The Spirit of the Lord is upon me

 

Sunday 23rd January 2022

Matthew Mark and Luke all recount the story of Jesus teaching in the Synagogue of his hometown Nazareth and being rejected by the people. But Luke’s account is more detailed, and unlike in Matthew and Mark, Luke’s version of the story comes at the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. In Luke, the story comes following Jesus’ baptism and his 40 days of temptation.

An American preacher called Fred Craddock explains:

“Luke places the Nazareth visit first not chronologically but pragmatically. That is to say that this event announces who Jesus is and of what his ministry consists. What his church will be and do and what will be the response to both Jesus and the church.”

We have a pretty good idea of what a service in the synagogue might have looked like. It would start with a recitation of what was called the Shema – two passages of scripture from Deuteronomy and Numbers. Then there would be prayer whilst facing Jerusalem. This was followed by the “amen” response from the gathered congregation. After this there would be reading from the Torah (the laws of Moses) or the Prophets. Then a sermon and a benediction.

Any male could volunteer or be asked to pray or read portions from the Torah or the Prophets. Likewise, any male could be asked to give a sermon.

On this particular Sabbath, Jesus volunteers to read. He would have stood on a special platform as was the custom. He would have been given the scroll that he requested – the scroll of Isaiah. Then he would have unrolled the scroll, found the place and began to read:

¹⁸ ‘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,
¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’ Luke 4: 18 – 19 NRSV

Jesus presents these verses from Isaiah as a description of who he is and what he is about. They form his Mission statement, the agenda for his ministry.

In these verses Jesus was announcing that the Gospel he was bringing, the Good News, was for the poor and oppressed, those at the margins of society. Jesus was announcing that he came to liberate the oppressed from everything thing that oppressed them. He came to release those held captive.

And we might think that is about those held in prison. Of course, Jesus wants to set free those kind of prisoners. To set them free from the sins of the crimes they have committed. But freedom for the captives and the oppressed means much more.

In his ministry Jesus released people from all kinds of bondage and oppression. Economic oppression – the poor. Physical oppression – the lame, the crippled, the disabled.  Political oppression - the condemned including let’s not forget one of the prisoners on a cross next to him on Calvary. He brought freedom to those oppressed by demons. And through the forgiveness of sin Jesus released everyone from the bondage sin has on our lives.

We didn’t hear the continuation of the story this morning. But Luke tells us that the people in the synagogue that day, the people Jesus had grown up with in Nazareth, did not like what he had to say. No doubt they thought of themselves as oppressed – they were poor, they no doubt had health needs, they were subject to Roman rule. And yet here is Joseph’s son telling them that not only is Scripture fulfilled through him – yes Joseph the carpenter’s boy – but that they needed to be bringers of Good News too.

For the most part we are not amongst the poor, the marginalised, oppressed or imprisoned. What Jesus is saying should mean that we too should be shocked and outraged by what he is saying. But  because like so many of Christ’s followers in the church in the Western world we are comfortable the message doesn’t shock us. We tick along. Jesus’ words should make us feel uncomfortable. But do they?

In this passage Jesus sets out what OUR mission should be.

His plan of ministry should be our plan of ministry too. If we truly seek to be Christ like, we must try to do as he did, live as he lived, spread the good news in the way that he called us to share the good news.

I’m sure we all try to do these to some extent. We seek to do all the things listed by Isaiah that Jesus shares here. But I must admit my own guilt - my ministry is more comfortable than challenging. Sure, you are a challenging bunch of people!

I'm busy with meetings left and right. Is that bringing anyone Good News? And I ask myself when was the last time I brought the good news to the poor? Perhaps only through the monthly direct debit to a homeless charity I support. Or the extra tins of baked beans I buy and put in the Foodbank collection at the supermarket. Is that what Jesus is getting at? I can't say yes without kidding you and myself. When was the last time I proclaimed release to the captives? When did I help the blind to see? Have I freed those who are oppressed? Who is oppressed today? At best, I have tried to proclaim the year of God's favour - but how can I convince people of God's favour when they are poor, captive, blind, and oppressed?

The story is told of a Franciscan monk in Australia was assigned to be the guide and "gofer" to Mother Teresa when she visited New South Wales. Thrilled and excited at the prospect of being so close to this great woman, he dreamed of how much he would learn from her and what they would talk about. But during her visit, he became frustrated. Although he was constantly near her, the friar never had the opportunity to say one word to Mother Teresa. There were always other people for her to meet.

Finally, her tour was over, and she was due to fly to New Guinea. In desperation, the Franciscan friar spoke to Mother Teresa: If I pay my own fare to New Guinea, can I sit next to you on the plane so I can talk to you and learn from you? Mother Teresa looked at him. You have enough money to pay airfare to New Guinea? she asked.

Yes, he replied eagerly. “Then give that money to the poor,” she said. “You'll learn more from that than anything I can tell you.” Mother Teresa understood that Jesus’ ministry was to the poor, and she made it hers as well. She knew that they more than anyone else needed good news.

I think there is a real danger in the Church today – certainly in the Church in the comfortable Western world - that we forget what we should really be about. We’re so hung up with our buildings for example that we overlook what we should really be doing. I always feel that John Wesley wouldn’t be the easiest person to get along with. And I think he’d have some harsh things to say to the church that grew out of his ministry were he around today. We all know how his ministry was largely spent meeting the poor and oppressed where they were out in the fields surrounding the coals mines of Kingswood or the fields near the Cornish tin mines.

Wesley’s New Room in Bristol was built not just to be a place of worship but a place where the poor and oppressed could come for education, for healing, for welfare. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s use as a place of worship was ancillary to its prime purpose.

Yet over the almost 250 years since his death, we seem to have lost sight of that purpose, that mission. We get so hung up on jobs that we forget what we should be about. Oh, it’s not just a Methodist problem. It’s a problem of the Church everywhere.

I was talking to a Methodist colleague in another part of the country recently. She told me that one of her churches has realised that the church building they use will need significant money spending on it before too long. The there aren’t enough people willing and able to take on all the jobs.

They have realised that although they are still an active worshipping congregation with a heart for mission, they are being dragged down by a large building. They are actively exploring selling the building and then continuing their mission work and worship elsewhere. It is early days. But they are determined they will continue to meet as people called Methodist, bringing Good News to those who need it but not to be so building focused.

It is a brave and radical step and I wish them well. It is not the solution for every place. And our buildings can be a useful resource for mission. But we all need to think about our priorities.

Jesus says he comes to turn everything upside down and confuse everyone's expectations of how things are supposed to be. Those who are captive find release, even when we still seek to hold them guilty. Those who are oppressed are freed, even when it means we must give up our role too often as oppressors. Those who are poor receive God's good news, even when it means we must share from our abundance, even when we want the good news all for ourselves. Jesus challenges us to a radical ministry that defies the normal order.

 

The question is. Can we do it?