What the Heart Desires

Luke 13:31-35

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” He 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 outside of 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.’”

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At the top of our reflection, I would like us to take a moment to do a couple of things. First, I want us to find a piece of paper (you can use the back of your bulletin, for example) and jot down three "desires" you have now. What are your hopes? What are your goals? Take a moment to write or think of three different things that you long to pursue. Once you've solidified those desires, we'll move on to your second step. I want you to repeat what we did in the first step, but instead of your desires, I want you to write or think of what God desires for you right now. Not what "you" want, no, instead, what is it that God desires for your life at this moment? When you're done, take a moment to look at both lists. 

Herod, Pharisees, and Jerusalem

Just as our hearts possess a number of different desires, we'll find that Herod is not the only person in our reading with an agenda to get what they want. On the one hand, we have Herod, who has a track record of imprisoning prophets, such as John the Baptist, and on the other, we have the Pharisees who want to drive Jesus out of their midst. Nothing can stop Jesus from healing and liberating the people Herod would oppress. And nothing could stop Jesus from preaching a new word to the people who followed in the steps of the Pharisees. Not even Jerusalem, a city that is known to reject prophets, could stop Jesus. However, even though these forces can't stop Jesus, they serve as a reminder to us that our desires, if left unchecked, will rebel against the heart of God. Because just as Herod, the Pharisees, and the people of Jerusalem possessed particular desires, we too yearn for things that are not always in line with the life-giving power of God. 

Jesus

In contrast to the desires of Herod, the Pharisees, Jerusalem, and ourselves, we find Jesus, who embodies the heart of God. If the desires of earth weigh more heavily towards greed, abuse of power, imprisonment, and all-around selfishness, the will of Jesus provides a counter perspective: 

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19, NRSV)

People don't like prophets because they often preach things they don't want to hear. They bring the broken realities of our world, lay them at our feet in worship, and then say, "You can fix this if you give up one small part of what you refuse to share." The prophet, Jesus, reminds us that God's desires take precedence and lie at the center of our moral compass no matter how hard we try to reject the prophet's message.

Prayer

How then do we bridge the gap between our desires and the desires of Jesus? Well, prayer is an excellent step in the right direction. We can be honest, brutally honest about our deep-seated concerns, worries, fears, doubts during our prayer time and ask for guidance and spiritual discernment. Prayer is one-on-one time with you and God. We are reminded during this Lenten season that our hearts are pulled in multiple directions and prayer can help us find a way forward. There's a quote about prayer in our Lenten study this week from Donald G. Bloesch that I think sums it up very nicely, "The purpose of the prayer of petition is not to have our own way but to bring our will into conformity with the will of God."(1) Prayer, that conversation with God (both formal and informal), is the beginning of our journey to understand how our will and desires can match the will and desires of God. 

Take another look at your lists, the physical or mental ones you made at the beginning of this sermon. How do they compare? What are the differences between the two lists? Would you say that you were honest with what God's expectations and desires might be? Jesus isn't looking to control every aspect of your life and bend your will to some theocratic rule that would diminish the divine spark of free will. However, Jesus is anticipating we will consider and reform how we are living into the desires of God. As Jesus came to proclaim the good news and to bring creation back under the divine source of love, let us continue in this work by making sure our hearts are tuned to the heart of God. As I've mentioned previously, this Lenten season, let us not look at what we are giving up for the sake of giving up, but let us look towards what we are gaining through prayer and by living more just lives, more loving lives, and lives that each day that spur us on to become more and more like the image of God embedded within our souls. 

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(1) Donald G. Bloesch, Theological Notebook: Volume III: 1969-1983, The Spiritual Journals of Donald G. Bloesch, rpt. (Eugene, Ore.: Wipf & Stock, 2005), p. 235