A Steel Cut Oats Kind of God

Charlotte Collins Reed
Christ Episcopal Church
February 21, 2016

2 Lent C

In our pantry at home, we have several different kinds of oats.  We have steel cut oats, which take about 30 minutes to cook, which seems like forever in the morning.  So, steel cut oats rarely happen.  Then we have Old Fashioned oats.  We like the thicker, less processed kind, so they take about 10 minutes to cook.  Sometimes we have quick oats, which require bringing water to a boil and cooking for one minute.  The only reason we ever have those is because I have a great chocolate cookie recipe that calls for quick oats.  Then, in the embarrassingly lazy department, I actually have some frozen oatmeal from Trader Joe for our son Caldwell when he is home.  That oatmeal just has to be microwaved.  If I look on the grocery store shelves, I can find all kinds of oatmeal bars that supposedly pack all the goodness of oats into a foil packet I could eat on the run, or single serve containers of oats so that I don't have to involve a bowl in my morning instant oat ritual, but can pour the hot water right into the container.  There are any number of shortcuts to a healthy breakfast in the cereal aisle.

While I am picking on oats, I am sure any of us could come up with countless examples of offers for immediate relief from whatever we want or need: instant meals, overnight delivery, shortcuts for cleaning, instant messaging, or 24 hour access to our money, all of which reflect our desire for a shortcut to whatever we might need.

The Pharisees offer Jesus a short cut this morning.  The Pharisees say to Jesus "Get away from here for Herod wants to kill you."  Whether or not the Pharisees are genuine in their concern for Jesus is a matter of debate.  While the Pharisees are usually portrayed in the gospels as enemies of Jesus, in Luke's gospel they are portrayed with more sympathy. Whether or not the Pharisees are actually concerned about Jesus, Herod probably does want to see Jesus dead.  Herod has already beheaded John the Baptist, and when Herod hears about Jesus' ministry, he is perplexed and wants to see Jesus.  Herod could be merely curious, in theory, but more likely his motive is sinister.  In all fairness, at the end of the gospel, when Herod does get to meet Jesus, Herod will find him innocent.  For now, however, the Pharisees warn Jesus to get out before Herod gets him.

Abram would also like a shortcut this morning.  Abram would like a shortcut to acquiring an heir.   At the moment, a slave born in Abram's household will likely be Abram's heir.  Back in chapter 12 of Genesis, three chapters ago, God promised Abram land and descendants.  Over the following three chapters and countless miles, God has repeated the promise several times.  Thus far, nothing has happened. Abram and Sarah are getting older.  The promise is rather preposterous.  Abram is getting a bit impatient and no doubt a little weary, to say nothing of older. So Abram asks God for a sign.  God complies with what seems to us a very bizarre ritual involving a heifer, a female goat, and a ram, all three years old, a turtle dove and a young pigeon, which are sacrificed.  Then Abram falls into a deep and terrifying sleep.  Strange though this ritual may seem to our 21st century ears, this acts seals the covenant between God and Abram, and Abram trusts that somehow, in God's good time, he will have land and descendants.

For Jesus, also, there are no shortcuts.  Jesus has set his face toward Jerusalem and he has places to go and things to do along the way.  Indeed, Jesus has just told the disciples, in the verse immediately before our gospel lesson begins, that "Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."  Herod would be in the second category and Jesus has no time for him.  "Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I must finish my work.  Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside Jerusalem.'"  Jesus sounds like someone with a calendar to keep.  He has today, tomorrow, and the third day all planned out.  If we have been listening carefully to Luke's gospel, we hear echoes of Jesus' passion prediction in chapter 9: "The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, and the only twists and turns he will allow on the way are the work he has been given to do: casting out demons and performing cures.  As Jesus moves toward the end of his earthly ministry, he seeks no distractions from this work and no relief from the events that await him in Jerusalem.

Lent is our journey to Jerusalem with Jesus.  We remember the voice of God that claimed Jesus at his baptism and again at the Transfiguration with the words "This is my Son, my chosen one."  We remember when Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.'" And then we heard Jesus say "Today, these words have been fulfilled in your hearing."    We remember all miracles Jesus has done.  And we are tempted to say with the Pharisees "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you."  We would rather Jesus avoid the pain and suffering he will endure.  The reality is that we all have times in our lives when we are on a journey to Jerusalem and we would rather avoid the suffering as well.  We want a short cut to health, or happiness, or healed relationships, or to the end of whatever our challenge might be.  Our readings this morning remind us that our God is not an instant oatmeal kind of God.  Our God is with us for the long haul, more of a steel cut oats kind of God, and while there are often no short cuts to our destination or quick fixes for our problems, we do not travel alone.  The same Jesus who assured the Pharisees that he would be casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, walks with us in our todays and tomorrows.  And the same Jesus who pointed to the resurrection with the words "and on the third day I finish my work" reminds us that no matter how long or dark our path may be, the journey to Jerusalem is ultimately a journey in which death is overcome and life has the final word.  The promise of Lent, and the journey to Jerusalem, is not a quick fix.  The promise of Lent is that we are not alone, and life, not death, will have the final say.

Amen.