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TRANSCRIPT: 
I love a good plot twist; an unexpected turn in a story that surprises, intrigues and leaves you wondering what else could possibly happen. Like when the person you expected to be the villain is actually the hero, or when you think all the evidence points to one outcome, but a flashback shows some more information that leads the storyline in a whole new direction. I love a good plot twist.

If there is anything that we have learned together so far on this journey through the Gospel of Luke, it is that our God is a god of surprises, plot twists, flipping our expectations, lifting up unlikely heroes, walking most closely with those we would consider outsiders, outcasts and outlaws. It is no different during Jesus’ final week as recorded in Luke, which encompasses approximately the last half of chapter 18 through most of chapter 22.

As I read these chapters in Luke, a theme to these plot twists emerged for me that brought me back into the story of the anointing of young King David by Samuel. While Saul is still officially the king, Samuel is sent by God, to anoint a new king from among the eight sons of Jesse, and God reminds Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7: “Do not look on his appearance or to the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” (NRSVUE)

The Lord looks on the heart. All throughout scripture God chooses whom we would determine the unlikely and ordinary, the outcasts and outsiders because God looks on the heart.

In Luke and throughout Jesus’ final week, we discover that Jesus is indeed looking on the heart; Jesus is imploring those around him to examine the deeper motives, to look beyond the outward appearance and discover what’s in the heart of a person, and in so doing asks them to examine their own hearts.  The encounters and teachings in Jesus’ final week contain the underlying theme that God looks on the heart. There are surprising plot twists; where those we expect to come out on the losing end of a story emerge the victors, where the people we expect to have clean hearts don’t, or where those we expect to be heroes end up as more of a villain.

On his way to Jerusalem at the stop in Jericho, Jesus eats with the Zacchaeus, chief tax collector. We expect Jesus to reem out this sinner and cheat. But plot twist, the villain becomes the hero; the Lord looks on the heart and Zacchaeus gives away half of his wealth to the poor and declares that if he has cheated anyone, he will repay them four times as much. God looks on the heart.

In Jerusalem, Jesus has multiple conversations, even confrontations with religious leaders and we expect religious leaders to be righteous and holy, setting a good example. But plot twist, the people who should have clean hearts (the religious leaders) don’t; the Lord looks on the heart. The religious leaders, no matter if they are scribes, pharisees or Sadducees, are trying to trap Jesus, and when they can’t trap him in his words, these religious leaders plot to accuse him falsely and have him killed. The Lord looks on the heart.

We even encounter the plot twist with Jesus’ disciples, his closest circle of friends, those we expect to be loyal, honest, and strong, faithful to the end. But plot twist, those we expect to be heroes end up disappointing us. A friend in Jesus’ inner circle, Judas, betrays him. The other disciples desert him, and Peter denies him. The Lord looks on the heart.

Throughout scripture and in Jesus’ final week, we discover that Jesus is indeed looking on the heart. Jesus is imploring those around him to examine their deeper motives, to look beyond the outward appearance and discover what’s in the heart of a person, and Jesus asks us to do the same.

So don’t get too comfortable, because the plot twist for us as modern-day Christians is that we are the religious and religious leaders, we are the disciples of Jesus, we are the sinners in need of Jesus. We play the exact roles and can have the same attitudes of those who end up being called out through Jesus’ actions, teachings, and conversations. But, friends, there is good news because we have the benefit of knowing the end of the story of Christ. We have the benefit of Jesus’ life, ministry and teachings recorded for us in Scripture. We still have the opportunity to repent and believe.

So, I invite you to take the truth that God looks on the heart seriously for the remainder of your journey with Christ. I invite you to spend time everyday looking at your heart, examining your motives, evaluating your behavior, and humbling yourself before Jesus who loves and forgives you. Because plot twist, it’s not the outward appearance that matters. The Lord looks on the heart. Amen.