Third Sunday after Epiphany
Text: Luke 4:14-21
Pastor Jean M. Hansen
Each week during this Season after Epiphany we are seeing more and more of who Jesus is; the light is shinning brighter and brighter on him as, in what he says and does, his identity is revealed. One commentator compared what is happening to a dimmer switch on a light, every Sunday we click that dimmer switch up a notch until the Sunday before Ash Wednesday when Jesus is transfigured in amazing brightness.
Today’s revelation takes place in Jesus’ hometown, Nazareth. Luke places this event immediately after Jesus’ baptism and temptation in the wilderness. It’s the beginning of Jesus’ ministry as, filled with the Holy Spirit, he had been teaching and performing miracles in towns nearby. No doubt word about him had reached Nazareth and on the Sabbath the synagogue was filled with people who wanted to see Jesus and were hoping he would read and teach. Some probably were wondering what good news he would have for them or about them.
So it is that as he stood before the people, he was handed the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah and read that which would have been familiar to them. They knew the context for the passage; these words were first spoken soon after their ancestors had returned from exile in Babylon. They found the Holy City, Jerusalem, in ruin, the Temple a pile of rubble. Many had only heard stories about these places, but had never actually seen them, so what they found did not match their expectations. They were overwhelmed by the doom and gloom they encountered. But then, the Prophet Isaiah began proclaiming words of hope, and they responded with hope.
Could it be that when the people of Nazareth heard Jesus proclaiming the Prophet’s message, hope stirred in their hearts, hope for good news even though they lived under Roman oppression? Who knows what Isaiah’s words in Jesus’ mouth meant to them. I imagine they held their collective breath, waiting to hear what Jesus would say next. After he rolled up the scroll, he sat down, a sign that he was about to speak on the text. He opened his mouth and made an astounding statement: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Can’t you imagine the surprise, the confusion, the questions in that room? Jesus had appropriated the “me” in the Isaiah passage for himself. Some scholars say his listeners might have thought he was announcing that, starting on that day, the year of the Lord’s favor had arrived. If so, he could have been referring to the Year of Jubilee.
Here’s how Pastor F. Scott Spencer describes that year, “… (it was) a banner year on the Jewish calendar … a year in which all debts were forgiven, all foreclosed lands restored to their original owners, all slaves set free. A year enacting God’s infinite grace, mercy, and justice: redemptive grace, restorative mercy, distributive justice. A radical agenda if there ever was one.” (1)
Jesus was saying that the era of transformation was dawning that day, in him. Many scholars label this passage as Jesus’ “inaugural address”, which makes the fact that it was assigned in the lectionary as today’s text interesting, since we experienced an inauguration in our country this past week. In his address, Jesus set the tone for his entire life and work; he would be on the side of the least, the last, the lonely and all who were oppressed, rejected and excluded. Indeed, it’s true that everything he did fit Isaiah’s words.
Quoting Pastor Spencer again, “If we want to know what Jesus would do and what we should do as his followers, we are best advised to look at what Jesus did. He brought good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind, freedom to the oppressed. In our still very broken world, that’s plenty to keep us busy until Christ comes and restores all creation.” (2)
How did the people of Nazareth respond to this amazing event? We will hear about that next Sunday, but as we consider his words today, let’s also think about what commentator David Schnasa Jacobsen writes about this text, which he describes using the book title, “Good News is Bad News is Good News.”
What does that mean? It’s something like this … if someone is healed (good news), it presupposes the need for healing (bad news), and if someone is forgiven (good news), that person has a reason to need forgiveness (bad news). So, in reference to Isaiah’s words, Jacobsen writes, “good news for the poor may mean bad news for the non-poor. Indeed, the jubilee year of the Lord’s favor sounds great if you need the redistribution of (now alienated ancestral) lands, but if you have amassed someone else’s land, not so much.” (2)
Good news is bad news is good news. That’s why passages like today’s make people nervous; what’s good news to one person, may be bad news to someone else even if, ultimately, it’s good news.
Today is Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Sunday and we are an RIC congregation. Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregations publicly welcome people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions and work to promote racial equity and anti-racism. Additionally, our congregation has expanded our Welcome Statement to include people of all ages, races, economic status, intellectual and physical abilities.
Stating such sentiments makes some people nervous, I’ve noticed. Good news is bad news is good news. While such a welcome is good news to many, for others it is bad news. Why? Perhaps it’s because of feeling uncomfortable with people who differ from them. Or, some feel justified in excluding others based on religious teaching, or economic threat, or for political reasons or fear of losing positions of power. Others simply want to avoid conflict or contentious situations, especially in church. There are those who feel guilty for their lack of courage to act on behalf of others, or are confused about what they “should” think about these matters. So, the good news of welcoming all becomes, for some, bad news, even though it is, based on Jesus’ example, good news.
Today we acknowledge that nervousness and discomfort; it’s real, but it also need not be a barrier. We challenge exclusion and prejudice against anyone we named in our Welcome Statement for one reason; it is contrary to what Jesus taught and lived, since throughout the Gospels he supports the least, the last, the lonely, the oppressed, the rejected and the excluded. We address contentious situations not by avoiding them, but by learning ways to communicate with others whose opinions differ from our points of view. That’s the focus of the Interfaith Alliance Justice Series this year. We strive to support those who lack courage, or are confused, first by encouraging them and then helping shape their responses. We want to develop resilience in the face of challenge, just as Jesus did.
Good news is bad news is good news. The good news is that Jesus offers grace for all, the bad news is that it’s not just for me and mine, and the good news is that that grace is for me and others.
The sentiments of today’s Prayer of the Day are impactful, so I will close with them. Let us pray: “On this RIC Sunday may your word turn us toward what is good and holy and just, that all your beloveds will know they are seen, known and loved by you. May the example of Jesus continue to create words and actions of courage in us, by the power of the Holy Spirit.” AMEN
“A Jesus Style Jubilee” by F. Scott Spencer, 2019, www.asermonforeverysunday.com
Same as #1
“Commentary on Luke 4:14-21” by David Schnasa Jacobsen, www.workingpreacher.com