Lent 2 Luke 13:31-35 Safe In Christ’s Arms
Jeremiah 26:8-15, Philippians 3:17-4:1 Luke 13:31-35
One of the most mysterious and deadliest plagues to ever touch our world was called the Black Plague. In medieval Europe, the epidemic drastically decreased the population leaving only a small number of people remaining. It had terrified the hearts of every person in Europe who knew what that terrible and unexplainable disease was doing.
The once positive outlook people had on life in the thirteenth century had perished along with the many lives the plague took. No wonder this time period was also called the dark ages. The dark ages were truly a time of sadness, loneliness and depression on a massive scale.
During that time however, there was one man who found a way to help many people in the little towns he traveled to. He would enter into those towns and urge the people to clean the town up. He convinced them to bury the bodies of those who had died instead of letting them decay out in the open.
He told them to clean up the trash and filth lying in the streets and to throw their garbage outside of the town. When the people listened to him and cleaned up their town, something wonderful and surprising happened--the number of people who caught the plague dropped off dramatically.
Although no one at that time knew it, the deadly plague virus was carried by fleas. The fleas lived on countless numbers of rats which were also infected. And the rats lived in the filth and ate the garbage that was strewn about the towns. The rats entered into people’s houses and infested the houses with fleas making it incredibly easy for a person to become infected with the Plague.
As the garbage left, so did the rats. Without food to eat, the rats died off, the fleas could not travel far and the disease could not spread as quickly as before. The man who convinced people to clean up their towns was a hero and he saved many lives. But not all people listened to him.
Some small towns tried to avoid the plague by shutting themselves away from strangers. They built walls around their communities and would not let anyone inside. Neither did they venture outside of those walls to help anyone for fear that they themselves might become sick. They dug wells and planted gardens and lived completely within their closed community.
They would not open the gates even to throw out their trash. When the man approached those towns, they shunned him. They even threatened to kill him if he would not leave. He pleaded with them to listen but to no avail. So he would leave with great sadness but still continue his journey with great resolve, spreading his saving message to all who would hear. And to his joy, he was able to save many people throughout the land.
Months later, when the plague had ended, those who had survived, ventured out into those towns that had refused his help. They discovered that every person within those walls had died. Because they had not cleaned up their towns by taking the refuse outside, great numbers of starving, disease ridden rats moved in and it did not take long for all of the people to become infected. Those who did not die from the plague died from starvation, because they refused to go outside of those walls to seek help.
Dear friends, there is another deadly plague affecting us today. This plague has been around almost as long as man has walked the earth and it is destroying families, communities and even countries all over the world. The cause of this plague is sin. It starts with those tiny sins that you do not even notice. As time continues, the world becomes more and more polluted with sin and filth and the entire world is dieing from sin and wickedness.
1 Cor. (6:9-10) says, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
But the world does not want to hear that they need to remove the filth of sin from their houses and from within themselves. Consequently those who want to help are not trusted. Those who try to show people the error of their way are driven off, threatened and despised. It was the same in Jeremiah’s day. Our Old Testament lesson begins, “And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, "You shall die!”” Jeremiah 26:8
The world’s refusal to listen was just as true for the Hebrew people when Jesus tried to help them. Jesus offered eternal life and salvation for all those who would listen, and yet many refused. Jesus was there in the flesh. God had come among them but they saw only a stranger. He told them to repent of their sins, but many would not listen. They would not gather together to hear His word or accept Him and His promise. Our Lord’s time among them was growing short. His days of teaching were coming to an end. In only a few days, He would finish the next step of His work by dying on a cross for the sins of all mankind.
They threatened Him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” You can hear the frustration as He tried to reach out to them, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem” our Lord cried out. “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! Behold your house is forsaken.”
That great holy city of Jerusalem city had become infested with sin, and ignored the Messiah that was sent to save them. Their house of worship would become desolate because God was no longer found in their Temple. Jesus, the living temple where God dwelled in all of His fullness was their, but they would have nothing to do with Him. Jesus did not abandon those whom He was about to die for, they abandoned Him.
Today, we see the plague caused by sin happening throughout the cities and towns of the world. In 2 Timothy we read, “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy (4:23)
Many today have abandoned the truth found in the Bible for the lies that the world proclaims. They want to hear “nice” things rather than words that lead to repentance. The world’s religion teaches that you are good and worthy by your actions. But they do not realize that their souls are in mortal danger because they have rejected their Savior Jesus Christ and shut themselves off from God.
Saint Paul says of these people, “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. (Philip. 3:18-19)
How sad and frustrating it is for us as Christians to see many of those we love get into trouble or become trapped in their sins with seemingly no way out of their situation and do not turn to God. Instead, they shut themselves away, lock themselves in and refuse to seek or ask Him for help. Just when they need God and the Church most in their lives, they build a wall around themselves and suffer alone with their sins and their sorrows.
There is no need to suffer this way. Jesus has the words of salvation and eternal life. Jesus longs to gather all people under His wings. He wants them to hear His word, to receive His forgiveness and to share His kingdom with you and your loved ones throughout eternity. So even though they may refuse to listen, we are to witness our faith by our actions and keep them in our prayers. No matter what you have done in the past or what your current state of being is, Jesus is more than ready and always willing to show you the way of salvation, the way to give you new and everlasting life.
Such is the love we are to practice and share with our fellow man. Saint Paul tells you all, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” Philip. 3:17 And when you yourselves are burdened by sins, regrets and sorrow, do not shut yourself in, away from Jesus your Savior. Only when you stay away from Him, only when you refuse to clean up your life is your soul in mortal danger. Only when you reject His message and love does He go away in sorrow. Sure, you sometimes need to be alone to grieve, but do not reject Jesus when He speaks to you, because He longs to take you under His wing.
Whenever two or more gather in His name, He is there ready and waiting. Jesus washed you clean at your baptism and called you one of His own just as he has cleansed Natalya this morning. He has the power to do such wonders because He died for you and by His wounds you are healed. He speaks to you through word and music at the worship service. When you come to His Supper, Jesus is here in the flesh. He shares the warmth of His very body and blood with you for your protection from the sins of this world and for the restoration of your soul. That is the love that Jesus has for you. And please remember when you need to speak to someone face to face your pastor is here to stand in the stead of Jesus, ready and willing to help.
Every time you come to Jesus for the healing of your soul, He cures you of all of the sins that plague you. Every day, He offers you eternal life and comforting words. Every day He offers salvation.
Jesus says, “Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest.” Jesus is the answer. Jesus is the way the truth and the life. If you have turned your back on Christ, turn around. He is standing here this morning with open arms, waiting to hold you safely in His arms now and forever, Amen.