Psalm 27: 1-14; Luke 13: 31-35
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
March 17, 2019
Second Sunday in Lent
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life;of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh— my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.
One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.
Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! ‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, do I seek. Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!
If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.
Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.
I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! - Psalm 27
At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to [Jesus], ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’
[Jesus] 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. Yet 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.”
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! 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.” ’ - Luke 13: 31-35
This season of Lent we are looking into our assigned biblical texts and paying attention to where God is on the move. Today we see God moving past all obstacles.
The whole of Scripture is filed with accounts of God moving past obstacles – threats that seem to have a real possibility to thwart the fulfillment of God’s promises.
In the beginning our spiritual parents lived in perfect relationship with God. But when they reached beyond the bounds of God’s will, sin became humanity’s condition. Sin brought the obstacle of living in right relationship with God and one another (Genesis 3).
But God would move past this obstacle in revealing what true humanity and faithfulness to God looks like in the person and work of Jesus Christ (Romans 5: 8, 18-19).
It feels like yesterday we were celebrating Jesus’ birthday; the day the promise of God’s self-giving love was born in that babe lying in a manger. Just think about how vulnerable an infant is and the endless number of obstacles that Mary and Joseph made sure to protect Jesus from.
Herod the Great was the first major threat to baby Jesus in the birth narrative (Matthew 2). Herod was Rome’s client king over the Juddean people. His loyalty to the pagan Romans and admiration of Hellenistic style smacked of treachery. Herod’s family had converted to Judaism, but Herod disregarded the customs and laws of the Jewish tradition. He executed his own family members who were in line as heir because of suspicion and distrust. Herod was threatened by Jesus and the news of a new king in town therefore, he planned to destroy Jesus too. God moved past that obstacle as an angel of the Lord told Mary and Joseph to seek refuge in Egypt until Herod the Great died (Matthew 2: 13-15).
Luke remembers Herod the Great’s son, Herod Antipas, was another threat to Jesus (Luke 13:31). Antipas ruled over Galilee (Jesus’ stomping grounds) and Perea; both territories were one quarter of the Jewish kingdom which remained under Roman authority. Antipas was more passive than his ruthless father. He tried to appease both the Romans and the Jewish people.
But Antipas came into conflict with John the Baptist and Jesus. It sounds like a Bible soap opera: John the Baptist called out Antipas regarding the ruler’s unlawful divorce and second marriage to Herodias. Not only was she Antipas’ niece, she was also Antipas’ brother’s ex-wife. As a result, John the Baptist was thrown into prison and beheaded (Matthew 14: 1-12). When Antipas laid eyes on Jesus he was afraid John was somehow raised from the dead.
When the Pharisees told Jesus that Herod Antipas wanted to kill him, did Jesus know that he would later be standing before Antipas after his betrayal and arrest in Galilean territory? Did Jesus know that Antipas would treat him with contempt and mock him? (Luke 23:6-12).
Jesus answered the Pharisees with a steadfast conviction. Nothing and no one would stop Jesus from casting out demons, from healing, from revealing God’s compassionate presence….there is nothing and no one who can halt the fulfillment God’s plans of salvation. God’s faithfulness overcomes every obstacle.
Oh, how our weary world needs to hear this affirmation today.
When we are young we are so very vulnerable to obstacles that threaten self-worth, perseverance, and a future with hope. One communal group has been breaking down obstacles with faithfulness and self-giving love. Last week the Girl Scouts celebrated their 107th birthday. But the Girl Scouts do way more than sell those delicious cookies.
A number of troops are involved in the Beyond Bars program. Beyond Bars began in 1992 as a partnership between the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland and the Maryland Correctional Institute for Women. After sentencing dozens of women to prison in her time on the bench, Judge Carol Smith was heartbroken for the children who would not see their mothers on a regular basis. When a parent is incarcerated, the odds become stacked against a child.
With the help of a grant Judge Carol set up a mother-child visitation program at the correctional facility, where two-thirds of the women incarcerated were parents. From that program which began 27 years ago, over 400 girls from Girl Scout Troop 7856 have been active at the correctional center; a traditional troop meeting in a nontraditional setting.
Each two-hour meeting begins with 15 minutes of free bonding time for the moms and daughters, a precious commodity when prison visits usually take place on opposite sides of a table. Then, the moms and daughters recite the Girl Scout Promise, and divide up by age to work on projects. For the girls, it's a rare chance to reconnect with their moms — and they don't let any of it go to waste.
One 32 year old mother said, "When I got incarcerated, my daughter was 8 years old. I regretted missing my daughter’s milestones, and my daughter struggled too; her grades took a tumble as she dealt with me being away.” But after joining Troop 7856, run by the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, the pair drew closer again. Being a Girl Scout helped this daughter start to overcome obstacles that were beyond her control. That young girl is now twelve years old, and she looks forward to just giving her mom a hug.
For the moms involved, each meeting provides hope for a future — beyond the prison walls. "It’s wonderful just being able to be in [my daughter’s] life, despite the circumstances," said one 26 year old mother of a 9 year old daughter. "It’s the reason why I keep pushing in here, why I stay out of trouble. It’s all to get home to her."
“Nationally, more than 1.7 million children — half of them under the age of 10 — have a parent in prison, yet few programs provide the kind of bonding opportunities offered by the Girl Scouts' program. ”
Every time I read this story, I see Jesus’ determined and self-giving love at work through this Girls Scout Troop - breaking down obstacles, bringing about healing, and revealing God’s promise of being delivered into a future with hope.
You and I need to hear this affirmation that God is still moving past all obstacles today.
Each of us encounters obstacles in life that seem to be real threats to experiencing the hope and deliverance that only God can provide.
The changing dynamics of life or our jobs can threaten our livelihood at a moment’s notice.
The diagnosis comes and the treatment is not bringing the anticipated results.
The funding in the budget changes bringing obstacles to the most vulnerable.
Our loved one -or we ourselves - feel stuck in the shadows of depression and we feel helpless to shine the light into their darkness.
The label of “different” still threatens to silence children, adults, and whole groups of people with a tarp of invisibility.
Ongoing conflict and disunity breeds cynicism that things will never change.
Whatever obstacle may be staring you in the face like Herod Antipas, the good news is that “The Lord is the stronghold of our lives therefore what or who shall we fear? Even though this obstacle feels like an army encamped against us, our hearts shall not fear; we will be confident [in the Lord]” (Psalm 27:1, 3).
The Psalmist claims our confidence that God moves past all obstacles is this: “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13).
We see the goodness of the Lord in our Savior Jesus Christ. The One who has already accomplished God’s will to heal our brokenness, to forgive our sin, and to right the wrongs of injustice.
And yet we see the goodness of the Lord also when the body of Christ knows that we must be on our way to do God’s work in the world.
This week I pray the Spirit will increase our courage to look into our obstacles squarely in the face and to wait for the Lord; be strong and lean into trusting the Lord God with everything. Let us do our part to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. For the Lord is not done with us or this weary world.
There is nothing in all the world that will ever separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ (Romans 8: 37-39).
As Tony Campolo once said, “It may feel like Friday, but Sunday is coming!”
In the name of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.
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