Day 1291 - Why Did Jesus Come To Earth

A Bible Study at Second Presbyterian Church, June 23, 2016, Chattanooga, TN

This week Jesus makes an ominous comment about the fate awaiting him Jerusalem and reveals the true reason that he came to earth, to bring grace and reconciliation, not judgment, and how those who choose or are called to follow his path should focus their hearts on their true duty -fealty to the King.

We ought to keep in mind what has recently happened in Chapter 9. He has sent the disciples out on their first successful solo ministry, his compassion for the crowd as the 5,000 were fed, and James and John (and Peter) witnessed the Transfiguration where Moses and Elijah appear, and revealed to the disciples what fate awaited him.

The lectionary passage is often broken into two parts, verses 51-56, and verses 57-62. This particularly makes sense for preaching in our time when we expect to walk out the door by noon, as the passage covers a lot of ground. However, verses 57-62 represent an important and crucial digression that emphasizes to every would-be followers the power of gift of grace described in verses 51-56.

This passage in Luke has many important facets. Luke chooses to make this moment the formal beginning of the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem. Notice the ominous sound of verse 51: ^”When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” This sentence “sets the stage” for the next chapters wherein the Christological and theological message of the gospel is revealed. One could say these verses begin to give practical answer to the question, “Why did Jesus come to earth?” (Although Jesus provided the answer already in Luke 4: 14-20.)

It is also notable to scholars that Luke’s account does not coincide with Matthew’s (or Mark and John’s). Luke has Jesus going first to Samaria, a land of Gentiles and Jews who practiced an aberrant form of Judaism. Matthew has Jesus going to Perea, east of the Jordan and on to Bethany. We can leave it that Luke’s understanding of Palestinian geography was not the greatest without loosing the message of the text.

We also should recall first independent mission to the people (Mission of the Twelve) and the directive to eschew judgment of those they meet. If they are not well received, “Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

When the disciples are sent by Jesus  to this Samaritan town, they are not well received because Jesus is going on the Jerusalem. James and John ask, still feeling their oats as the “in crowd” after the Transfiguration, if they should invoke judgment on the unbelievers as enemies of God and rain fire down on them as Elijah did in 2 Kings 1:10-12. Remember, James and John have just witnesses Elijah in the Transfiguration.

Jesus rebukes, not the Samaritans but James and John, telling them to do as he commanded before, do not judge but go on to the next village until you find good reception.

Jesus then perhaps thinking of his overly ambitious disciples, seizes the moment to deal with three events concerning would-be followers of him. A person comes to Jesus with open arms desiring to follow Jesus anywhere but Jesus warns him he is facing the life of a sojourner with no comforts of home. (Remember, "Are you read to drink from my cup?")

A second person is called by Jesus to follow but the follower says he has religious obligations to attend to first, namely to go home first to bury his father. Then a third willing person comes and states he wants to follow Jesus but first must return home to say farewell to friends and family.

These are three powerful stories that on their face defy conventional wisdom and religious practice. You may think they impose an outrageous demand in our modern lives with all the chaos we see in the world, even here in Chattanooga and Orlando.

Reflection: Think about what we have just read. What is the link between these stories and Jesus interaction with the Samaritans and James and John? Do these demands apply to us living in this modern, complicated society?

The Apostle Paul would say the first part of the passage shows profoundly that Jesus eschews (avoids or disdains) judgment, the age of judgment is over and the age of reconciliation is at hand. Does he judge the Samaritans? No. Do his disciples judge the Samaritan town? Yes.

They, the disciples, recall Elijah and desire to rain fire and destruction of those who deny or reject Jesus. Jesus simply rebukes them by his action and word, do not judgment but leave them alone and let them find their own way to salvation if they reject me. You have work to do. The action of Jesus loudly proclaims, “There is no judgment of them from me because I came to earth as the final act of abolishing Judgment through the reconciliation of humanity and God.

So Jesus sets the playing field for his disciples in the first part (vv51-56). They are not to judge people but to offer love and a way home. Leave Judgment to Divine authority.

But there is more to this profoundly unbounded act of compassion for humanity in rejecting judgment. What remains is the willingness of those who are reconciled to commit to living the non-judgmental way Jesus lives, to put others and commitment to divine calling first. That first and foremost puts the onus on the follower to live as Jesus does, to disdain judgment and embrace the good new of reconciliation.

Verses 57-62 describe a demand of absolute commitment of a follower to the “way.” It is a commitment will place demands upon you that you do not yet understand. You may sleep as a sojourner with no place to lay your head save the ground.

When Jesus calls you, if you say some religious obligation, even one as serious as burying a parent demands delay, you are not ready, or are lost already.

Verses 51-56 surely tell us that if you are prepared to judge and condemn persons who are not followers, you are not ready to be a follower yourself.

The remaining verses 57- 60 tell us that when we say that we are ready to follow but need to go back and say goodbye to old friends and family, we are not ready.

These are two hard demands and predictions of the future of a Christian. You may be set against family, or church, or even your own common sense way of doing things. Until you can make that break you may not truly know whom your family is.

Finally Jesus gives us the third take on the demand of discipleship, the obligation to locate the Heart where Jesus does - home.

Verses 60-62 have a strong parallel to the calling of Elisha by Elijah (1 Kings 19:19). Anyone who has plowed a field knows if you look behind you will never plow a straight furrow. Everyone should know that if you put the demands of human comfort and accommodation first, you are putting your obligation to the Lord second.

So the link between these two stories may be the answer to the question, “Why did Jesus Come To Earth?”

Jesus came to earth as an act of divine reconciliation that erases judgment, or as Paul says of Abraham, to reckon us righteous as if our sin does not exist. To be reckoned righteous carries an implicit obligation of thanksgiving for the Hesed, or profound loving kindness of the Lord, that requires us to put fealty to the Lord first. That means put fealty before your political judgments whether liberal or conservative, your judgments over gun control, your judgments over whether we should offer the sojourner a place at our table or bar the door to them. It means all these things that deal with personal prerogative take second seat to the duty of the follower, as I have said before, to do one’s best to love the Lord will all one’s heart, and to love your neighbor the way the Lord loves you.