The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, January 31st, 2010
The Rev. Dr. Katharine Black, preaching
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Psalm 71: 1-6
1 Corinthians 13: 1-13
Luke 4: 21-30
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. AMEN.
What made people so angry at Jesus that day in the synagogue in Nazareth? "All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth." They liked what he said and heard it well, but then they reconsidered. He told them that they'd reject him because he was a local person, and then he added two little biblical stories, which filled those there "with rage." What was the series of three stories? Why did it set them off?
Jesus did speak well, and said, or perhaps more strongly, claimed, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." The group there was fine with that until they noticed, took into account that he was "Joseph the carpenter's son" the adult, unemployed son of a local carpenter, not the expected Son of God prophesied by Isaiah. (In the Book Club I'm in, a couple of the children of members have had novels or other books published, and initially we're almost always dismissive of them. We read other books by young people, but not our friends' children-we think of them still in the 3-year old class at the Nursery School, and it's hard to remember that they're established writers, doctors, attorneys, professionals of many sorts, and not just the carpenter's son. It's partly proximity, partly age, and partly just the statistical unlikelihood that one of our home kids would be a big deal, let alone a bigger deal than all of us- and at their age too. Jesus understood that and challenged them, saying "People are never recognized in their home towns." They knew that, and on some level accept that that's likely, but it's hard.
Then Jesus changes the scale of the discussion. He refers to a time of drought and famine in Israel, when Elijah was not sent to any of the widows in trouble there, but instead helped out a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. Elijah was sent to a foreign widow to bring God's help and relief, not to any of the home widows. Then he referred to another incident like that, when Elisha, the next prophet after Elijah, cleansed a Syrian military commander Naaman of leprosy-and enemy of Israel. Jesus was reminding his neighbors that God took good care of both foreigners and enemies, instead of those of God's chosen people Israel.
These two stories set the synagogue people off. Whether they were furious because God takes cares of others, or that Jesus told them two stories of God taking care of others isn't clear. We all want God on our side first, maybe only our side. Jesus was telling his homefolks that not only did he understand God and God's actions, but also that he could show that God was not a narrow God just for them. God's concerns extended beyond Israel's, and people wanted to say, "That's not fair." Rather than rail against God-always a risky business-they were angry at Jesus and chased him away.
We've also heard this morning about the call of Jeremiah, and it follows the typical pattern of commission, objection, reassurance, and sign that is found among other Old Testament prophets such as Moses and Isaiah. In contrast this episode of Jesus shows his recognizing his call, but then the pattern is different from Jeremiah's. The pattern Luke uses to characterize the ministry of Jesus was not that of this prophet cycle, but rather proclamation, rejection, and persecution. Jesus was rejected by his own people, but accepted by others.
This story of this rejection makes manifest who Jesus is to his own, and they reject him, and he goes off to others. He slips safely through the crowd and continues along. Other people could listen and begin to hear what he was saying about God's love, God's expansive caring for all. In case any of us wonders what love is, the lectionary setters have offered us Paul's paean on love to the Corinthians. We hear it so often at weddings that we don't necessarily ever listen freshly. "Love is patient; love is kind."
Why the rejection if he's talking about God's love including all? We may understand why his people rejected him, but what did that rejection lead to, for him? He left his own and extended himself out of his neighborhood. He couldn't stay home and be all that Isaiah described, so he had to be shoved from the nest, without an easy way to stay home instead of going on his mission travels.
In similar fashion, in our business plan, we understand that our future is not assured. We are spending more money from our endowment than we can afford to withdraw for long, and it might not be an evangelically moral use of our endowment to spend so much money on so few people, either. We haven't enough people to expand our activities, or do all that we need to do to grow. What is our mission, our pull to serve? How do we serve our neighbors? How do we hear these challenging realities? We've been afraid of the bishop, and as Louis said, we've demonized him. He has been too close to us, and we've somewhat rejected him as a valid prophet for us, but eventually we've learned to say the same thing of ourselves and to ourselves, and we've written a plan to counter this situation. In learning truths about ourselves, the bishop has become more realistic and less threatening to us. The pattern of rejecting accurate truths is a tempting one, as are those of denial, blame, feeling sorry for ourselves, and lethargy or inaction.
There are balancing truths. We do have several assets. There are wonderful people both here and in extended connections with us. We are increasing our visibility to and with them, through the website, through public relations, through partnering conversations, through the concerts, through conversations with people from our past, and just through being "out there."
People here involve themselves in many aspects of church life. We pray here and when they're not here. We sing when we're here, "to pray twice," we sing when were at church meetings or at other churches. We demonstrate ways to participate in church liturgies, and we are often called on to teach ways to do that.
People here do a variety of tasks: from seeing that there are new windows in my office to insuring that no fair linen-or any other cloth on this altar-has wrinkles; to raising money, doing budgets and coffee hour; making schedules, bread, signs, and the warrant; reading lessons, prayers, the Annual Report, homilies on line, news, notices, minutes of meetings, and the many other documents that we need; strategizing for how to do; and trying to realign our passion for justice with new projects and mission to fulfill our mission statement. We do many things with, for, and in this parish, and we need to improve our follow-through what we seek to do.
We have other assets other than people. We have some valuable traditions, some considerable know-how liturgically and musically, some good will here in our decision-making processes, and some real skills ranging from computer, budget, leadership, nudging, visioning, balancing, and assessing. We also have a beautiful building with wonderful acoustics, a garden or peace, beauty, and respite, and other property, and some considerable funds in a Diocesan Investment Trust (DIT) account.
We also have long had a passion for justice. Jesus challenged his home folks by reminding them that God extended mission and caring work, beyond them. That reminder made them angry. The bishop reminded us that we need to strengthen our sense and action for mission beyond keeping on keeping on. Where are we called to serve, where to lead, where to invite and welcome? How do we hear what we are to reach for? We listen together. We pray together. We listen to our peers-like those in the Worship Learning Party yesterday at the Cathedral, and we try new things: moving the pews, new services, programs, web sites, face book, twitter, podcasts, and more.
However cross people were at Jesus for not always seeing them as God's only children, Jesus didn't turn away from them. He did sensibly move on to avoid their rage, but he always cared for them, as well as others he encountered. He spurs all people to go new places, think new thoughts, and always serve those in need wherever they turn out to be. Wherever he leads, he is. He won't send us into some project and then abandon us. How we proceed, how anyone called to serve proceeds takes heart, soul, and mind. We are assured, we are promised that Jesus will both inspire us and keep us company. We may get angry at what he's saying to us, but when we follow, listen, and work hard we'll see him more clearly, hear him more nearly, follow him more dearly, and he will be with us always: Good News.
© Katharine C. Black, January 31st, 2010
