Scriptures: Psalm 27; Luke 13:31-35
Key Verse: “I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13
We all have experiences of lamenting over ourselves and others occasionally. But I feel that these past two years have been filled with laments more than ever, especially in recent days. Like many, I’m lamenting the death toll from COVID-19 that took over 6 millions peoples’ lives, the distressing homelessness issue experienced by over half of million people in this country, and the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine, resulting in more than 2 million Ukrainians who have fled their country.
Proverbs 24:11-12 teaches us not to hold back from rescuing those whose lives are in danger, for we have a God who weighs the hearts of all, watches their souls and repays them according to their deeds. Besides praying and lamenting, what else can we do as people of faith?
Knowing that there isn’t much I can do to change the current situations, I pay my tax as a citizen and hope this money will be used for the wellbeing of those less fortunate; I write and send care-cards to church members who might be experiencing isolation and loneliness; my husband and I give our regular offerings to support ministries and missions of churches that we belong to as well as a special offering to the Lutheran Disaster Response for Eastern Europe Crisis Response. In doing all this, I trust that God will take care of the rest.
There isn’t much difference between the suffering we experience and witness now in our world and the world that Jesus lived in the first century. There were beggars, wars, and illnesses. The chosen nation, Israel, couldn't see that God’s saving grace was for all, bestowed beyond a particular ethnic group, the Jews, and beyond elites and any religious sects, namely, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and Essenes. Did they know that they got it all wrong? And what have we learned from the past?
According to Luke, Jesus was on his journey to Jerusalem from 9:51 to 19:28. Theologians often refer to it as Luke’s “Journey Narrative.” On his journey to fulfill his mission, Jesus lamented over the children of Israel in chapter 13. While religious leaders invested all their energy to maintain their status and power which they believed were in danger because of the existence of Jesus, Jesus spent each day discipling his followers, and together, rescuing the souls of those who were isolated and despised. Did they notice? And what have we learned from Jesus?
Jesus has taught us and demonstrated to us how to live as the people of God in the midst of uncertainty, desolation, and confusion. Like Jesus, our call is to proclaim Good news to the isolated and the despised. By doing so ceaselessly, we shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Amen.
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