February 3rd:
February 3, 2013 Call: 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13 Text: Luke 4: 21-30 Read: Psalm 71: 1-6 (794) Fulfilled II Last week we heard the two inaugural addresses President Obama's in Washington on Monday the 21st Jesus' in Nazareth on Sunday the 27th. The President's was presented live. Jesus' was presented in our service by a "Two Millennia Tape Delay" As important as the one in Washington was, For the purpose of our worship, The event in Nazareth was the more important of the two. In Nazareth Jesus appeared before people who were excited that he was there For they had heard what he had been doing elsewhere And they wanted to hear and they wanted to see what he would do in his own home town. Therefore they listened with acute anticipation We did too. We saw him take the scroll of Isaiah And we heard him read from it [4: 18-19] Then we saw him roll up the scroll And give it back to the attendant Before sitting down, and saying, "Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." As we noted last week, Their initial response was one of amazement and approval For they spoke well of him. That's where we left off last week. Today we resume the story of Jesus in the Nazareth synagogue with the second reaction of the people who were present. This occurred when someone(s) spoke up and asked, "Is this not Joseph's son?" Like two weeks ago when Mary said, "They have no wine." We have several options as to how we hear the tone of those words And what option we choose influences how we understand the text Was it puzzlement? "Is this not Joseph's son? Was it increasing skepticism? "Is this not Joseph's son?" Was it sharp sarcasm? "Is this not Joseph's son?" It seems unlikely that the tone was one of puzzlement. For they had heard about him before that day And it seems that they were anxious to hear him. It could be skepticism That seems to be how Mark [6: 3-4] and Matthew [13: 55-57] present it And in both of those gospels That skepticism approaches sarcasm. But we are looking at the story as Luke tells it to us. And in light of the approval that Luke has already shared and the reaction Luke subsequently describes it seems clear that when the people asked the question they were being neither skeptical nor sarcastic. Instead they seem to have asked it With a greedy and self congratulatory delight. "Is this not Joseph's son?" Listen to the question in the context of What happened before and what happens afterwards. [22-30] I - and many scholars much more knowledgeable that I - See the amazed people following their initial response with something like [snap fingers] "This is Joseph's son isn't it? Just think of the impact that this will have on us." "It will be great for God's chosen people Especially those of us who live in his home town." You can almost see them planning the parades and celebrations. You can envision them getting ready to create billboards saying, "Nazareth - Home of Jesus the Christ" And Jesus understood that in their reaction, they anticipated special treatment He probably shook his head in sadness He had just told them that he had been sent to bring good news to the poor and freedom to the oppressed. Through the proverb "Doctor, cure yourself." He let them know that he knew that they were thinking That his neighbors would get priority in what he did. He followed that with references to Elijah and Elisha And their healing of gentiles. Not only were the people in Nazareth not getting special treatment He had come not just for the Jewish people He had also come for ... the gentiles. The gentiles! The people who were not Jewish. The gentiles! The people on whom they looked down. The gentiles! The people whom they did not see as God's children Now, I don't know how many of you remember William Bendix as Chester C. Riley In the 1950s TV show, "The Life of Riley" For those of you who don't (And several of you were not even born while this early venture into situation comedy was on) Bear with me. But I'll bet that those of you who do remember will agree with me That the best description of the reaction of those in Nazareth Is summed up in Riley's catch phrase, "What a revoltin' development this is!" One minute they are delighted that one of them appears to be the messiah who fulfilled the prophecy The messiah for whom they had been praying The messiah whom they had long expected The messiah in whom they had placed their hope. And now this kid from their own community Tells them that he is the messiah But that he is very different from what they had expected. Either this kid was a fraud Or God had played a trick on them. As a result, they were filled with rage They got up and drove him out of town And they led him to the brow of a hill So that they might hurl him off the cliff. Can't you hear them screaming at him "We know what the messiah is going to be like And he certainly is not you, You gentile loving fraud." Fortunately, Jesus passed through the midst of them and went on his way. But I'll bet he felt much more sad than fortunate. For he had told them that he had come to fulfill a prophecy as to the coming of a messiah who would proclaim good news to the poor and release to the captives and the oppressed. And their reaction to that message of sharing and freedom Was to object to sharing him And to try to deny his freedom. If we are as appalled and as repulsed by their reaction as I suspect Then as our journeys in faith continue You and I had better make a point of listening to what God is saying Instead of dismissing or twisting it to make it what we think God ought to be saying. And in listening we had better remember that God's message through Christ is one of love, mercy, and freedom and one of inclusivity Christ came not just for those we think are like us but also and especially for the poor and oppressed Jesus said so in his inaugural address.