Courage and Letting Go

March 17, 2019

Luke 13:31-35

I have shared in the past that I grew up in a town very similar to Richmond. The one thing that I was thankful for was that I was encouraged to read many books and these books would take me to places I could only dream of traveling to in real life. That is the amazing thing about the power of books. In those books I encountered diversity that I would not see in greater detail until heading off to college.

One of those books that brought me into a world very different from my own was To Kill a Mockingbird. Maycomb, Alabama was very different than Charlotte, Michigan and I was pulled in by the characters, Scout, Jem, Dill, Boo, and even Atticus. Atticus Finch had an air about him, one that was even more impressive if you have seen the movie starring Gregory Peck. Atticus was an example of courage for his children as he defends Tom Robinson against fraudulent charges of rape. His defense of an African American man catches the sleepy little town by surprise, and he disregards their expectations for him. Despite the anger directed towards him, he steps boldly forward in simply defending another human being.

The courage that Atticus portrays is reflective of the same courage that Jesus has when stepping up to Herod. Jesus lets go of the expectations that others have for him and cultivates the courage needed to move forward in his way towards the cross.

The expectations that are in place for Jesus are far from what his plans are as he walks the countryside healing the people. He has not come into the world to crumble Rome. He has not come in to the world to make everything perfect right away. He does not deny being the Messiah. However, the Messiah that many people are expecting is a conquering one that does not do so through death on a cross.

He also surprises others by stepping beyond what a person from the village of Nazareth may do and shocks them that he comes from such a village. In the gospel this morning, a group of Pharisees expect him to move on because Herod wants to kill him. He does not cede to their expectations because he has a mission that is leading him to Jerusalem.

I am sure that everyone has had the experience of undue or unwanted expectations placed upon them. They come at us from all directions. When we are young, we think that they come from our parents and teachers. As we get older, we sense those expectations from bosses, peers, and even possibly family members. Those expectations can be overwhelming. One way to sort through the many expectations is by discernment and prayer. Jesus lets go of the expectations that are placed on him by others and as we follow him, we can find peace in the letting go of undue expectations as well.

Through letting go of the expectations that are placed upon him, Jesus moves forward in courage. A courage that is evident in every step he takes closer to the cross. The research professor and author Brené Brown, talks and writes a lot about courage. She writes,

“Courage is a heart word. The root of the word courage is cor – the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage meant “To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.” Over time, this definition has changed, and today, we typically associate courage with heroic and brave deeds. But in my opinion, this definition fails to recognize the inner strength and level of commitment required for us to actually speak honestly and openly about who we are and about our experiences — good and bad. Speaking from our hearts is what I think of as “ordinary courage.”

During this season of Lent, you are encouraged to find those things that you may like to cultivate within your life. Those things maybe practices that will draw you closer to God. Practices that you can build into habits that go well beyond Lent. Some of you last week wrote on the back doors those things that you are cultivating and letting go. Last week you had the opportunity to talk to your neighbors about what you were going to let go. This week I am going to give you a couple of minutes to speak with a neighbor about what you may like to cultivate in this season of Lent.

Hopefully after having a week to think about this, you are starting to focus on certain practices in your life that either need to be cultivated or even may need to be let go.

By letting go of expectations, Jesus radically breaks into the world in a way that no one had even expected. He steps forward in a courage that is bound up in the Trinity that was present from the very beginning of time. It is an example for us to be vulnerable and throughout we find courage. A courage that is full of determination. Jesus’ courage to move towards the cross should give us hope as we return to God this season of Lent.

Let us pray. Courageous God, we look towards you as the shining light amid the darkness of our own Lent. May you be ever guiding us as we let go of undue expectations and begin to cultivate a courage that is founded in you. Amen.