Loving God, you have always persisted in seeking out your people – even those who refuse to see and to hear.  Grant us an awareness of the wideness of your mercy and the inclusive nature of your love, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

          Last week we heard John the Baptist and his preaching, and this week, we hear Jesus’ first sermon.  In both cases, their sermons do not end well.  John the Baptist ends up getting thrown into prison, and Jesus angers the congregation so much that they try to throw him off a cliff.  Can you even imagine a sermon that would make you so angry that you want to kill the preacher?... There’s got to be some pretty deep-seated anger, and even hatred there!

         In Jesus’ case, the first part of his sermon has them all saying how wonderful he is and wondering how he ever got to be such a gracious speaker.  After all, they know his father, who is just a carpenter.  It’s kind of a “hometown boy makes good” type of story, and they’re all in favour of good news for the poor and release for the captives and recovery of sight for the blind – that is, as long as it’s for them and not for their enemies.  However, things take a turn for the worse when Jesus implies that his primary ministry will be to outsiders, and not to the people in his hometown.

         He lifts up examples of prophets from their own Scriptures who were sent to minister to Gentiles, and this seems to be what puts them over the edge.  Elijah was sent to a Gentile widow, and Elisha healed a Gentile army officer.  It seems that their hatred of Gentiles was so strong that they cannot bear to hear about their own God reaching out to them.  And thus, they become a murderous mob.

         We know, of course, that many of us human beings can be quite selfish.  It is possible that the people in the Nazareth synagogue wanted to keep Jesus all to themselves.  We also know, from recent events, about murderous mobs, who are so convinced that they are in the right that they will stop at nothing to get what they want.  The voice of reason doesn’t work.  It doesn’t do any good to say to the mob, “Weren’t you saying just a minute ago how amazing Jesus is? – And now you want to get rid of him?”

         However, let’s return for a moment to the first part of Jesus’ sermon.  Among other things, the passage that Jesus reads from Isaiah talks about proclaiming release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind.  Is it possible that he was actually doing this in the second part of his sermon?... Could it be that Jesus was inviting the blind to see when he proclaims how God had reached out in the past to the Gentiles?  Could it be that he was proclaiming release to those who had been bound by a rigid understanding of insiders and outsiders?

         One of the things that can be helpful in reflecting on any gospel passage is to ask who we are in the story.  Are we the oppressed who need to be freed or the ones who need to be released from debt?  Are we the ones who are held captive by things like abuse or addictions or rigid ideologies?  Are we the ones who need our sight restored or who are poor and need good news?  Are we the ones who can’t bear to hear about God’s uncomfortably inclusive love and who shut Jesus out in anger?  Or, are we the ones who are now anointed and given the Holy Spirit and sent out to proclaim the good news?

         It is entirely possible that more than one of these things might be true for each one of us.  After all, all of us need to hear the good news that Jesus brings.  At the same time, all of us who have been baptized and have put our faith in Jesus are called to continue his mission and ministry here on this earth.

         Now, I do get that sometimes this seems like a losing battle.  Many seem to choose the way of selfishness and violence.  Many seem uninterested in the church or in hearing the gospel.  More and more people don’t even believe that God exists, let alone believing that Jesus came as our Saviour and Redeemer.  Yet, none of this has changed God’s love for us or our need for God’s saving grace.

         In today’s gospel, Jesus had good news to share, regardless of whether it was received or not.  We, too, have been entrusted with good news to share:  the good news of God’s forgiveness and salvation; the good news of God-with-us through Jesus; the good news that we are reconciled with God and with one another through Christ; the good news that God always seeks out the needy, the outsiders, and the forgotten.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life (Jn. 3:16).

Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Epiphany 2 (NL 3)                            Luke 4:14-30

January 17, 2021

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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