Of all the texts that describe Jesus’ mission, the sermon
preached in Nazareth most clearly reveals its heart as justice. Luke 4 narrates his return to Galilee in
the power of the Spirit, having successfully resisted the seductive
alternatives presented by the power of evil.
Attending
the synagogue, as was his custom, he offers a vision of God’s favor—but not exclusively
on them, which is why when the message sinks in, they seek to hurl him off the
cliff. The hometown folk had imagined
that the renown accruing to Jesus would burnish their image, also.
Actually,
to their thinking he struck all the wrong notes in this inaugural sermon. Choosing his own text rather than following
the prescribed rotation, he read the Isaiah scroll in Hebrew and then offered
an interpretation in Aramaic.
Because of the anointing of the
Spirit, he proclaimed fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, but not in the
messianic persona they had envisioned; he did not proclaim national
deliverance, but deliverance of oppressed persons. Further, he failed to include vengeance
against Israel’s enemies; he read Scripture in such a way as to declare the
wideness of God’s mercy, which included Gentiles. Including the story of Naaman the Syrian made
this point incisively. It was hardly a
comforting little homily!
What might Jesus say at my
congregation if he was the visiting preacher?
Yesterday was the annual meeting for the church where I
participate. We reviewed the events of
the past year, assessed the financial health of the church, and voted the 2013
budget. We thanked God and congratulated
ourselves that we ended in the black. I
think would have affirmed the growing stewardship of members; however, I wonder
if he might probe how much we spent on ourselves and how much we spent to enact
justice for others.
Some of us expect the “socially
active” people to carry the burden for the rest of us. We trivialize what can really be accomplished
through the Interfaith Hospitality Network, providing housing for homeless
families, or through More2, a movement to address economic empowerment and
equity in the larger metro area. We
acquiesce in the face of systemic evil that can infect governing structures,
corporate policies, and even ecclesial practices.
Yet, we proclaim justice whenever we
enact inclusive access to education, when we work for appropriate social
“safety nets,” when we listen to the religiously “other,” and when we welcome
the stranger, i.e., work for constructive immigration policies. Now is the acceptable time to do all of this,
according to Jesus.
Molly T. Marshall
To
learn more about Central as a formative, creative, and progressive seminary, please visit our website at www.cbts.edu
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