Monday, January 28, 2019

Sermon - Epiphany 4 - Luke 4:16-30


3rd Sunday after Epiphany
January 27, 2019
Luke 4:16-30
“A Hometown Epiphany”

Who is this Jesus? We've heard various answers in this Epiphany season. We've heard from the wise men who followed the star: He's the King of the Jews, but also Savior of the Nations. We've heard from John the Baptist: Jesus is the One Greater than John. We've even heard the voice of the Father booming out at Jesus' baptism, “This is my Son with whom I am well pleased.” And then, in a little more subtle way, we see another answer at the wedding of Cana. He's the true Bridegroom who changes water into wine, the one who brings the best, the one we ought to listen to and do whatever he tells you.

Ah, but now, we get to hear from Jesus himself, not just in actions but in words. Who is he? He goes to his little hometown of Nazareth after spending some time in and around big-city Capernaum. His fame had grown. He'd gained disciples. He'd done miracles, healed many, cast out demons.

And now with his stock rising, the hometown synagogue invites their local celebrity to serve as a guest preacher. We want to hear what all the fuss is about. We want to hear from him too, see what everyone's talking about. He's one of us, after all.

And so Jesus reads these words from Isaiah:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

This is his text. Everyone settles in, every eye is on him, every ear waiting to hear what he will say. And I imagine a pregnant pause before Jesus uncorks his main point:

“Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”

Now, good news for the poor, sight for the blind, liberty for the captives and all that sounds pretty good to the hometown crowd. It sounds like mom and apple pie. It's comforting. They speak well of him and his “gracious words”.

And if this Jesus really is the miracle worker they've heard about, then he's got the actions to back up these words. But they skipped something. They missed something important.

Isaiah isn't talking about any-old miracle worker here. He's talking about the promised One. He's talking about the anointed one. The One, the ONE upon whom is the Spirit of the Lord. Isaiah is promising the Messiah. And for Jesus to say, “this is fulfilled today!” is for him to claim to be the very Christ! We've already seen the Spirit of the Lord anoint him at his baptism. That same Spirit empowers Jesus and is sent by Jesus in all his good news proclamation.

These Nazareth-ians were too focused on the outward signs to hear the word clearly. They wanted some miracles of their own, and so they heard Jesus gladly, at least at first. But soon their marveling would turn to madness, their awe to anger, their welcome turned to wrath.

Jesus anticipates it. He says, “Surely you'll say 'Physician, heal yourself” That is, “Hey we've heard about all your miracles in Capernaum. But now we want some, too. Bring the goods home. What's good for them is good for us! We want to see miracles here, healings, wonders. Enough with all this preaching, blah blah blah. We want action!” He knows their hearts. And their hearts are not right.

And so he compares them to the faithless people in the time of Elijah. During that time, the Israelites didn't get the miracles, the outsiders did! Naaman the leper from Syria was cleansed. The Widow of Zarepheth's son was raised. But Elijah didn't do all that for the hometown crowd. God blessed those you'd least expect, with miracles and signs according to his will and purpose.

But now, here, in Nazareth, they weren't looking for the Christ, the savior from sin. They were looking for a showman, a liberator, or a miracle-dispenser. But a Messiah? Not interested. And that's exactly the problem. The good news isn't that Jesus came to heal a few people here and there, and maybe even me. The good news is that Jesus Christ came to crush the head of the serpent, to rescue the world from the jaws of death, and to proclaim the Lord's favor. He's the Messiah, not some mere magician. He's the savior from sin – not just from whatever you think is ailing you this moment. He's come, not for the symptoms of whatever diseases, but to treat and cure the root of the problem, sin itself.

And so before they can hear this, he has to break down their false expectations. And that's when it gets ugly. When he preaches the law.

And look how easily they are offended when he calls them out. No longer are they hearing him with gladness but they become an angry mob ready to throw him off a cliff. Does this reaction surprise you? It shouldn't. It's simply one species of reaction the sinful nature has to the law. It's the natural rebellion bred into all men rearing its ugly head.

Any time sinners hear the law the response is either despair or pride. You either agree with the law and are brought low, or you push back in anger, indignation, false pride, excuses, blame, or some combination of these.

You didn't do the dishes! “Oh, but you didn't do the laundry.”

You really crossed the line here. “Oh, but you think you're so perfect?”

What you are doing is wrong. “Oh, who are you to judge me?” “How dare you!”

This is against God's will. “Hey, I think I'm pretty good with God now mind your own business.”

Have you done what God has forbidden? “Well, it wasn't really my fault, you see.”

And sometimes, the sinner even meets the law with violence. This is what we see with so many of the prophets. And no less with the greatest prophet himself. Someone noted that even with all his enemies and all his opposition, only here, in Nazareth, did people try to get violent with Jesus, until finally at his arrest and suffering and cross. Only here, in his hometown, do they so dare.

So to avoid the mistake of these people we must first of all simply repent. We must hear the accusations of the law and say, "Amen. I am a sinner."
  And not just in general, but in specific. I've sinned here, and there, and there. In this thought, and that deed. By this action and that inaction. Lord, I've really messed up. I'm helpless and hopeless without you. I need the good news you bring. I'm a captive to this sin. I'm poor and miserable in it. I'm oppressed by my own corruption.

And I don't need a spectacle, some outward sign that you haven't promised. I don't need you to come on my terms and do my bidding. Rather, open my ears to your word. Point me and my faith in the right direction – to where you've promised to be, and be heard. And show me the signs that you HAVE established: Remind me of my baptism – that washing that sets the captives free. Bring me to your altar – that this poor soul may be nourished. Speak to me the absolution, that my oppressed conscience is made clean. And open my eyes to all you would have me see – especially your anointed one, your Messiah, your Christ.

In Luke's Gospel it's not really until chapter 9 that Jesus explicitly reveals the fulfillment of his work – that is, to suffer, die and rise. Even then it was hard for his disciples to believe. Though they weren't as violent as the people of Nazareth, they still couldn't wrap their faith around this reality. That the Messiah has to suffer, die, and rise. And that THAT is how he liberates captives, restores the blind, the sick, even the dead. And the cross is also how Jesus does this for you.

Don't rejoice that you're one of the in-crowd with God because you deserve him, but confess your estrangement in sin that Christ might forgive and restore you. Don't push back against the accusation of his law, but admit where you've failed, look to Christ for forgiveness, and resolve to do better. Don't look for the Jesus that you want – but rejoice that he is the Jesus you need. He teaches you, he washes you, he feeds you. Who is Jesus? He's the Messiah, and he's your Messiah. Amen.


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