Mysteries and surprises
by Pastor Peter Bean
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God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord (Luke 13:35b).
Read Luke 13:31–35
A very interesting passage. What mysteries are there? What surprises you?
Mystery/surprise No.1: where does this exchange take place? A synagogue (Luke 13:10)? An obscure town or village (verse 22)? Likely. To a large crowd (verse 17) or a small group (verse 31)? Does any of this matter?
Mystery/surprise No.2: the Pharisees, usually opposing Jesus, warn him to flee (verse 31). What is going on here?
Mystery/surprise No.3: what does Jesus mean in verses 32 and 33? Is this a prediction of his death? Possibly? Probably? Perhaps we can see that easily from our perspective, but at the time, pretty cryptic.
Jesus identifies as a prophet (verse 33). Perhaps not so much a surprise when you consider Luke 4, where Jesus quotes Isaiah and refers it to himself. But since that time, Jesus had been a man of the people, healing, preaching, admonishing, feasting and telling parables. Not being too outrageous like some of the prophets.
Mystery/surprise No.4: why does Jesus lament Jerusalem (verse 34)? Again, perhaps obvious from our viewpoint, but at the time, Jesus had been moving around, talking to different groups and crowds in various places. How important was Jerusalem to Jesus? Is this his prophetic voice?
Mystery/surprise No.5: Jesus paints a picture of a mother hen gathering her chicks. Perhaps not so surprising that he uses a picture from everyday home and farm life. Most people would have been agricultural people – but in a macho world, where females did not count. The Christ as a mother hen? Prophetic, confronting, challenging, comforting!
Mystery/surprise No.6: is the final sentence, ‘God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord’, a reference to the End Times? To the events of what we call Palm Sunday? To the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost? To all of these?
I encourage you to reread the passage – five short verses. What surprises you? What mysteries are revealed?
Jesus, the Christ, man who lived among us, prophet full of mystery, reveal yourself to us in ways we may or may not understand. Help us to be able to say: God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Amen.
In the early months of the year, Peter is often out in the garden, watering, picking, pruning – chasing the birds away from his fruit! Or he could be indoors stewing, drying and preserving. Peter also enjoys walking the dog, riding his bike, reading and spending time with his family. To keep himself out of mischief, he is teaching himself piano and writing a paraphrase of each psalm – he is now up to Psalm 80.
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