© Mast3r

Second Sunday in Lent
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Lectionary C

Luke 13:31-35

Are You Staying on Track?

Getting off track is easy to do, and it may happen for the best of reasons, but we still get off track. We do it all the time – in our actions and in our conversations. God has a track that He wants us to be on and Jesus had a very specific track laid out for Him.

In Luke 9:51, the Scripture says, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” Picture that imagery in your mind! He was determined, resolute; he was intently, purposefully, tenaciously, unflinchingly, unwaveringly headed for Jerusalem. There was nothing that could stop Him from reaching Jerusalem and fulfilling His purpose of making the way for our salvation.  Last week, we read how Satan repeatedly tempted Jesus to ultimately stop his journey to Jerusalem where He would die for the sins of the world, but Jesus stayed on track. Now along comes the Pharisees and Herod, but Jesus is not intimidated or diverted by their words. He stays on track, forging ahead with His ministry, casting out demons and healing the people along the way.

Are we like Jesus with our faces set resolutely toward accomplishing the will of the Father and the completion of the task He has set before us? Or, is our goal of this world – financial success, fame, power, popularity, independence? What is the driving force in your life – what track are you on? If the past week of your life, or mine, was replayed for the world to see, what would they see as the driving force or goal of our life? What would they see our face set toward? What track are we on?

The track for Jesus went to one place, the cross. Although we are walking with Jesus toward the cross this Lent, our way is not the cross, but Jesus is our way. The cross should have been our way for it is what we deserved, but Jesus walked that track for us. The way is not just to be understood, or a track that we can feel under our feet, but to know personally. It is a relationship with our Lord and Savior.

He wants to shelter us under His wings of love, protection, and guidance, just as a mother hen gathers her brood under her wings. He desires for us to know Him as He knows us – to seek His will in our life and live according to His purpose, sharing His love along the way, staying on track. Hebrews 12:1(b)-2 reminds us, “Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God.”

May Christ Jesus gather us all into the safe wings of His mercy, and may our lives shine His light upon the track of salvation and grace for others. Amen.

– The Rev. Kay Mueller is deacon of Church of Our Saviour in Okeechobee.