Listen to the Expert
Luke 13:31-35
Rabbi Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz
Luke 13:31 At that very time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, “Go away
and leave this place, because aHerod wants to kill You.” 32 And He said to them,
“Go and tell that 1fox, ‘Behold, I am casting out demons and performing healings
today and tomorrow, and on the third day I 2areach My goal.’ 33 “Nevertheless aI
must go on My journey today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that
a bprophet would perish outside Jerusalem. 34 “aJerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that
kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted
to gather your children together, bjust as a hen gathers her 1young under her wings,
and you were unwilling! 35 “Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to
you, you will not see Me until you say, ‘aBLESSED IS THE ONE WHO COMES
IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’”
In Luke’s Gospel, chapter thirteen, verses 31 to 35, Jesus offers an interesting response
to being told that Herod wanted to kill him. This is not Herod the Great, who reigned
over Judea when Jesus was born. This Herod is Herod Antipas, who was one of Herod
the Great’s sons. Antipas reigned over the kingdom, which included Galilee.
The author of Luke’s Gospel worked hard to prove to the reader/listener that Jesus is
the Messiah. The author used different stories and parables to make his proof. The
prophecies are there. The birth narrative is there. All that is necessary to prove Jesus
as the Messiah is there.
When I have to change physicians, I always ask about the medical school the doctor
attended. Where was the internship? Where was the residency? How did the doctor
meet the challenges that were placed before him or her? Then I have a discussion to
determine the experience of the doctor.
With a lawyer, I do a similar type of inquiry. People constantly do this. Then when they
go to the doctor for a medical problem, they listen to what the doctor says. If they
need legal advice, they go to the lawyer and follow the directions given. Why is it that
people come into church and they generally do not listen to what the pastor has to say?
An ordained pastor in the United Methodist church system has to have a bachelor’s
college degree, a master’s degree in divinity from an accredited seminary, 3 years of
experience working with a mentor, and finally two large position papers and
examinations. A very vetted pastor at a church, and yet the people would rather not
listen.
The congregation should vet the pastor. Does the pastor have the education and
experience to tell the people what the Bible says? If so, the pastor is the resident
theologian. Why not trust him or her?
A well-educated pastor can answer questions about the meaning and interpretation of
the Scriptures. However, if a person in the congregation does not want to change their
behavior, which was brought out in the sermon, they ignore the sermon. That person
generally will say that the pastor either is wrong or has no right to tell him what to do.
This happens every time a tithing sermon is offered. Because of this attitude, I offered
a tithing sermon once in twenty-five years. The church administrative board insisted
on it. The next week saw a giant drop in the weekly giving and a lot of complaining.
The Bible talks about ten percent. It is clear, yet most people would rather not hear
that. Instead they like Paul’s statement about giving from the heart. When I explain
that Paul was clearly referring to almsgiving and not tithing, those who give the least
complain the most.
The leadership of Galilee did not accept that Jesus was an expert of the Bible. So, they
tried to get him to leave by saying Herod wanted to kill him. This is echoed with the
prophet Amos, who found himself in the same situation 500 or so years earlier.
I believe that the leadership of the Galilee did not like what Jesus had to offer. History
says that prophets from the LORD with God’s message were rejected by the leadership.
This occurred because the leadership was violating the commands in the Torah. Usually,
the prophet was put to death so their message from God would be silenced. Therefore,
it is obvious why Herod Antipas wanted to kill Jesus.
Let me remind you that Antipas stole his brother’s wife and married her. This action is
a direct violation of the Torah. John the Baptist was a prophet sent from God to bring
the message of the need for reform of the leadership. Antipas arrested John and
murdered him. Since he did this to John, it would not have taken much to arrest Jesus
and kill him too.
Today lay leadership does not try to murder the pastor. Instead, they become passive aggressive
toward the pastor. This is when rumors about the pastor are created. They
figure out how to sabotage church ministries and events silently so they are hidden.
They write letters to the bishop with all kinds of complaints and falsehoods to get the
bishop to remove the pastor.
I could give you plenty of examples of these things in the modern church. If you are a
part of a passive-aggressive movement against your pastor, ask yourself why you are
doing it. Pastors are sent to churches with the blessings of Jesus Christ. Therefore, they
can be considered prophets from God.
A church does well when the people, including the pastor, work together for the glory
of God. Today, think about that. There are times you may not fully agree with a ministry
or event in your church. However, if the majority of people want to move in a direction
you are not in full agreement with, then you should have two choices. The first one is
to accept people’s desires and work with them. The other is to stay clear of that ministry.
Never say anything negatively about the ministry, the people involved, and especially
the pastor.
We are all working for the glory of God through Christ. Let’s show the world that all
of Christ’s churches can learn to love one another. The ultimate goal for all the churches
is found in Matthew 28:19 and 20. Make disciples for Jesus Christ, baptize them, and
educate them.
