The Shepherd’s Voice

Go Tell That Fox

Readings for Sunday, February 28^th
Gen 15:1-12, 17-8
Phill 3:17-4:1
Lk 13:31-35

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Download The Shepherd’s Voice – Sermon Video (.mp4)

Go tell that fox for me I’m busy; Jesus had a message to give to Herod Antipas, coincidentally it’s the same message Jesus has for us today. Tell that fox I’m on a mission, I’m curing people, I’m helping people, I need to finish my work.

1) Our gospel text today shows us that Jesus had a mission and that mission is also our mission.

2) Our gospel also tells us world is not kind to people of God. It’s a cautionary tale about anyone who speaks up on Christ’s behalf. Our lives do not automatically become perfect once we accept Christ.

3) When our lives are not perfect, when their in the toilet so to speak God comes to our aid. God loves us and wants the best for us, remember that.

Let’s talk about Jesus mission as it’s laid out here in Luke. Jesus said, “Go tell that fox,” in referring to Herod Antipas – I’m busy, don’t bug me, I’m on a mission.

If we look at a few of the earlier verses in Luke we see that Jesus was on a mission. (Luke 12:41-48) Jesus is talking about how to be a faithful and wise steward. He says those who are given much, much is required. It’s common sense, however, the only thing common about common sense is it seems to be uncommon today.

Most of us, if we had been born in any earlier century would think that if we have been blessed we should be a blessing to others. God taught this principle to Abraham in the beginning of the Old Testament.

Part of Jesus’ mission (Luke 12:51-59) was to tell people to deal with other people fairly in business – settle issues before they go to court, after all you know what’s right because it’s been written on your hearts. Again nothing new here, Ps 40:8 I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart. Neh 10:29, Law given to Moses

Jesus also taught about bearing fruit – (Lk 13:6-9) – Jesus, using an example of a fig tree, warned the people that if their lives did not bear fruit than the vinedresser says “cut it down” referring to an unbarren fig tree. Are we bearing fruit in our lives today and what does it mean to bear fruit?

Bearing fruit, in the sense I’m using it here means are we sharing God’s story of love and grace with the people around us, our friends, our family, our coworkers? Are we actively multiplying God’s joy by the way we live, by the way we give, and by the way we serve others? Jesus told the people that if the fig tree did not bear fruit, the vinedresser, that would be God “cut it down.”

Finally, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue one day and he told a woman with an infirmity to be healed and she was. (Lk 13:10-18) – Jesus healed her on the Sabbath – he was accused of working on the Sabbath – Jesus called the people who he was talking to – hypocrites. Jesus said would you not unbind an ox or a donkey on the Sabbath to give them a drink of water? Back to the issue of common sense, too many rules.

“When mores are sufficient, laws are unnecessary; when mores are insufficient, laws are unenforceable.” — Émile Durkheim – a French social scientist – principle architect of social science said that. These are words to ponder, roll over in our mind.

The Pharisees had taken the original Torah, the Ten Commandments and made 613 laws that a fundamentalist Jew was to follow. It made them crazy after a while. We often do this in our own lives as we allow the law to overtake the gospel. Too much legalism – not a good thing.

In all of the stories about Jesus mission there is a sense of urgency associated with his mission. – Lk 13:22-30 – He says, Few will be saved, enter through the narrow door, enter now or you may be told “I don’t know you” – some of the first will be last and the last will be first. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. These are not trivial statements.

When the Pharisees tell Jesus, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you” Jesus is NOT dissuaded from his mission. And don’t get the wrong idea here his mission is not abolish the law, but it’s about fulfilling the law, (Mt 5:17) completing God’s plan for him.

We, the saints and sinners of Good Shepherd cannot be dissuaded from our mission. We must continue to show love for God and love for one another; we are to be God’s hands in a difficult world.

This is not something that is easy – the world is not kind to the people of God. We know that from experience, we know that from listening to Jesus. Jesus said 34Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! This saying about killing the prophets is a little cliché, but it is deeply rooted in Old Testament scripture and tradition.

Many of the references to prophets being killed come from the Old testament. Jezebel in (1 Kings 9:1-10) had the prophets persecuted and killed. Jehucal – was not a friend to Jeremiah – he urged the king to kill Jeremiah the prophet. (Jer 38:1-4)

Even in the N.T. we see references to how prophets were treated in the past, the days of old. In (Mt 23:35-36) the writer talks about Zechariah being killed between the sanctuary and the altar. Even the religious community of today, not to mention the secular world is hard on anyone who speaks with a prophetic voice.

I have a friend who was not approved for ordination in the ELCA because he was so outspoken about following scripture. Of course there is more to it than just that, however it’s very sad when political correctness trumps scripture and the message of the prophet is killed.

So where should we turn when our prophets are being killed and the secular world is being combative? Again, Jesus tells us “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.”

This image takes us back to Jesus’ mission. Having grown up on a farm, having raised chickens I have seen how a mother hen protects her chicks. I think we had maybe 100 chickens or so in our chicken coop. However, what happens when the chicks don’t want the protection? Well, on a farm there are also weasels or minks who come looking for the little ones. They take them and drink their blood.

I say this to reinforce the idea that evil is always present, evil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. (1 Pet 5:8) Jesus wanted to provide comfort, but look what he says after giving us this image of the mother hen, he says “you were not willing!” One of the most frustrating things for me as a pastor, for many counselors, or for that matter doctors is to give out life saving advice and have it ignored, discarded.

Why aren’t we willing to listen, to be protected, to be comforted by God? Paul seems to wonder this as well. Look at our reading from Philippians, Paul v 18 says “For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things.” The little chicks don’t desire protection.

However, God has come to our aid anyway. Paul said “But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory.” Are you being transformed into God’s image today or are you being humiliated?

Jacques Maritain, the great French philosopher of the last century, said there were really only three questions that had to be answered: “Who am I?” “Where am I?” and “Where ought I to be going?” Jesus knew who he was, and where he was, and where he had to go. Lincoln knew. All great leaders and great men and women of faith seem to know.

Do we know? Or is you life out of focus, are your goals fuzzy and ill-defined? Our world may seem a little crazy at times, but not any more so than the world in Jesus time. The Romans were oppressing, there was conflict in the Jewish community, most people in Jesus day, went to work every day, and came home, and were pulled this way and that. Things weren’t dramatically different, but Jesus was different!

That is such good news, that is life giving, that is life transforming news. Jesus mission was to go tell that fox that he Jesus was in the process of bringing God’s kingdom here, close by, available to all of us. It’s available to each of us today.

Can you go tell that fox, it’s not Herod, but there are people in the world who are asking you, who are you, where are you, and where are you going? So go tell that fox you are a citizen of heaven and God has taken you under his mighty wing, God has come to your aid, you are marked with the cross of Christ forever.

God tell that fox your on a mission and you belong to God.

Amen

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