January 31, 2010

Luke 4:21-30

We Are Called by God series #2

Rev. Cynthia Cochran-Carney, Willow Grove Presbyterian Church, Scotch Plains, New Jersey

Isn't this the son of Joseph?

They looked at each other in amazement,

overcome by a potent mixture of wonder and pride.

Wasn't the man standing before them,

speaking with such wisdom, 

one of their own?

Didn't he know every rock and hollow

on the hillside behind the village?

Hadn't he walked the dusty path to the synagogue

beside their own boys

and grown up under their watchful eyes?  

Isn't this the son of Joseph?

Nothing much ever happened in Nazareth.

It was a small village

in a remote land

on the road to someplace more exciting.   

And yet,

today,

in this place where nothing much ever happened,

the people of Nazareth

heard the Word of Isaiah;

the Word of their Fathers,

fulfilled in their hearing.

 Isn't this the son of Joseph?

They had heard rumors of miracles in Capernaum-

talk of healings

and crowds

and signs of God's favor. 

Most of the people who gathered in the synagogue that day 

hoped that Nazareth would see

what Capernaum had seen-

            maybe even more...

                        much more.

Isn't this the son of Joseph?

He is one of our own-

and if he is a prophet,

then his own people should benefit first. 

Doesn't he have obligations to us?

After all,

we are his people!

His family!

His friends!

If he would just reveal something marvelous,  

or arrange a miracle or two,

(God knows we have needs!)

then we will know God's power is here-

right here in Nazareth,

a place where nothing much ever happened.

But Jesus doesn't respond as they hope, does he?

Instead of performing a miracle,

He reminds them of a story from Elijah's time-

            a time of famine when many Israelites were starving,

yet, God provided food for a widow of Zarephath,

            a pagan, an outsider,  from the land of Sidon.  

Instead of revealing a wonder,

Jesus reminds them of another story; a story from Elisha's time-

            a time when there were many lepers in Israel

yet, God healed Naaman,

            a pagan, an outsider,  from Syria.

The people of Nazareth gathered in the synagogue 

hoping to be amazed by gracious words;

hoping to marvel at mighty deeds.

They wanted the hometown boy

to bring them signs of God's favor.  

But instead,

they heard stories of God's grace poured out

            not to Jews,

            not to friends and neighbors,

but to aliens, outsiders,

unbelievers,

strangers in a strange land. 

And hearing this,

they were filled with fury.

And so they rose up,

and drove him out of the town.

They led him to the brow of the hill

so that they might hurl him down, headlong.

 We meet these people in Nazareth in the pages of scripture

and view them across a vast gulf of time and traditions. 

We are separated by language and experience,

and by differences too great to even measure. 

But despite these differences,

maybe we are more like them than we know.

Don't we all,

sometimes,

want a God we can control?

Don't we all,

at least sometimes,

want a God who will reward his friends

and punish our enemies?

Despite our affirmations of justice and inclusion,

don't most of us secretly hope that God shows a preference...

            ...plays favorites?

            ...stacks the deck?

If we're honest,

wouldn't we sometimes prefer a God that will do our bidding,

rather than expect us to do the bidding of God?

We tend to limit God's activities

to our vision of what God should be doing.

We want a God we can tame.

But that day in Nazareth,

Jesus reminded his friends and neighbors

that God's ways are not our ways.

God's grace is not restrained by our fences

or controlled by our prayers.

When Jesus spoke that day in the synagogue of Nazareth,

he gave notice that his ministry

would embrace the stranger

and include the outsider.

His message would confront

as often as comfort.

His teaching would be sharp and pointed

and sometimes difficult to hear.

Those who cannot accept this

may find Jesus an unacceptable prophet.

Those who cannot embrace this,

may find themselves filled with fury

and standing on the brow of a hill

ready to hurl him,  

and his message,

headlong down the cliff.  

Jesus did not go elsewhere because he was rejected;

he was rejected because he gave notice he will go elsewhere.

That "elsewhere" beckons us, too.

Or at least it should.

As those who have experienced scripture fulfilled in our own hearing,

we should find ourselves

strangers in a strange land,

traveling a road to someplace more exciting,

and following the God we cannot tame.

Though Jesus eluded the angry worshipers that first time in Nazareth, he did not escape for good. When he'd finally let in too many outsiders, eaten with too many sinners and blurred the boundaries once too often, the crowds that had once shouted "Hosanna" eventually called out for Jesus' blood. With cross and nails they finally shut him up, but not before he cried out, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (1)

Jesus, Son of God, prophet, healer of Gentiles and friend of sinners, shows us that God has forgiven everything, and continues to do so even today. Despite everything, God is patient and kind toward us, not irritable or resentful. God does not laugh at our weaknesses, but rejoices over the truth that we are all God's children. For each and for all of us, God bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. That love never ends.  We are called to know that love and share that love.  Amen. 

Ideas and text for this sermon were inspired by Dr. Susan Fleming McGurgan,  

The Athenaeum of Ohio -   Mount Saint Mary's Seminary

www.mtsm.org/Preaching/homilies

And from Exegetical notes by Brian P. Stoffregen at CrossMarks Christian Resources www.crossmarks.com/brian/luke4x21

and the insights of Fred Craddock.

(1) Frederick Niedner, "Home Court Disadvantage," www.christiancentury.org

January 17, 2001, p. 13.