Someone once said that the tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we take so long to begin it… Many people get so bogged down with existing that they forget to concentrate on the gift of really living. Perhaps its work or family commitments, worries about money or simply recognising the opportunities all around us, but so many of us fail to grasp the fullness of life which Jesus says he came to offer for all.
Today in our gospel reading (Luke 4:14-21) we hear of Jesus returning to speak in his home town, Nazareth. I have been back on a number of occasions to speak in Penarth in my home church – and there I am speaking amongst family and some people who’ve known me since I was very young, and it’s not easy.
However encouraging people may be you just get the feeling quite often that people are simply thinking – ‘Oh its nice to have you back here… lovely that you’re preaching too and we remember when you were little…!!’
And actually its very hard to get over that barrier to the point where people actually really listen to what you’re saying !
Jesus of course managed this well. We are told that he had returned to the Galilee region and began to teach in the synagogues, and was praised by everyone ! And so when he went to Nazareth they may well have been expecting great things – it was good to have the boy from Nazareth back !
And so he stood up to speak – and he quoted the words recorded in the prophet Isaiah (61:1,2), ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me 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.’
By themselves these were radical words to speak – they were the words describing what the people expected of the long awaited Messiah – the one who would come to save them. But just in case these words weren’t radical enough by themselves, Jesus added at the end, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’
This was clearly a step too far – local boy done good was gone – now they were dealing with a complete upstart – someone claiming as openly as he could that he was the Messiah… But that was the message Jesus intended – he didn’t come to chat to the people he knew and leave them with a nice warm feeling. He came to proclaim an urgent message – a radical message – a message that would speak to the very heart of communities, a message that would challenge any ideas that the people may have had about the role of the Messiah.
Just to recap, the people were living in a state ruled by the Romans with some fairly oppressive interference from the religious authorities too. They wanted freedom from those things – they wanted peace and prosperity on their terms, but that wasn’t and isn’t the message Jesus came to bring…
Firstly he talked about the poor – and about offering them good news. And I’m sure as he spoke of this he meant both spiritually and physically. He was offering good news spiritually, because their place would be as important as anyone else in the kingdom of God. And he was offering physical help because he was to talk of a kingdom where compassion would reign – a kingdom where the needs of the poorest and weakest would be addressed.
Secondly he talked about release of the captives. He talked about freedom for people perhaps literally imprisoned, but also people who were caught up in all kinds of other situations of imprisonment – perhaps addiction or some sort of continued sin…
Then he talked of recovery of sight to the blind. And again there was a spiritual and physical angle – recovery of sight could be for all those who were able sighted, but who couldn’t see the lives they could be living – they couldn’t understand the opportunities life offered…
And then the oppressed – those who were trampled upon by people who treated them as slaves, or took advantage of them… And then to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour – what a massive promise… This was not a short term fix for those in need of any sort, but the dawning of a completely new era. An answer to all the world’s problems – and Christ remains the answer today…
Because all of these issues are issues that remain to be dealt with today – the church continues to grow, and lives are transformed by the power of these gospel words, but the problems still remain… Too often the church and we who make up the church portray a very depressed impression. We talk of decline and money worries and things like that – whilst hearing words and proclaiming creeds that talk of resurrection and hope and the dawning of this incredible new era…
Think of the Church in China – a church that 40 years ago was seemingly wiped out. Now 5% of the population of China are Christians – it doesn’t seem a great proportion, but it is something like 67,500,000 people – and its still growing. And the church continues to grow in many parts of the world, and even in many churches in this country…
It grows where we speak of a gospel of hope. It grows where we speak of resurrection. It grows where we have faith in confidence in God to change things. It grows where we are prepared for God to use us…
And it grows where the church is truly proclaiming and being engaged in the things that Jesus spoke of – supporting the poor, helping to release captives and people caught in oppression, offering hope, support and comfort to those who are suffering – it grows when the church is continually proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favour…
That year of the Lord’s favour is ongoing as Christ has offered hope for all through his death and resurrection – a resurrection that has offered the possibility of death being conquered forever…
It is an incredible message – and every one of us in the church shares in the power of that message, and the joy and hope it brings and offers…
And when we think we have little to offer remember the story of the water bearer in India who had two large pots, each hung on either end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master's house. The poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, 'As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path. .
The bearer said to the pot, 'Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.'
Every one us has the privilege of sharing the year of the Lord’s favour – every one of us has the opportunity to know the fullness of life Jesus has brought… It is there for us to grasp. May we know the Saviour who has delivered us and trust and proclaim a gospel of love and hope and peace and joy in all that we do and think and say. AMEN
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