Jesus and the Pharisees

I was at my youngest son's school nativity performance this week. There was Thomas strutting his stuff as an angel and I was actually quite impressed! Not just at his moves and singing, but with the content of the nativity and its desire to want to keep Jesus central to what Christmas is all about. And so we had songs not just about vague notions of love and peace, but songs too about Jesus being King of everything and Saviour. And it was so in your face I couldn't help but think: if nothing else, there are many questions being planted in those young minds…and regardless of how much they internalised there and then: it was a moment to give thanks and praise God for. You see it's all too common today for the world to try and distract us from Jesus, especially at Christmas. And it's all too easy for people to get the wrong idea of who God is. But actually, as we'll see in a moment, this is not a new problem and even Jesus himself had to deal with people trying to distract him from his work.

This morning we come to an end of our short excursion into Luke's gospel. We've been journeying with Jesus as he travels south from Galilee to Jerusalem. The title of our series has been the 'King and the Kingdom' and last week we saw that Jesus taught two things. Firstly, 'how the Kingdom of God is going to happen' (not in an instant as they were expecting) and secondly, 'how we become part of that Kingdom'. Remember that Jesus said that we enter through the narrow door. And this week's passage comes right on the back of that teaching. Take a look at Luke 13.31: "At that very hour…" In other words, this is very much a continuation from last week's sermon, so if you're making notes, my three points could be numbered 3-5, following on as they do from Ian's two last week! So, firstly (or thirdly!):

1. The Importance Of The Cross In The Kingdom Of God (13.31-33)

Remember: Jesus is on his way from Galilee to Jerusalem. Luke stresses this point three times in fact; let me just show you why and where. Turn back a few pages in your bible to Luke 9.22. We read there that Jesus says he "must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." Jesus knows that must happen in Jerusalem, so turn to verse 51, where Luke records "When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem." Forward two pages to last week's passage, Luke 13:22: "He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem." (The third reference to Jerusalem comes in chapter 17.) Why this emphasis on Jerusalem? Well it's not because Luke's a keen geographer and it's cool for us to know where the action is taking place (although that is important), but because in Jerusalem Jesus' mission, his life's work, will be completed. On the cross he will deal, once and for all, with the problem of sin. So let's look at Jesus' attitude to that in these verses. Back to chapter 13, verses 31-33:

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." And he said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.'"

Now there is an almost universal negative bias towards the Pharisees isn't there? These religious leaders are the ones we love to hate in the Gospel stories. Often portrayed as devious, cold, full of pride, hypocrites – Jesus reserves some of his strongest criticism for them. And yet here – could there not be something positive to say about them? At first glance – are they not concerned for Jesus' safety? Well, this is where Luke's detail of timing can shed some light. The "at that very hour" suggests a hint of a reaction to what Jesus has just said and done. So maybe these local leaders wanted him moved on and they used Herod as an excuse to try and achieve that; or maybe they had taken offence at his implication that they, those who were considered first in society, would, in fact, be last; or maybe they just disliked the fact that Jesus was talking about hell. But whatever their motive, selfish gain or genuine concern, should Jesus have followed their advice it would have been a serious distraction from his mission and the importance of the cross would have been undermined. Instead what he in effect says is 'Look here – I'm operating on God's timetable, not man's. I still have work to do here' but, v.33, "nevertheless I must go on my way".

In a funny kind of way, this episode is reminiscent of an exchange between Jesus and one of his disciples, Peter. In Matthew and Mark's record of what happened when Jesus said that he must die, Peter tries to rebuke Jesus. But Jesus rebukes him saying "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." (Mark 8.33) And what this goes to show is that whether it is those who are opposed to Jesus, like the Pharisees, or whether it is those who are for him, like Peter his disciple, the natural, human mind is just a million miles away from the purposes of God and the absolute, central necessity of the cross.

At the start of his classic book, 'The Cross of Christ', John Stott skilfully puts us in the shoes of an imaginary visitor to St Paul's Cathedral in London. The visitor, we are told, knows next to nothing about Christianity but is nonetheless keen to learn. And what he sees and experiences leaves him in no doubt that the cross is very important to Christians. There is a huge golden cross on top of the dome; the building itself, consisting of nave and transepts, is in the shape of a cross; there are crosses on tables in chapels, on tombs in the crypt, on stained glass windows, and the lapels of the staff and the necklaces of the choir. The cross is mentioned in hymns and the service he attends is a communion service focusing on the death of Jesus on a cross.

The stranger leaves the cathedral impressed, but puzzled. The repeated insistence by word and symbol on the centrality of the cross has been striking. And he finds himself desperate for an answer to the question... 'Why do Christians focus so much on the cross?' Well it would be a shame for people to come to any church and get that, but then leave not knowing why the cross is so central for us Christians. And it may be that you are with us this morning and feel a certain affinity with that visitor to St. Paul's. You know, you're thinking that all this insistence on ancient method of execution is, quite frankly, a little odd. So let me tell you why we Christians do focus on it so much.

Quite simply the cross is the answer to our biggest problem. And our biggest problem is that since God created the world, humans have chosen to reject and rebel against our Creator and to try to run our lives our own way – that's sin. And the Bible teaches that that sin cuts us off from a proper relationship with God and that God is angry at sin, and hurt at our rejection. He won't let us rebel against him forever. There is a penalty to pay and that penalty is death. That's bad news. But the good news is that the loving Creator God sent his Son, Jesus! Jesus never rebelled. And God, purely from his grace and mercy and love, allowed Jesus to pay the price that our rebellion deserved. And so he died on that cross outside Jerusalem the death we all deserve, satisfying God's anger and removing the barrier that prevented us being in relationship with God. And Jesus full and bodily resurrection is proof of an amazing eternal life to come for all those who repent and put their trust in him. We will enjoy that same bodily resurrection and live forever with God. That's why the cross is so important, because, along with Jesus' resurrection, – it changes everything!

Back to Luke 13: That is why in v.33 Jesus 'must' go on his way. To the suggestion that Jesus should protect his life, he says 'No! I must give my life! I must get to the cross!' He is motivated to self-sacrifice, service and suffering by a love for all mankind – for you and for me. And for those of us seeking to follow Jesus as Lord, we need to work out what it means for us to live lives of sacrifice, service and suffering. Our natural inclination will be to gravitate away from the cross, not just in understanding but in practice too. Maybe a couple of examples will help. What does the practice of the cross mean when someone wrongs me? "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32) The reference is back to the cross. But it's intensely practical too! Or what about what the practice of the cross means when I find you hard to get on with?! "Each of us should please his neighbour for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself … Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." (Romans 15:2-3, 7) In the Kingdom of God the cross is important both for salvation and right living!

Time to move on to my second point. I don't know about you but I think the mention of Jerusalem in Jesus' instructions to Herod in v.33 seems to capture Jesus' imagination and he takes a moment to pause and reflect on the 'tragedy of rejecting the Kingdom of God'. So my second point:

2. The Tragedy Of Rejecting The Kingdom Of God (13.34-35)

… 'it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.' O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! 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. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

So Jesus looks back in his imagination and remembers all of the innocent blood that has been shed with Jerusalem's walls: all the priests who had been stoned there, indeed all who had been sent by God and were brutally killed. Maybe in his prophetic imagination he is also looking ahead some 40 years to the time when thousands will be starved, murdered or crucified by the Romans when they destroy the city.

You can sense the pain in his words can you not? Later on in chapter 19 Luke will record that this pain gives way to tears as he enters the city. But be absolutely clear- the tears and the pain aren't because he is worried about his mission, but rather are a reflection of the very heart of God. God wants to save people; he wants us to avoid the tragedy of judgement and eternal separation from him, just like we were looking at that open narrow door last week, which one day will close. So one day, if we refuse to gather under the wing of his protection, then one day we will be eternally forsaken and a fox far worse than Herod will come in and devour us.

But Jesus' choice of metaphor is interesting here isn't it? He could have chosen a different animal; the power of a lion, the majesty of an eagle – but no he chooses a hen. As in so many instances, Jesus takes conventional wisdom and turns it on its head to make his point. Now I must admit to being a bit of city boy – raised in north London - so I googled 'why does a hen gather her chicks' and amidst the results I found this fascinating article from a lady reminiscing about the first time she was conscious of a hen and chicks on her farm:

Mother hen seemed to have a terrible time trying to get her fast-moving, hardheaded chicks to obey. She would cluck them to her, settle down on them to keep them warm, and then, one by one, we would see heads start peeping out from all directions. She would settle down again and fluff out some more, and in a moment, heads would all pop out again. Hard as she would try, those chicks were determined something was more interesting than staying warm and safe under her wings. The chicks were only a few days old when the weather forecaster predicted a hard freeze. We threw extra hay in the barn, shut all the windows and doors, and watched as the hen and her brood settled in their soft nest. As we could have predicted, those curious little chicks would not stay under her. She went all through the routine fluff and rearranged several times, but heads continued popping out! We left for the night, wondering if the hen would ever get a wink of sleep because of these 14 rebellious chicks.When we opened the barn doors the next morning, the mother hen's usual patience gave way to panic. With agitation and frenzy, she cackled incessantly. Strewn around her were eight frozen dead chicks. The other six were huddled together deep under her feathers, never moving.Poor mother hen! She had tried so hard to keep those chicks safe, warm, and protected, but whatever it was that attracted their attention (flies on the wall, the flicker of the barn lights, or just plain curiosity as to what's out there in the big world) it was more of a temptation to them to pursue these things than staying safe and secure under her warm wings."- Sharon Cress

You see God wants to save us, but the tragedy is that if we reject his invitation to join the Kingdom of God we will end up like those rebellious chicks – frozen to death. Why would you reject that offer of safety? Luke wants his readers to ask that question. Friends, there is great sorrow in Jesus' voice here. He is reflecting the loving compassionate heart of God. We read about that in our Psalm earlier in the service. It's not rocket science – salvation is a free gift, it's not forced and God's heart breaks at the tragedy of those who reject him. And so my third and final point:

3. Why Do People Reject The Kingdom Of God? (14.1-6)

One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. (v1)

There's a bit of a scene change here. Luke takes us to a Sabbath and the home of a really important Pharisee. Other Pharisees were there and they are watching Jesus, which incidentally is exactly what people do to you and me too. If you are a Christian, you are being watched and you may never even know about it. But how you act and what you say is being clocked by an unbelieving world all around. Some of that is because people want to attack and discredit us and some of it is because people genuinely want to learn more about what it means to be a Christian, but we need to remember we are always his witnesses. And in this scene, the motive of the Pharisees could be attack or it could be genuine. We don't know. It is probably attack, because verse 2 says: "And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy", so this is a chap who probably wasn't on the guest list; indeed we see in verse 4 that Jesus sent him away after he had healed him. So as Luke implies 'Behold', or 'Look', there is now this man before Jesus, a man obviously suffering with an illness – dropsy, where excess fluid gathers in various parts of the body and is very painful. Some commentators even go as far to say that such an illness may have been the direct result of his sin. Anyway, in verse 3 Jesus responds to them watching and the test put before him. He sees straight to the heart of the issue and asks a question in order to reveal that, saying "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?" Oh great question Jesus! I mean just put yourself in the Pharisees' shoes. If you say 'no, it's not lawful to heal', then what about the law of doing good that we heard read earlier? If you say 'yes, it is lawful to heal', then what about all the carefully constructed rules about what does or does not constitute work on the Sabbath that you have been following for centuries? Dilemma! And so, verse 4, you remain silent. And Jesus…

took him and healed him and sent him away. And he said to them, "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?" And they could not reply to these things. (v4-6)

Now let me try to be as clear as I can on this. This passage is not about what we can and can't do on the Sabbath. It's not about whether I can call in for a pint of milk at the SPAR on a Sunday night! The issue is all about why people reject the Kingdom and Luke gives us a cracking example here. I mean if you were a first century hearer of Luke's account you'd be tempted to ask 'Why is it that the Jewish leaders and experts on the Bible reject Jesus?' Given all their familiarity with the OT scriptures, surely they, of all people, would recognise the Christ? Why do they reject him? Answer: Because they have a false idea of who God is. So while they know their Scriptures inside out, they are reading those Scriptures with a false, distorted view of God, a view that leads them to believe that God would rather someone remain ill on the Sabbath when they have the chance of being healed.

How we encounter the same today, do we not? If we look around at the world people are rejecting the Kingdom of God all over the place, based on false and distorted views of God. And these distortions of God fall into one of two camps. They are either negative – for example where people see God as distant, tyrannical, rule-giver, a relentless judge, a great executioner, a dispenser of punishment. Or they can be positive – for example where people see God as therapeutic, there to attend to my every whim and desire, someone who would never do anything nasty like send someone to hell. And so people reject God because they think they're not worthy, that God doesn't love them, they think he doesn't care, they think he doesn't notice what they do, and of course some think he doesn't even exist.

So how do we help people who have such distortions? How do we help each other when we are tempted to believe the distortions? Quite simply, we need to keep coming back to Jesus. The Jesus who takes a man whose physical drowning condition of dropsy serves as a metaphor for each and every one of us drowning in our own sin. Jesus takes that man and he has compassion on him. He knows him, he has empathy with him, he heals him, he provides for him and he protects him. Jesus is God made flesh – if we want the right view of God we look no further than Jesus. Here is the all-powerful, trustworthy God-man who willingly lays down his life for you and for me.

So yes, we need to communicate the importance of the cross and the resurrection in the Kingdom of God; yes, we need to communicate the tragedy of rejecting the Kingdom of God – where necessary with tears; but most of all we need to point people to Jesus by being people who take after their Lord and Saviour. As people watch us – even when we don't know about it – are we pointing them to the compassion of Jesus who longs so much to gather the lost under the protection of his wing?