The most important event in the life of Jesus is his death in Jerusalem on a cross. If there is one thing we would want anyone to know about Jesus and what he did, we would want them to know that he died for us! This is the thing that matters. For Jesus and for us, this is the important moment. It is the “crux” of the story. It’s the thing we believe about Jesus that saves us.
And the way the Gospels are written highlights this importance. It’s often been said that the Gospels are really stories of Jesus’ suffering and death with a little introductory material added on. Most of the pages of the four Gospels deal with the details of Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem. That’s how important the cross is to the story of Jesus.
However . . . in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus takes his time to get to Jerusalem. If we take a look at Luke’s Gospel chronologically, the last time we saw him was on the mountain of transfiguration shining bright for his disciples. Right after that we are told that Jesus “set his face towards Jerusalem.” That was in chapter 9. He gave his three friends a glimpse of Easter life and the ultimate victory of love and then led them down the mountain to Jerusalem . . . to the cross.
But he doesn’t get to Jerusalem until chapter 19. That’s 10 chapters of Jesus on the way to his final destination. No longer going from village to village around Galilee. Now he walks with determination and focus. He has an end goal in mind. These ten chapters of movement toward Jerusalem are called Luke’s “travel narrative” and it’s a lot like journal entries on the way.
During this travel narrative in Luke, we find Jesus . . .
- healing the sick;
- driving out demons;
- restoring those who have been cast out from the community;
- telling stories of a lost coin, a lost sheep, and a lost son that were all found;
- encouraging persistence in prayer and the pursuit of justice;
- taking children into his arms against the disciples’ objections;
- having dinner with Zacheaus the tax collector despite the grumbling of the religious leaders.
Jesus is on the move with a cross in view, and along the way he is gathering people to himself. He is revealing the compassionate heart of God to reach out and bring freedom and healing and love and acceptance to all. This is what he must do and nothing will stop him.
What Jesus ended up doing in Jerusalem is important – in fact, it is the definitive and ultimate act of love from our God! But what Jesus did along the way is important too! In fact, it helps us understand just what Jesus accomplished in this act of love. We often think of the cross as the completion of some divine equation – this necessary sacrifice for sin that God required. Or perhaps we think of it as this duel between God and the devil – or good and evil — with the cross as the final battleground. But Jesus’ journey to the cross shows us what God was really doing for us. It helps us comprehend what his ultimate goal is. And helps shape our understanding of what the cross means for us.
Jesus was doing more than just changing out eternal status before God and winning some cosmic battle. He desires more – something loving and tender and protective. He wants to gather us close to him. He wants to provide a safe refuge for us. He wants us to be whole and well. He desires that we are in community with each other. He wants us loved and accepted. And nothing will stop him from making sure that his desire becomes our reality.
We can see this in the Gospel for today. It’s from Luke chapter 13 so this is one of the journal entries on the journey to Jerusalem. Some well-meaning Pharisees come to warn Jesus: “Herod’s out to kill you.” This does not spook Jesus or get him off track. He pushes forward continuing to do this thing “today and tomorrow and the next day,” he says, until he reaches his goal. And then he looks off in the distance and sees the city of Jerusalem and thinks of those living behind its walls. “How often have I desired to gather you together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,” he says.
His heart aches for those who are in need. Who feel displaced and alienated. Who feel unprotected out in a cruel world where Herods are intent on violence and harm. He sees those who are vulnerable to hurt and suffering – who may look like they have it all put together on the outside, but inside are no different than a helpless baby chick just looking for its mom.
If we didn’t have these journal entries – these stories along the way – we might think of Jesus’ death as just a settling of the score or a defeat of evil. But Jesus died because of love. He died precisely because he gave attention to those the larger world deemed insignificant and proclaimed a God who embraced and loved all, not just a few. These stories along the way – this image of a determined Jesus who just wants us to find our refuge and comfort in him – they show us a Jesus who is “for us” all the way.
Opposition and risk will not deter him from his loving mission. Unbelief or rejection does not diminish his passion for those he came to love and save. He will get there – no matter what stands in the way. He will get to the cross – no matter how hard it is or how long it takes. He will get to you – whatever you got, whatever you need, wherever you are.
We see Jesus today in the middle of a ten chapter journey that will take him to Jerusalem and beyond . . . We are in the middle of a seasonal Lenten journey that will take us to a celebration of the cross and resurrection. There is focus and determination and unrelenting love and passion at work. All of which serves to remind us and to convince us once and for all: there is a place for you in the shadow of his wings. Look no further than his loving arms and his tender voice. He will not stop until you are safe with him. That’s the one thing you need to know about him. And when it comes to Jesus, THAT is what it’s all about.
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