Not Afraid Nor Dismayed

NOT AFRAID NOR DISMAYED

Text: Luke 13:31-35

Luke 13:31-35  At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you."  (32)  He said to them, "Go and tell that fox for me, 'Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work.  (33)  Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.'  (34)  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!  (35)  See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

Just recently, I read a fascinating story. “There was a minister, a seminary student who had an assignment to visit those in the nursing home and the shut-ins. He got to know one of the residents in the nursing home. He might have been old and somewhat feeble but mentally, he was sharp. After numerous conversations and visits this 23 year old seminarian asked this wise old man in his nineties a question. “What is it like to be old?” The man thought for a minute and responded, “I now view everything in life from the point of view of my death.” To that W. Maynard Pittendreigh, Jr. (the seminarian) said, ”without thinking”, “How sad.” “Not at all” said the old man. “We are all dying, but for most people death is a secret. People hide it from themselves. But I know the secret. I know I’m going to die. And that helps me treasure life, and enjoy it. Even here in a nursing home.” ” (As quoted and paraphrased from Reverend Dr. W. Maynard Pittendreigh, Jr. Pastor of Sunrise Presbyterian Church in Miami Florida [Address: 18400 NW 68th Ave., Miami, Fla. 33015]. Sermon: “Laughing At The Shadow Of Death.” Text: Luke 13:31-35. August 1, 1999). Jesus looked at all He did through the lens of His hour of suffering to come---His death and resurrection. In spite of the opposition of the Pharisees, Jesus never wavered from His mission---to seek and save the lost.

THE OPPOSITION OF THE PHARISEES

The Pharisees issued a death threat to Jesus that had seemingly come from Herod. The Pharisees were known for their religion. Jesus said that unless one’s righteousness surpassed that of the Pharisees that he/she would not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20 paraphrased). The religion of the Pharisees was ….

1.… based on rules and regulations and not a relationship with God.

2.… almost idolatrous an legalistic; they burdened others with their failure to keep law (Matthew 23: 4, Luke 11:46).

3.… blind leaders (Matthew 15:14, 23:16, 17,24,26).

One size does not fit all! Not all of the Pharisees were bad people. Nicodemus, Joseph of Aramithea, and the apostle Paul were all Pharisees. It is these three Pharisees prove that not all the Pharisees were alike.

Oskar Schindler had a what someone has called a “comfortable relationship” with the Nazis. He did some of the same things that the Nazis had done “drinking, gambling, womanizing”. In 1930, Schindler had bought an enamelware factory that went bankrupt and converted it to a munitions factory. He employed 1,200 Polish Jews which saved them from the Nazi death camps. In 1993 filmmaker Stephen Spielberg made a movie about Schindler. It was called Schindler’s list. Although we would not condone his immoral behavior, we certainly applaud the way that he saved 1,200 Jews from almost certain death. Even though he associated with the Nazis, it would seem beyond the shadow of a doubt that he did not agree with their hatred of the Jewish people (anti-Semitism). In a similar way even though Nicodemus and Joseph of Aramathea were Pharisees, they did not necessarily agree with the anti-Jesus sentiments of their peers. In fact, history tells us that it was Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus who saw that Jesus got a decent burial. One size does not fit all!

RESPONDING TO THE DEATH THREAT

Jesus was not afraid of death. He was working on God’s time table. He was still busy about His heavenly Father’s business (Luke 2:49). When news of Herod’s death threat got to Jesus, Jesus was not about to quit doing what God had sent Him to do because His work was not yet finished (John 19:30).

Jesus called Herod a fox. Consider what a fox does to chickens. It preys on them. It just so happens that in this passage of scripture Jesus calls Herod a fox and those that Jesus came to gather whether willing or unwilling were vulnerable chicks (Luke 13:34).