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“Part 1 - To Be Continued…..” Sherry Lohman - Jan. 24, 2010 Luke 4:14-21 Some of you may have had the experience of separating from your immediate family, leaving home in your young adult life. Maybe it was college that called you away, or perhaps it was simply a desire to strike out on your own for some newfound independence. It could be you moved with your spouse, for employment purposes. Whatever the reasons, you have probably returned home, since, having being gone for a length of time. Upon your return, it’s clear that things have changed in remarkable ways. The main street you used to drag with your friends is now a one way. The downtown shopping area with its unique stores has all but disappeared because of the new mall on the outskirts of town. The kindly neighbors that lived next door to your family have both passed away and the house is now rented to folks who don’t keep up with maintenance. Or, perhaps upon your return, there is nothing new; the same postman delivers the mail. The high school you attended still stands as do the two churches and the local bar. Even your grandparents appear pretty much the same as when you left. In any case, YOU have changed. The experiences you have had have shaped and reshaped you in the time that you have been away. And even though you may physically resemble the person you were when you left, your worldview has been altered. This morning we heard Erin read from the gospel of Luke, about Jesus’ return home, to Nazareth, after he had been gone awhile. Frankly, we don’t have much history about Jesus’ early years. We hear about his birth, and then later when he was a young teenager, twelve years old./ That’s the episode when his parents take him to Jerusalem for the yearly census and he stays behind on the return home. He gets in a little trouble once his folks discover he’s missing and have to travel back to find him. Of course, he couldn’t get in too much trouble---they found him in the temple, learning from the elders. It wasn’t like he was playing hooky from school. We really don’t have information of his whereabouts between that time until probably his late twenties or maybe early thirties, when he surfaces at his baptism (there’s a pun, there). Maybe you remember that immediately following Jesus’ baptism experience, he is lead by the Spirit, into the wilderness, where he remains for a number of days, tested and tempted….you might say it was a hellish experience. Maybe that’s where the expression, “baptized by fire,” comes from. So the verse preceding today’s reading is this: “When the devil had finished every test, (that’s Jesus’ wilderness experience), he departed from him until an opportune time.” And then we begin today’s scripture: “Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country.” Imagine, Jesus has been in the wilderness, going through an intense time of testing, surely physically and spiritually exhausted, but emerges out of the whole experience, filled with the power of the Spirit. That’s how Jesus returns to Galilee…filled with the power of the Spirit. And he is becoming well known—as if he’s on tour, traveling through cities and stopping to teach in the synagogues. Those who heard him sent out glowing reports which were beginning to circulate into the greater areas. You know how fast word travels. Eventually, Jesus makes his way back to Nazareth, where he was raised. Actually, it was Jesus’ mother’s home, as well./ To give you an idea, the population then was anywhere between 1600-2,000 (approx. size of Kalona, a little smaller). According to some scholars, Nazareth was such a bad place that it is seldom mentioned except in derogatory ways. In John’s gospel one of the characters skeptical of Jesus’ mission remarks, “Can anything good come out of that place.” Even so, Jesus sets up his first preaching gig in his hometown synagogue. His mission is two-fold; to worship and preach/teach. It’s not unlikely that some of the folks Jesus grew up with might have gathered early, waiting to welcome Jesus as he arrives. It could be they even foster a little pride, not unlike the Cedar Rapids community has with golfer, Zach Johnson... “Small town Nazareth boy makes good.” / So when Jesus walks in, you can imagine all eyes fixed on him, noting all the details; how he has grown and changed; no longer a boy anymore, but a young man. Perhaps he is bearded and wears a warm but serious expression. Or maybe, in their eyes, he hasn’t changed a whole lot in outward appearances. Maybe he looks just like the same little guy, Mary and Joseph’s son, all grown up. In any case, folks are eager to hear what Jesus has to share. And, they might have had some expectations, given those glowing reports that preceded him. And so that day, there, at the synagogue, Jesus is handed the scroll of Isaiah, the prophet. His eyes skimmed over the scroll until they landed on these words: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” These were familiar words. This was not new material Jesus was presenting. After reading, Jesus rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant/chazzan, and sat down./ Don’t let the sitting down throw you. Jesus wasn’t finished. Actually, he was just getting started. It was customary to stand while reading scripture, and sit while preaching./ This is where things begin to get really interesting, because what Jesus says, next, initiates something that, had you and I been sitting there, we might not have seen coming.// It’s doubtful anyone there did, either. At that point, we hear, Jesus began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” This is what we might call “foreshadowing.” Jesus “began,” indicating there’s more to come. And that is where our scripture, for today ends. (But wait a minute--don’t get up—it’s just where the scripture ends…the sermon’s not over!) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”// “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” What’s going on, here? What is Jesus talking about? What’s his point? Well, the scripture from Isaiah isn’t all that difficult to understand. Basically, it speaks of God’s Spirit and the power of that Spirit which brings good news. Good news like emancipation; liberation….freedom to be loved and love and in that love, grace and compassion abound which help in the cause of healing others. So where’s he headed with this? What’s his point? (Good question!) In one sense, Jesus might be attesting to the fact that he is filled with God’s Spirit, that he is fulfilling scripture in bringing this release--- maybe even saying inadvertently/implying that he is the Messiah. Though he doesn’t say that, outright./ You know, sometimes, reading scripture is a little like solving a mystery. We get clues with certain words, or references to other scripture that help us understand or pull some of the pieces together. One of the annotations/references did just that. If you have a Bible nearby, open it to that scripture. (Mt. 11:4-6)./ Let me preface it just a little. John the Baptist is in prison and hears about Jesus’ preaching, teaching and healing, and so he wants to know, is this the Messiah, the one they’ve been waiting for? And so he sends his disciples to Jesus’ disciples (my people want to talk with your people) to get information. I’ll be frank with you. John’s question throws me a little. I mean, we know that he’s the one who baptized Jesus—who addressed Jesus, saying, “I need to be baptized by you,” (Mt. 3:14), and “I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandal,” (Mark 1:7 and Luke’s Gospels). So it’s a little difficult trying to understand, now, why John is questioning Jesus. Except….(and this is why we need to be careful about taking the Bible too literally), that we find, in John’s Gospel (3:21) that Jesus is baptized, collectively, with all of the other folks. Jesus isn’t singled out. John’s gospel speaks, earlier, of the one to come; the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, but he doesn’t set Jesus apart at that time. That helps clarify, for us, a little bit, then, when we hear this question coming from John, wanting to know exactly who Jesus is. Because, you see, Jesus is fulfilling the work of the predicted Messiah. And the word, “FULLFILLING” is our key word, here. We know the opposite of fulfillment, right. Failure. We know it in our private lives, within our families, at our work place, with any expectations we may have held that didn’t cut it. We may be all too familiar with failure. What do we know about fulfilling/fulfillment? We take our parenting seriously, fulfilling that role to the best of our ability. When we take on new jobs, outside of the home, we fulfill the positions dutifully. As members of the church, we fulfill our vows with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness. As Christians, because we are anointed by the spirit of God, we bring good news to the poor. God has sent each one of us; you and I, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”// Folks, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And this is cause for joy! Let’s go back to the Mt. 11 scripture. (read passage). It’s interesting, because what Jesus does, is invite John to answer his own question, based on what he hears of Jesus’ activities as compared with Isaiah’s words. It’s as if Jesus says, without words, “God’s Spirit has landed on me, and see for yourself what God’s Spirit can do, if you’re willing to put yourself out there.// The blind receive their sight, (eyes witness new ways of understanding), the lame walk, (folks crippled with spirits that pull them down are now able to stand on solid ground), the deaf hear, (words have new meanings full of hope), the dead are raised, (those who’s lives seem purposeless find purpose and meaning), and the poor have good news brought to them, (not just words, but comfort, compassion, hope in action). This is emancipation, restoration, redemption. This is Jesus, fulfilling the scripture. This is where the good news begins because it is the beginning of the new manifestation of God’s kingdom. We don’t have to wait for the resurrection of Jesus---kingdom living began with the preaching, teaching and healing of Jesus. God’s Spirit was alive and well, moving and ministering, through Jesus. And it wasn’t just Jesus—John the Baptist was fulfilling scripture, as well. (Mark 1:2 “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” That’s John the Baptist, the Gospel of Mark’s, straight out of Isaiah (40:3). So what might that mean for us, personally, and as a congregation/the body?// It means that we are a part of something greater that began a long time ago and thank God, continues. We have inherited this history of God, and now, good people, it is our turn to fulfill the scripture. Without a doubt, the Spirit of our God is upon us, God has anointed us to bring good news to the poor. God has sent us to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. This is the blessing and the challenge, before us, in bringing God’s kingdom to earth—the blessing we are called, as people of God to live out/fulfill God’s purposes. Now, I’m almost certain that everyone here already knows that. This isn’t anything new to your ears, anymore than it was to the folks in the synagogue, listening to Jesus that day./ But it is a hopeful message, reminding us that God didn’t just create us and then abandon us to fend for ourselves, but rather, sent Jesus, to teach us and model how we can live on sacred ground. It is reason for celebration, that we are in this, together, with God, presently. This power of God’s spirit is our strength, and our joy. Each new day, month and year we are given numerous opportunities. How will we proceed? The potential is truly beyond us! We can’t imagine what God can/will do, as we tap into that power. This is exciting stuff—the possibilities, like new gifts, waiting to be unwrapped. And you (all of us) have the privilege. The joy of the Lord is our strength! There is more to this story, and we will be picking it up, next Sunday,(and the Sunday after that, and the Sunday after that!) so be sure to tune in. This is part one of two parts, but is, as well, an everlasting story, to be continued, and right now, we are the major characters, touched by God. All praise and honor to our Just, Holy God. Amen. |