OPENING THE GOSPELS: Lent 2

 THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

Click on the links for an introduction to the series, and the techniques of reading with your head, heart and hands.

Luke 13.31-35  (Genesis 15,1-12,17-18, Psalm 27, Philippians 3.17-4.1)

31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ 32He 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. 33Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem.” 34Jerusalem, 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! 35See, 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.” ’

HEAD QUESTIONS

WHO?

Jesus. What does this story tell us about how Jesus saw himself, and how others saw him? How would you describe him if you only had this story to go on?

Pharisees: The Pharisees were one of a number of groups within Judaism at the time of Jesus, each of which had a different perspective on their faith. The Pharisees weren’t priests, offering sacrifice in the Temple, and they didn’t have any particular political or religious power, but they often had significant influence in the local synagogues among ordinary people, where the Hebrew Scriptures were read and discussed. Intense discussion was the principal way in which faith was taught and learned, which is why they are so often found engaging Jesus in argument.  They often appear as opponents of Jesus, and have been portrayed as self-righteous, legalistic and hypocritical, but this caricature is far from the truth. They cared deeply about helping people to understand the law, which they regarded as a gift not a burden, which God had given them to help them live their lives as God wanted. As in any group, there were certainly good and bad Pharisees, but we should be careful not to assume that every Pharisee was out to get Jesus. What do you think of the Pharisees you meet in this reading?  

Herod: This isn’t the Herod we meet in the Nativity Story, massacring the 

children of Bethlehem. This is one of his sons, put into power by the Romans, who was nominally ruler of the southern province of Judea – another son ruled Galilee. However, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, as the saying goes, and the sons were just as capricious and insecure as their father, and just as likely to unleash violence against their enemies. Jesus calls Herod a “fox”, which is not likely to make him popular!

The Prophets: Jesus is thinking of the many prophets like Jeremiah, whose words eventually came to form an important strand of the Hebrew Scriptures, but who were rejected or even persecuted in their own time. 

WHERE?

Jesus is heading towards Jerusalem, because “it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem”. Jerusalem was the focus for the religious and political life of the nation, a place where people expected significant events to  happen: Jesus is telling us that his death will be a significant event. 

WHEN?

“at that very hour”: In the passage just before this, Jesus has been telling a very pointed parable about people who assumed they were God’s favourites with a special place at his banquet, but found themselves out in the cold. The first would be last and the last first. It is dangerous talk, challenging the power of those who assumed they were, and would always be, in charge. This is what prompts the Pharisees to warn Jesus about Herod.

“on the third day I finish my work”: “Third days” in the Gospel are often meant to remind us of the resurrection. That may be the case here. What do you think?

“you will not see me until the time comes when you say ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”: It isn’t entirely clear what Jesus is referring to in these words. Is it his entry into Jerusalem on the day we call Palm Sunday when the crowds will acclaim him with these words, or is he talking about a future time when all people will recognise God at work in him? Or is it both? What do you think?

WHAT?

Jesus challenges the assumptions of these Pharisees that his prime concern should be to preserve his own life. Instead, his priority is the nation he loves, and the trouble he sees coming to it. The image of the mother hen trying to gather her brood under her wings is a striking one. At this crucial point, Jesus chooses to describe his mission using a female image, which would have been unusual for a male leader to do at the time, and probably still is. Why do you think he does this?

HEART QUESTIONS 

• What do you feel as you read this passage?

• What do you think Jesus is feeling? 

• What do you do when you feel anxious about the world?

 

HANDS QUESTIONS

• What might this passage prompt you to do in response?