and new life. But this … still … is so often rejected. Sadly, some people can’t get past their brokenness … or the addictions that hold them captive. Certain people, who consider themselves well-off, have too much vested interest in maintaining things the way they are – being blind and deaf to their own deeper spiritual need. Others have never had the good news of Jesus properly presented to them, in a way where words, lifestyle and service … have added up with integrity.
The result – we look upon our world, nation and community … and often weep. Whether it was that particular time of visitation from God in the form of Jesus, or whether it is the church’s active witness to Jesus now – there is a general resistance to the true things of the Spirit. Not to say, of course, there is no interest – there is plenty of interest in pursuing types of ‘spirituality’ – but these are often those forms of thinking … that either allow ourselves to stay in the centre and determine the parameters (where we remain ‘god’), or conversely … giving away all decision-making responsibility to others … in some form of cult.
What about the very sensible notion of relational beings joining together to worship and serve their Creator … while encouraging and supporting one another! Why not that!?! Perhaps because this means giving over ultimate control to Jesus – not so attractive for many – while retaining responsibility for the use of one’s time, resources and abilities – again such mutual accountability is not so popular! In one way, I don’t understand the reluctance, in another way I do! How do we best respond to all this?
Compassion and Hope
I think Jesus looked into people’s hearts and minds, and understood. Jesus, although sometimes frustrated, kept on applying compassion and hope through all the encounters and conversations he had with people. To the one who was too reliant on his wealth, Jesus said to him (for his own good), “Go and give it all away”. Whereas this one went away sad, we know that Jesus was right, because when Zacchaeus decided to give away all his ill-gotten gains, there was an instant and remarkable change in him (Luke 19:1-10).
When Jesus called ‘broken’ people to him, there was a desire to heal their bodies and minds on the road to healing their spirits. On one such occasion, when there were 9 out of 10 healed ‘lepers’ that failed to return to thank Jesus, thereby missing the extra blessing, yet we know that the one who did return … received ‘salvation’ (Luke 17:11-19).
There were those who had no idea about the fight between good and evil, flesh and spirit – they just did their duty. When Jesus looked down at the ignorant Roman soldiers gambling over his clothes – he didn’t speak words of anger, but rather words of forgiveness (Luke 23:32-38). And we might easily infer … that this was the main reason why one particular Roman centurion came to testify that the person on the cross before him … was “Truly … God’s Son” (Mark 15:39). Jesus kept on applying compassion and hope through all the encounters and conversations he had with people, and this made a difference.
We rejoice when anyone responds positively to Jesus, but can weep (like Jesus) when nothing changes. As we read in these verses from Luke 19 – whether this is individual lives, or community well-being, or the fall of a whole nation – when God is ignored – things go from bad to worse. This is inevitable … when the very reasonable teachings of Jesus fall on deaf ears. This is because Jesus was God’s only answer to sin, rebellion and selfishness. This was God’s ultimate moment of visitation, and it was being ignored! There will always be consequences when people live selfishly, or bring division, without concern for the community as a whole. And, wherever and whenever we fail to consider the situation of our vulnerable brother or sister – heaven weeps!
The Jesus Example
What can we do about this? Well, as usual, Jesus gives us the necessary heads-up! And there are two ways we can look at this.
- How We Receive People
On this particular day, Jesus wiped his eyes, and I imagined he prayed – and then he did what needed to be done. People were being cheated financially, people were being blocked entry into their special place of prayer and worship, and the whole spiritual potential of the temple for the well-being of the people … was being obliterated and completely dishonoured. Jesus stepped in … to set things right!!
In so doing, Jesus challenged society about the plight of the poor, about the need for open, equitable and welcoming access to places of worship, and about the fact that serious spiritual engagement moves well beyond rules and regulations, well beyond offices and titles, well beyond functions and activities, to … a dramatically different kind of Spirit-led loving and serving community, that, rather than demanding anything, offers a whole lot of new opportunities.
The ‘insiders’ are being challenged to better consider the needs of the ‘outsiders’! What changes are required?! As well as our church being known for valuable engagement within our local community, we need to also be known as a welcoming “house of prayer” (verse 46) for all comers. This means that our gatherings are safe, peace-filled, hopeful, concerned, caring, encouraging, supportive, prayerful, positive and spiritually intuitive environments (especially for those most in need).
This requires an openness … far beyond traditional institutional thinking – to the Holy Spirit breathing God’s will amongst us and through us. When a church is truly a “house of prayer”, we will, together, be expecting God to turn up – and for good, remarkable, extraordinary and redemptive things … to happen!
- How We Approach People
After we wipe our tears away, we need to keep our eyes open to see how we might be able, with the Spirit’s leading, to intervene (like Jesus did). This could be very dramatically like Jesus, but more likely … will be in a very humble gentle way – simply by being present just exactly where we need to be present. Being present to reassure someone, to help someone, to pray for someone, to invite someone into community, and to reveal to someone how faith has worked and is working for you.
We will need great insight, discernment and wisdom – for each situation, each human dilemma … will be unique and likely require a different and special approach. This is God’s work through us. This is another of God’s little visitations. This is how we know that God will go with us – indeed before us – God is actually drawing us toward people. And God will bring about good results – for it is God, well before us, who wants no-one to be lost.
So this is why we can pray with our eyes open. We ask God … who are you leading us to, which situation needs us to be involved, where are you already preparing the way – keeping our eyes and ears open for the answer. The highlight of the Esther story (in the OT) for me (for those who know it), is the part where cousin Mordecai tells Queen Esther … that this is her moment to shine – this is her moment to be courageous, and speak to the king about undoing a great injustice (Esther 4:12-14).
Since God has redeemed our future for us, as son and daughters of God, and brothers and sisters of Jesus, we are invited through the Holy Spirit to participate in God’s redemptive work. We are on mission! Each of us gets to wake up every morning, open our eyes, sense the light of the dawn – and then engage in the dark places of our neighbourhood (where God weeps) … to make a difference for good.
We need to look at Jesus … until we can look out at the world with His kind of eyes (R Rohr).
Conclusion
Jesus held nothing back in his care for those he encountered. Jesus’ tears speak loudly of his abiding love for the citizens of Jerusalem. The same would be the case, whenever, in any generation and place, Jesus sees human potential being wasted. This is an abiding love that seeks social justice, redemption and renewal for all.
A mature Christian sees the potential of Christ in everyone and everything around us. Authentic experiences of God … should always expand our seeing – and never constrict our vision! This means … we will NOT fight, exclude or reject anyone, including those very different to us, and even those who don’t particularly like us.
With us in mind as well, Jesus travelled down into Jerusalem, suffered all the dishonour he witnessed at the temple … in his own body – despite being the Son of God! Jesus wasn’t deterred, not for more than a second, from fulfilling the greatest rescue plan in the history of humankind.
Because we can become forgiven disciples of this Jesus today … the suffering servant of all humanity – we can see the poor released, the thieves convicted of their sin, the violent drop their weapons, the ‘hate speech’ be silenced, and the church restored into a “house of prayer”.
Our society, largely without knowing it, is depending on us – to inject an appreciation of God into our streets. Amen.
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