Jesus' 2 fold mission: to die and rise Luke 13:31-35

2nd Sunday of Lent year C
This reading from Luke gives us a little hint to the real on the ground interaction between Jesus and the people arround him.
Jesus had some disagreements with the Pharisees, still some of the Pharisees came with a warning: Herod, the king, was going to kill him. Jesus response to the news reveals his keen awareness of his mission and the world arround him. Jesus came into a world to die and rise; but he had other plans to fulfill before his death. Herod, the fox, may have wanted him dead but Jesus knew his death wouldn't come quite yet. He was headed towards Jerusalem to die as the true passover lamb.
Jesus had plans and other people, in Palestine 2000 years ago, had their own agendas. Herod wanted power. The Pharisees wanted to know the truth. The people wanted a healer to caste out daemons and heal their broken bodies. They wanted a king who could overthrough the Romans.
Jesus came to die for the whole world. But he had other things to do.

--first, before his death he called a small group together to spread the word: the Kingdom of God has come near.

--second he came to heal and to teach the masses.

--Jesus knew he had greater work. He set his eyes towards Jerusalem knowing that his ultimate mission was to die and rise on the 3rd day.

The church is challenged in the same way today. There's political intrigue overlapping economic struggles. There's no shortage of theological discord or denominational politics dividing the body of Christ. And if we listen close enough to our neighbors in need we can hear people cry out for a messiah.
In the church we join together with Christ in service to our neighbors. We join not to step out of the troubles of the world but to step into the world joining in God's mission. It's time to pray that God help us persevere in faith.