Last October, a 69-year-old woman named Yvonne found herself in a situation that’s about as frightening as you can imagine. She was in a small plane over California, over 200 miles from home, when her husband, the pilot, had a medical emergency. He was incapacitated and she had no idea how to fly a plane. She was going to have to figure it out herself.
Luckily she had some good help from air traffic control. These are not the circumstances in which anyone wants to learn how to fly, but the traffic controller talked her through everything and she stayed calm and managed to land safely. The county director of airports said, “I’ve never seen it in my entire career.”
In our gospel for today Jesus talked his disciples through the things that were about to happen. They were heading to Jerusalem, and Jesus wasn’t aiming for a safe landing. He was heading for the cross. At the time the disciples didn’t really understand, but what we see here is that Jesus is the one who opens our eyes to know his mercy.
Our Gospel for today comes from Luke 18. Jesus and his disciples were on the way to Jerusalem for the Passover. This was really the biggest festival of the year for the Jews and people from all over came to Jerusalem for it. It was a long trip on foot, but there would be big groups of people traveling together. By this time Jesus had become well-known in Israel and so many travelers joined the crowd that was traveling to Jerusalem around him.
Jesus’ disciples understood very well though that this situation was fraught with danger. Jesus’ reputation had grown, but the opposition to him had also grown. It was no secret that the Pharisees and Sadducees were out to get him. They wanted him arrested or dead. John tells us in his gospel how the disciples were worried about even being in the vicinity of Jerusalem. When Jesus wanted to go to Bethany to raise Lazarus from the dead, the disciples protested and finally Thomas boldly resolved, “Let us go too, and die with him!” John also says that for this reason many of the Jews didn’t think Jesus would dare to show his face in Jerusalem for the Passover. That seems pretty reasonable. Would you go if they were after you?
Jesus was completely undeterred, which is maybe at the same time surprising and completely expected. Surprising because I can’t imagine acting like that. It’s like that wife remaining calm while landing a plane while her husband is having a heart attack, but much worse. But it’s also completely expected because he’s Jesus. He’s the only perfect man. He’s never afraid, never a coward. And he knew exactly what he was doing. And even though he was under so much pressure, his concern was for his disciples. Luke says.
31He took the Twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32Indeed, he will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, mistreat him, spit on him, 33flog him, and kill him. On the third day, he will rise again.”
34They did not understand any of these things. What he said was hidden from them, and they did not understand what was said.
Sometimes it seems to us like Jesus’ disciples were real dummies. Jesus explained things to them in extremely clear terms. He pointed them to the Old Testament. He explained how it would be fulfilled. He was going to be arrested and abused and put to death. But he also assured them that he would rise again on the third day.
None of this is complicated. Jesus wasn’t explaining how to land an airplane here. He just wanted them to know what to expect, so that these things wouldn’t catch them unprepared. He didn’t want them to despair or lose hope. He wanted them to see that these things were God’s will, for their good, so that they would continue to trust in God and hold onto that promise of resurrection.
But what does Luke say? They didn’t understand any of it. And this is a point that is made over and over again in the Gospels. Jesus told his disciples about these things, and they had no idea what he was talking about. This continued even until Easter morning, when Peter and John stood wondering at the empty tomb. “How strange! What’s going on?” And you almost want to shout at them, “It’s exactly what he told you!”
But Luke makes a good point here, that it wasn’t just that they were too thick-headed to understand simple English (well, simple Aramaic). It’s that these things can’t be understood by our natural selves. Luke says, “What he said was hidden from them.” Hidden by what? Not hidden by Jesus. And not hidden by a lack of intelligence. Paul says in 1 Corinthians that God has shown the wisdom of this world to be foolish, and that an unspiritual person cannot understand the truths taught by God’s Spirit.
It’s our own sinful nature that gets in the way, and don’t we know it too! This is especially the case when it comes to the cross. “Why, Jesus, must you face a cross?” And then Jesus says that you must take up your cross and follow him, and the words that he says aren’t complicated at all, but do you really understand? Are you ready to embrace suffering in this life as loving discipline from your heavenly Father? Don’t we all think it would be so much better if I could be a cross-less Christian? Why does Jesus have to lead a procession of crosses? Why can’t he lead a grinning parade of flowers and balloons?
But that cross always comes. And understand what that means. Bearing a cross doesn’t just mean, “There will be bad stuff in life.” It means that it’s hard to follow Jesus. It’s hard to do what is right. It’s hard to deny yourself and humble yourself, and to truly pray, “Thy will be done.” Don’t I know what is best for me? And so often in the face of hardship and temptation our thought might be, “God, what are you doing? I don’t know what** *is* **best, but I know that this isn’t.”
The disciples didn’t understand why there must be a cross. They didn’t understand what it was that Jesus was explaining to them. But as they traveled the road to Jerusalem something happened that shows just how they would understand. And it shows how we are to understand Jesus’ cross as well as our own crosses.
Jericho was on the road to Jerusalem, and as Jesus came to that city a blind man, whose name Mark tells us was Bartimaeus, started crying out,** “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” **Some of the people who were at the head of the crowd told him to be quiet, but that just made him cry out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
****When Jesus came to where he was, he had the man brought to him and asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to see again.” And Jesus answered his prayer. He said, “**Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.”**
Bartimaeus had complete trust in Jesus. He knew that Jesus could heal him, that Jesus could make him see. And Jesus opened Bartimaeus’ eyes and showed him his great mercy. In the same way, Jesus opens our eyes to see him and to know his mercy. By the Holy Spirit working through the means of grace, through the gospel in word and sacrament, he reveals to us things that no eye has seen and no mind has conceived, the unfathomable and undeserved love that God has for us.
That’s what the cross is all about. Jesus went to Jerusalem knowing exactly what was waiting for him there because of his great love for us. He is the Son of David who has mercy. He has mercy on us in our weaknesses. He has mercy on us in our doubts. He has mercy on us sinners. And what he gave to Bartimaeus, what he promised him, was more than just a restoration of his eyesight. “Your faith has saved you,” he said. Faith takes hold of Christ and his cross, fully, completely, in every way. Clinging to Jesus, he had mercy upon mercy, eyesight restored, salvation from sin and death.
Go to Jesus with all the troubles you face and all the crosses you bear. Cry out to him for mercy. He won’t pass you by. His destination was the cross for you. He cares for you body and soul. He sends the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to know his mercy. It’s right here, in his word. It’s here in his sacraments. Here Jesus proclaims to you, “Your sins are forgiven.” Here he shows his mercy from the cross. Here he assures you, “Your faith has saved you.” And as he puts before your eyes his cross he also puts before you his resurrection, which is the promise of your resurrection.
There will be times in this life when you don’t know all the answers. There will be times when the things of God are hidden from you. But by the Holy Spirit, working in word and sacrament, Jesus opens your eyes to know his mercy. Amen.
— Pastor Seth Georgson