Here are two definitions for prophet:
- “A person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God.”
- “An effective or leading spokesperson for a cause, doctrine, or group.”
There is not much demand or respect for a prophet. Think about it. In the Gospel of Mark, chapter six—verse four, Jesus said to those gathered in his hometown questioning his authority: “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” The red carpet was not rolled out for Jesus’ homecoming.
Nor do we get the warm fuzzy feeling for prophets from our reading this morning. Jesus is confronted by some Pharisees telling him he needed to leave the area because King Herod wants to kill him. Jesus is too big of a burr in Herod’s backside. But Jesus refuses to leave. He has work to do before he goes. Upon completion of that work he will head off to Jerusalem. It is in Jerusalem where the prophets are killed. He proclaims to the Pharisees: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you . . .”
However you define the word “prophet”, Jesus is a prophet. Prophets make people uncomfortable because they confront and shake up the status quo. That is what Jesus has done . . . he has shaken the status quo to its roots. No one in power . . . the religious, the king, or the Romans . . . is happy with Jesus and what he is doing. He is stirring up the hornet’s nest. The people are asking questions, standing up to authority, pushing the boundaries . . . everything that those who are powerful and in control do not want. Their future is in jeopardy.
Because of this it is only natural to want to get rid of the trouble-maker. Herod’s solution to the problem is to kill Jesus. And, as we know from the story, others will hop onto his bandwagon before it is all supposedly said and done. Remember . . . “dead people tell no tales.”
But a prophet has to do what a prophet has to do. It does not matter whether or not they are liked . . . whether or not their message is well-received . . . a prophet will stay true to the task he or she has been called to do. Think of all the Old Testament prophets . . . Ezekiel and Isaiah . . . they were not too popular or well-received, yet they did what they had to do. They followed the will of the one who called them . . . they did as God would have them do.
So would Jesus.
Jesus was on a mission for God. When the Pharisees tell Jesus to leave because Herod wanted to kill him . . . he refuses. Even tells them to go and tell Herod that. He would not leave until he had finished his work there. At the same time, the mission would not end there. No, Jesus would move on. He would go to Jerusalem . . . the center of it all. There was the seat of power . . . politically and religiously. There was the home of the status quo. There was where God’s message needed to heard . . . needed to be experienced. That is where Jesus needed to go despite knowing that he would be rejected . . . he would be spurned . . . he would die.
The pull of Jerusalem was too strong. Despite what he understood about Jerusalem and its symbolic place in the lives of the people he was drawn to Jerusalem. He proclaims: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chick under her wings, and you were not willing.” He has to go. The prophet must do as the one who has called asks. Jesus would go to do God’s will. And he would do it whether anyone liked it or not.
No one wants to be a prophet. Nor does anyone want to follow in the footsteps of a prophet. Christopher Hitchens, a British-American author and journalist, wrote this about prophets: “We can always be sure of one thing—that the messengers of discomfort and sacrifice will be stoned and pelted by those who wish to preserve at all costs their own contentment. This is not a lesson that is confined to the Testaments.” Prophets are not popular because they step on the toes of the status quo . . . they mess with the way that things have always been done . . . they threaten those who have the power and the control. They make life uncomfortable.
It is estimated that Jesus said “follow me” at least a dozen times in the gospels. He also stated: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6a) It is probably safe to say that it is Jesus’ goal and hope that people follow him through his words and actions . . . that they do as he did . . . that they live as he lived. He speaks those words to us today . . . “follow me.”
I imagine that if we—the faithful—are going to seriously take Jesus at his invitation to follow him, then we are going to have to take serious his role as a prophet . . . his role as one who speaks the will of God. Therein lies the rub . . . prophets aren’t popular . . . prophets have a tendency to get killed. Prophets rattle people . . . go against the flow. We’d all rather float merrily down the stream.
Which brings us to Lent. Lent is not a real popular season of the church year among a lot of church-goers because it is challenging. It is a time in which the faithful are asked to examine their faith to see what obstacles are keeping them from “following Jesus”. The journey through Lent asks the faithful to discern what is keeping them from living like Jesus . . . of walking in his footsteps . . . of doing God’s will. Then, at journey’s end, it wants to know whether we are going to do it or not.
That’s a lot of hard work. Giving up chocolate for a couple of weeks seems a lot easier. Following Jesus is life-changing.
I do not think too many would argue the fact that the world we are living in right now is not even close to what God would want. I think that the majority of us would agree that we are a far cry from God’s Kingdom. All of us could give examples of how far we are from God’s desires . . . how far we are from God. The world is a pretty messed up place right now . . . and it was in Jesus’ lifetime. It was into such a world that Jesus moved about teaching and doing God’s will . . . a will that went against the status quo of his time.
What did it get him? Death . . . death on a cross. And Jesus knew it, and yet he chose to do as he was asked.
Jesus expects the same from us—his followers. Jesus believes in us . . . believes that we can accomplish the task . . . that we can be kingdom-builders. Jesus shows us the way, but it is up to us . . . up to us to decide if we follow and make a difference. Jesus has done what he was supposed to do . . . he led us to brink, and now it is up to us. Author Frank Herbert writes: “The best prophets lead you up to the curtain and let you peer through for yourself.”
Jesus has led us . . . the next step is up to us. Do we follow Jesus and strive to do God’s will . . . even at the expense of going against the status quo? Or do we turn our backs and spurn him? It is up to us and the decision weighs upon us in this journey of Lent.
Jesus asks us to follow him for he is “. . . the way and the truth and the life.” Jesus never promised us it would be easy . . . grace might be free but it is not cheap. The choice is ours to make. In this Lenten journey may we choose wisely. Traveling mercies, my friends. Traveling mercies. Amen.
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