Epiphany 3(C)
Sunday, January 21st, 2007click here for past entriesLoving God, you equip us with the gifts of your Spirit and call us to hear and to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Renew us by your Spirit this day, that we might be faithful witnesses through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
When I first looked at the readings for this Sunday, I was tempted to ignore the gospel and just focus on the second reading. It just seemed easier to focus on the role of all of the members within the body of Christ than to think about freeing the oppressed and giving sight to the blind and bringing good news to the poor. However, as the week progressed, it became more and more obvious that this gospel is too important to be ignored. In fact, this is the continuing mission of the body of Christ - which is the church - which is us. And so, I want to think at least a little bit about both readings today.
First of all, a reminder that comes to us from the apostle Paul: If you were ever baptized, please raise your hand. (Thank you!) Now, if you were ever given gifts for ministry, please raise your hand. I should see all of the same hands in the air as the people who said that they were baptized. I'll tell you why: When you were baptized, it was by water and the Spirit. And with the Holy Spirit, God gives to each person gifts for ministry. He makes us part of the body of Christ and gives to the members of that body all of the gifts that are needed.
Now, there may be some of you who are sitting there saying to yourselves, "Not me. God sure didn't give me any gifts for ministry!" I would have to say in all honesty that I don't believe you. There is not one person here today who has absolutely nothing to offer. You're not all going to have the same gifts, but every one of you has something to offer. In the examples given in the Scriptures, some gifts are probably more obvious than others. For example, some have the gift of leadership or the gift of teaching. Some are good at sharing their faith with others, and some find it easy to show mercy and compassion to others. Some are able to serve and to help others, and some are really good at encouraging others. Some are able to give to others, and some are able to speak God's word. All of these gifts are needed, and every single one of you has been given at least one gift for the good of the body of Christ.
However, we don't always allow God's Spirit to direct us. We don't always recognize what God has given us. And we don't always ask what God is calling us to do. The thing is that we are called as a church to continue Jesus' mission here on this earth. We are Christ's presence in the world today. And every member of the body of Christ is needed in order for us to fulfill that mission. To recall (and adapt) a rather famous quote: "Ask not what your church can do for you. Ask what you can do for your church!" This is directed to all those who have heard and have responded to the good news of Jesus Christ, for our lives are to be lived in response to God's grace.
At the same time, this is not an oppressive demand. When Jesus gives his "mission statement" in today's gospel, part of it is "to let the oppressed go free" (Lk. 4:18). We are to give, not as under compulsion, but cheerfully (2 Cor. 9:7) - and not in such a way that we end up sucked dry, for then we will have nothing left to give. (And yes, I know that this applies to all of us!)
And so, what about Jesus' mission statement? What about the mission of the body of Christ, which is why all of the members of the body are needed? We are to bring good news to the poor. We are to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind. We are to let the oppressed go free and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour (Lk. 4:18-19). But what does all of this mean?
Let's start with proclaiming the year of the Lord's favour. Perhaps another way to say this would be to proclaim the time of God's salvation. I keep thinking of the verse that says, "See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!" (2 Cor. 6:2). Salvation has come to us through Jesus Christ. This is still the good news which is ours to proclaim. And now is always the time to hear that good news.
This good news is, indeed, for all people. Yet, at the same time there are people in this world who especially need the gospel of Jesus Christ. These are the outsiders and the captives who are mentioned in today's gospel. These are the tax collectors and sinners who captured so much of Jesus' attention during his earthly ministry. These are the people whom others might refer to as "a poor excuse for a human being." These are the people who hold a special place in God's heart and who are first and foremost in Jesus' mission.
And why do they hold such a special place? - Because these are the lost and forgotten ones - the excluded and the oppressed ones - the ones whom we would like to keep safely "over there" somewhere. These are the ones whom Jesus would like to reach, because he knows that nobody else will.
In a course called Witnesses for Christ, Edward Markquart states that the good news of Jesus Christ is always related to human need. He writes, "You don't throw a drowning person a sandwich. However good the sandwich may be, it just doesn't meet that person's need" [http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/luke4x14.htm]. In other words, you don't go to a person who is in pain and stand there and say, "Isn't God good? Just look at all of the blessings that you have!" For this person, the gospel is that God is there with them, even in the midst of their pain, and that God suffers with them.
But what about other people who are captive and oppressed? What is the gospel, or good news, for them? What about the woman who is trapped in an abusive situation where her husband is a respected church member and tells her that her duty is to obey him? What is the good news for her? What about the young man who is gay and who lives in fear of what will happen if the wrong people find out - who hates himself so much that he contemplates suicide? What is the good news for him? What about the single mother with 4 children who struggles to make ends meet and still be there for her kids? What is the good news for her? What about the man who lives alone and struggles with mental illness and can't hold down a job? What is the good news for him?
Jesus' mission was to these people, and to us, and to all those who are captive to sin or are outsiders or are oppressed. And all of us are called both to receive and to give. When we are beaten down and weary and hurting, Jesus' message to us is, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28). And Jesus ministers to us and renews us and loves us. And when we have received from God's hand and have grasped the truth of the gospel and have been renewed, Jesus' message to us is this: "You will be my witnesses... to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, because he has anointed us to bring good news to the poor. He 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 favour (Lk. 4:18-19). "See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!" (2 Cor. 6:2). Amen.
Epiphany 3(C) Luke 4:14-21
January 21, 2007 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore
? 2007 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved
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