Reflections...

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Sunday 1st February 2009 by the Rev. Kwok Nai Wang. The scripture readings that day were Psalm 122 and Luke 13:22-30.


Every human being has a journey in life. Nobody can escape that journey which is from womb to tomb. The question before us is how do we take that life journey?

Jesus’ journey was both intentional and focused. According to the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus first ministered or served the people in need in Galilee in the Northern part of the Holy Land (Mark 1:14-8:26; Matthew 4:23-18:35 and Luke 4:14-9:50). Then he journeyed down to Jerusalem in the South with his disciples (Mark 8:27-10:52; Matthew 19:1-20:34 and Luke 9:51-19:27). Jesus used this journeying together with his disciples to minister or to teach them about “discipleship”, or the true meaning of being his followers. Finally, all three gospels recorded Jesus’ ministry in and around Jerusalem in pretty much the same way (Mark chapters 11-16; Matthew chapters 21-28 and Luke 19:28-24:53). This was the apex of Jesus’ ministry. He sacrificed his life so that all human beings have the possibility of living a more focused and meaningful life. Therefore Jesus’ earthly life journey is best described as Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem.

Why Jerusalem?

Jerusalem was the Holy City where the Temple was. It was and still is the socio-religious centre of the Jewish people. But unfortunately, for ages it had been tightly controlled by a group of priests, scribes, Levites and Pharisees. They had made the Jewish culture and tradition so institutionalized and the Law so literally interpreted that ordinary people had little room to maneuver. Jesus went to Jerusalem to challenge this. That explained why once in the temple, according to all the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus “began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons, and he would not allow anything through the temple…” (Mark 11:15-17; Matthew 21:12-13 and Luke 19:45-46).

Jesus had come to challenge the old, because the old could no longer represent God’s will adequately. The old or to be more precise the interpretation of the Law and the Prophets had become rather oppressive. For instance, faith in God’s creation as symbolized by the literal interpretation of the fourth commandment: “keep the Sabbath day sacred” was no longer relevant and meaningful to the ordinary people. For the authorities insisted that the Sabbath was a holy day of rest. So no matter what, even when people are hungry, nobody could go and get food for the hungry. If people got sick nobody could care for the sick (c.f. Mark 2:23-3:5; Matthew 12:1-13 and Luke 6:1-10). Since Jesus came to challenge this very point of view, so very early in his ministry, the “Pharisees went out and began at once to plot with the Herodians against Jesus, discussing how to destroy him” (Mark 3:6; Matthew 12:14 and Luke 6:11).

So why Jesus must go to Jerusalem? Jerusalem was once a holy city. But it had turned pagan in that it had come to the point of blinding people. It had prevented people to see the real meaning of life – to be connected to God and to one another.

What is to-day’s Jerusalem? What is it that we as Jesus’ disciples and as God’s servants in the world must overcome and say “no” to?

I remember in the days when I was a student, there was a deep sense of anti-Semitism in the main stream of Roman Catholicism as well as in the minds of many leading reformers. They did not only consider the Jews were responsible to crucify Christ; but also they were uncomfortable about the growing influence of the Jews all over Europe.

Then when I was about to retire from salaried positions, I sensed many Christian fundamentalists were hostile to the rapid expansion of Islam all over the world. They considered this as an anti-Christ movement.

In the wake of 9-11 in 2001 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, many considered United States of America is the brand new Jerusalem. For the Bush administration thought that it is their prerogative to interpret what is right and what is wrong; which is good and which is evil. Thus they decided Iraq, Iran and North Korea were the axis of evil. So they waged war on Iraq. If the Iraqi war had not been dragged on, the war against Iran and the North Korea could not be avoided.

But then, as we analyze this a bit deeper, we can see the big business conglomerates especially in the fields of oil and weapon were behind all this. They had pushed U.S.A. to war and furthermore they had also influenced at least half of the American people to support the war, at least in the beginnings.

Of course it is not entirely fair to put all the blame on these greedy multi-national conglomerates for all the problems in the world; such as incessant violence and wars, the rapid widening gap between the rich and the poor. For they could not have any real chance to survive without the support of all of us one way or the other. For whether rich or poor we are very much materialistic and consumer oriented. In a way we are just as self-centred and greedy as the rich and the powerful. We say that the rich and powerful often “milk” or exploit the poor and the less fortunate. But what do we do to stop them?

However our situation (I often think all situations are God-given) our journey must be focused on to make this world a better place for all: where the hungry are fed, the wounded are nursed, the sick are being cared for, … so that everyone can play his/her part and live a meaningful life.

Jesus had to journey to Jerusalem because as he said, “it would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem” (Luke 3:33). Jerusalem had become a symbol of blocking human beings to live a full life. So Jesus had to go there to remove this block. It was by no means an easy and comfortable task. Jesus was humiliated by the social establishment, rejected by the crowds he had come to help, and finally be put on a cross to die. In a word, Jesus used his own precious life to do the job which is essential and necessary.

It’s true that Jesus’ sacrifice for the sake of humanity was definitive. However, human nature is such that God’s saving acts have to continue. That explains why Jesus chose twelve disciples and many others to follow his footsteps. To-day, Jesus calls us in the same manner: “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him or her renounce himself or herself and take up the cross everyday and follow me.” (Luke 9:23// Mark 8:34// Matthew 16:24).

The answer to Jesus’ call is never easy. The New Testament lesson we read earlier on told us that many have tried to enter the narrow door, but only very few succeeded. Why? It is because we have to carry baggages. The door for Jesus’ disciples to enter is too narrow to accept people with bulky or excessive baggage. What are some of these non-essential baggages? Are they wealth, fame, popularity, status, success or religious accomplishments?

When we decide to follow Jesus, we must try to get rid of all these excessive baggage.

Look at that Indian Saint, Mother Teresa. When she died, her belongings, a sari and a pair of sandals were buried with her. This was highly symbolic of her simplicity. I recall some thirty years ago when I heard her lectured in an international conference in Singapore. She told us that she had nothing (meaning wealth or great talents) in her life to share with those in dire need except her heart. What a bliss to have reached that stage in life!

The answer to Jesus’ call to be his disciple is hard, very hard. However once you make that important decision in your life, the impossible becomes a possibility. It is because Jesus is not only our example of how best to live a fulfilled life; but also he is our enabler as well.

Recall how the Synoptic Gospels ended their gospels with Jesus’ commission to his disciples: in Matthew it was “Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the son of the Holy Spirit and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always, yes, to the end of time.” (Matthews 28:19-20).

Please note that the great commission of Matthew consists of a sending forth (to make disciples for Jesus) and a benediction, or a promise: if we do what Jesus commands us to do, he is always with us.

Similarly in Mark, the sending forth is “to preach the gospel to all creation” and the promise is there will be signs of our capability to speak in tongues, to cast out evil; to cure the sick …” (Mark 16:17-18). In Luke the mission is to be Jesus’ witnesses of his death and resurrection; and to preach about the forgiveness of sins; the promise is the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:46-48).

As a matter of fact the word commission consists of two words, “com” is together and “mission” is to send. It means as long as we answer to God’s mission, we will never be alone. Emmanuel, God in Jesus Christ is with us. The Holy Spirit will strengthen us and assist us to complete whatever God wants us to do.

Our intentional and focused journey in life: to renounce ourself and to take up the cross, is extremely difficult. However, we are not alone. Many of our brothers and sisters before us; and if you look around hard enough, you will also discover many of our contemporaries are trying to engage in the same journey. Always remember these words of Jesus, “for where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.” (Matthew 18:20). So have courage.

Let me end this sermon in the same manner as our New Testament lesson for this morning, with a doxology:

“Blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord” (Luke 13:25b, quoting Psalm 118:26). Amen.