Febrary 21, 2016 "How Love Protects Us"

Luke 13.31-35 “How Love Protects Us” Pastor Jacqueline Hines February 21, 2016 Scout Sunday. Second Sunday in Lent

Jesus lived a vulnerable life. People were always picking on him. You would think he was running for president. Probably none of the presidential candidates we know ever travels alone. There are no doubt people who want to shake their hands and want them to kiss their babies and listen to the reasons why they deserve their vote.

The Pharisees came to Jesus, who was no doubt surrounded by 12 disciples, and warned him that Herod was trying to kill him. That is a serious as it gets. You would think Jesus would go into hiding. Instead, he called Herod a sly fox and told him exactly where he was going and what he would be doing. “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. [slide # 1 I am casting out demons…]

Jesus did not hide because he felt secure. Love causes everyone to feel secure. To love is to protect. To be loved is to be protected. Love protects us in three ways. First love protects us in God’s presence. When we stay in God’s presence, we experience security and protection. When we go to the same places that God goes, we are surrounded by God’s presence. [slide # 2 waterfall] When we go to a place to give thanks to our God, to worship our God, and to serve our God, there is a certain security and protection that follows us there, and follows us wherever good intentions dwell.

Jesus said in verse 34, “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! “ When we know we are going against God’s will, we may not appreciate being gathered together with God like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.  The reason we have traveled to this season of Lent is to get ready for God to gather us, to smother us under the wing of God’s love. [slide # 3 gathered with Jesus]

We are protected in God’s presence. Secondly, we are protected in prayer. Episcopalian Bishop Tutu once said that as he challenged the political powers of his day, like Jesus did, he experienced the prayers of God’s people as a wall of fire separating him from the enemy.  [slide # 4 wall of fire]  Many animals fear fire. Fire can be a threat. Prayer is a threat to evil. Prayer is our protection.

A blind lady left her senior center apartment early one morning as she did every day to walk down and pick up her mail in the lobby. She approached the elevator and felt a presence, like an arm, holding her back from entering the elevator. She tried again and felt the same sense that she was not to go into the elevator. She believed God was trying to tell her something, so she returned to her apartment. Later she discovered that the elevator shaft was open, and she would have stepped into an empty hole. Prayer is a source of protection.

Joel Osteen tells the story of how his father could not get his trunk open one day. It was loaded with boxes for the food pantry. The trunk was stuck, stubborn, and refused to budge. Finally, he realized he had not prayed and asked God for help. So he said a little prayer and those around were kind of chuckling. He tried to open the trunk again, and still nothing happened. He walked away perhaps to get some tools, and suddenly they heard a click and the trunk opened up on its own.  [slide # 5 praying hands]

We do well to begin the day with prayer, end the day with prayer, and pray throughout the day. You may say as one person mentioned some time ago. “Pastor, I prayed about my spouse, but my first marriage was a nightmare.” Prayer is our conversation with God that evolves and becomes clearer and richer with time, just as it does when we talk with one another. In many conversations things just click and we completely understand where each of us is coming from, and we are filled with joy and happiness. God’s love helps us to even understand one another perfectly clearly when are speechless and our thoughts are jumbled up.

There are times when even loving conversations can get frustrating; we may feel we are not heard, or that God does not care or that someone else does not care. So praying every day gives us a new opportunity to let God do a great work in us, protecting us from the ravages of Satan. It is important to keep the conversation going!

Love protects us in God’s presence, in prayer, and finally, love protects us in God’s peace! God’s peace is protection.

A 17 year old finally got his driving license. He took his mother to work in a car that a friend loaned her for the day. It was a stick shift. He dropped his mom off and his little cousin jumps into the front seat eating potato chips. He approached the driveway to his house and decided to hit the gas since there was a steep slope.  That was a bad idea. The car stalled, the brakes locked, cars could come at any moment from the busy street on the left or from the two lanes behind him.

The car started sliding backwards and slowly hit a wall instead of a couple oncoming cars. His cousin, with eyes ready to pop out of its’ sockets, was still eating chips, only a little faster than before. The car got a big scratch along the side.  He spent the whole day scared and terrified, thinking about the mess he made.

Finally, the time came to face his mother. He walked up the driveway. At the same time his mother comes out of the house. She looks at him, not with anger, but with compassion.[slide # 6 forgive others….]

Having lived longer she wisely said these words: "It’s ok son, We’ll get it fixed! That’s what money is for." He was relieved of his dreaded burden of guilt and shame and his mind was filled with peace. Surely, he felt surrounded and protected by peace. No doubt he could make better decisions and be ready to protect others with the same peace that he had received.

Love protects us in God’s presence, in prayer, and in God’s peace. Let’s connect to God’s love to love today. [slide # 7 plugs.] Amen.