The Work of Today, Tomorrow and the Third Day

The Work of Today, Tomorrow and the Third Day
Psalm 27
Luke 13:31-35
Second Sunday of Lent
Year C

I am told that in the ‘60’s there was a television show called Run for your Life. My memory of early childhood is pretty good, but I don’t remember grandma watching that one. It may have been before my time. But anyway – it is the story of a man who is told by his doctor that he has an incurable disease and he only has a few years to live. The opening credits say that he has no family, and that he never took a day off in his life. But this was his decision to make the most of his life. He travels the world – meeting new people, going places that he has never been before, solving the problems of other people. But at the end of each episode – he is reminded that he is about to die- and that there is no way of escaping that reality. The story was intended to remind us all that we are all mortals – one day we will all die and there is nothing that we can do about it. No matter what we do choose to do.
They say that the television show ended in 1968 – I would have been old enough to remember Mannix, and Columbo, and hawai five O, the Mod Squad, Perry Mason. Grandma loved detective shows – but I don’t remember this one.
But the point that I want to make about the show – was that the man found meaning in his life, by running away from his own problems and getting involved in the lives of others. For him that was making the most of the time that he had left. It was a great concept – and something that we can all relate to and even learn from. But then again think about it – Run for Your Life – in times of danger, or fear, or chaos – how many times have we heard that phrase – run for your life. But was this man running for his life – or was he running from his life – or even fleeing his impending death?
What would any of us do in that situation? Do we tend to avoid the overwhelming issues of our own lives – by choosing to get overinvolved in the lives of others – because it is just easier – and it takes our minds off of the things that we really need to be dealing with.
I used that as an introductory story for today’s sermon – because the real question that I have for you today is what would Jesus do in that situation? What would jesus have us to do?
I was able to watch the opening credits of this show – where you hear the voice of his doctor telling him he has only a few years to live. And then you hear his conversation, why he decides to take this journey.
In Luke 13 – Jesus is on the journey of his life also. He knows that he must go to Jerusalem. And he has no bones about what is going to happen when he gets there. He is a prophet – he has a message that the current government does not want to hear. Jerusalem likes to kill its prophets. He seems to realize too that he has less than six months to live and he has to make the best of it.
Interestingly enough it is the Pharisees who give him the message run for your life. If you know that you are going to die – save your life- avoid death – don’t go there.
But Jesus has a different view of death – and of his relationship with bad news. Instead of running from it - he runs to it. He is ready for anything that must happen.
The good news for us today is that the scripture preaches for itself - Go tell that fox that today and tomorow I have been casting out demons, but on the third day my work is finished. I will go into the city that kills prophets and do what I have to do – but in the end – you will know that I am a prophet bringing news to the Lord.
Life, death, bad news, struggles, hardships are not something you walk away from – but it is something that you walk into.
In church we celebrate and sing – take me to the cross – but this lent we have to ask ourselves – do we really want to follow where Christ is leading us? We sing All to Jesus I surrender – but do we really surrender all of our lives to Jesus. On our life journey – are we walking toward our Jerusalems? Or are we walking away from them? Avoiding things that we know that eventually we must face.
In preparing for this sermon I came across this poem from Henri Nouwen
Don't surrender your lonliness, your pain, your fear so quickly.
Let it cut more deep.
Let it ferment and season you,
As few human or even divine ingredients can.
Something missing in my heart tonight
Has made my eyes soft,
My voice, so tender,
My need for God,
Absolutely clear.


Jesus not only refuses to run away from Jerusalem – he embraces it. He longs for it. He explains that he wishes those who were there would come to Gods love like a mother hen, but it will never happen.
Ed Heistand – says that at the Chicago Temple downtown – of you in the large sanctuary is a picture of Jesus looking over Jerusalem – but if you go to the chapel – there is a picture of Jesus – looking over another city – if you look closely you will see that it is a picture of the Chicago skyline. Jesus looks over our city too – praying, hoping, inviting, forgiving and waiting. Many in that city are telling him to go away to leave them alone to run for your life – and yet His prayers remain steadfast.
A little boy was collecting money from his paper route – when he knocked on a door. An elderly man answers the door and abruptly tells him to go away – his wife is really sick and he cant deal with the paper boy right now. But instead of running and avoiding the situation, he goes to his pastor and asks if he will stop by. See if there is anything that he can do.
The pastor not knowing the people feels that it might be a bad idea and there is nothing he can do to make a difference. But he goes anyway. The elderly man is about to slam the door in his face, when his wife asks him to let the pastor in. He comes in and talks to the couple – who know nothing about religion. But after talking with the pastor for afew weeks, wants to join church, knowing that her time is short, she wants to be baptized and receive eternal life.
A dying woman experienced new life, because a young boy refused to run for his life. He met the challenges of a cruel and hostile city with the love of God. What is God asking us to stand up, stay firm and deal with in our lives? In the lives of those in our city?
My favorite line in this passage is when Jesus says – today tomorrow and the third day I do I work. He says it twice. In some ways it is a prediction for his time in Jerusalem, when he is crucified, dead and buried and he rises on the third day.
But I think it also tells us to stand firm – until the third day. We have control over what we do today and tomorrow – but the third day – the day beyond the future is the day when God’s promises of love will come true for us- if we just stand firm that long.
Peace,