Powerful Proclamations
Rev. Jim Merritt
Trinity MCC – Gainesville
January 31, 2010
Introduction:
Good morning again and welcome to Trinity Metropolitan Community Church. We’re really glad you are here. We hope that if you are in need of a church home, you will strongly consider joining us. We are 100% committed to Radical Inclusion, Radical Welcome and Extravagant Hospitality and that includes you.
Today’s sermon is entitled, “Powerful Proclamations.” When is the last time you heard a powerful proclamation? From whom did it come? I suppose more importantly, did you believe it? Why or why not? Was it from a National or International figure? Was it from someone in your hometown? Let us think about these questions as we look at today’s gospel.
Gospel
I want to go back briefly to last week’s readings. Since we did not get a chance to discuss them, I want to point out an important phrase that can be applied here as well. The gospel says Jesus was in his temple “as was his custom.” We have seen a clear pattern here ever since we switched into Lectionary cycle C at Advent. Jesus is at home in the temple. He tells his parents, “I was in my Parent’s house.” Luke reports that Jesus was in the temple “as was his custom.” And today we see Jesus back in the temple again. Why is this important? It is important to us because Jesus sets the example for us of being faithful to our Heavenly Parent’s house. Yes, God lives in us, yes, we are the temples of the Holy Spirit, and yes there is a personal element to the practice of our faith. AND the Christian faith is a communal faith. It is something we practice best in community. If we are to live out our faith by sharing this Gospel of Liberation with the world, we must to it in community because we cannot do it for ourselves. So, let us be faithful to our church, let us be faithful to God’s house. Let us make being here together a priority on our schedule. Let’s support our church in every possible way including with our faithful attendance and participation. Why? Because that is the role model Jesus set out for us. Jesus was at home in his Heavenly Parent’s house and we can have that same experience, not only for our own benefit, but also for the benefit of the community here and beyond.
So, we’re thinking today about Powerful Proclamations. Let’ get more specific. Jesus points out the differences in the ways different groups of people are treated. Luke highlights a powerful social message for us. In his Global Bible Commentary article on Luke, Dr. Rene′ Krüger writes, “Among the books of the New Testament, Luke and the Epistle of James are the outstanding examples of deeply rooted social message….By telling the story (or stories) of Jesus, this author addresses some very serious problems in his communities: the interesting social and economic differences between the rich and the poor, the total disregard and contempt of certain social groups by others, the self-centeredness of some individuals.” [1]
Once again we are seeing Jesus’ obvious preference for the poor, the socially oppressed, for the underdog in almost every situation AND we are made aware of his almost complete disdain for those whose primary concern is for themselves only. Isn’t it good to know, as so many of us fit into one or more of those groups preferred by Jesus, that Jesus prefers us too? That is a powerful proclamation for us this morning, sisters and brothers. Not only does Jesus include us, Jesus PREFERS us. I can just hear it the next time one of us gets into a discussion with one who opposes us, “I have a message for you, Jesus PREFERS us and Jesus is willing to accept or tolerate you, too.” I don’t want to belittle any person’s status in the eyes of God and I really want us to get this today. We are the preferred people of God. We are the apple of God’s eye. Forget about tolerance, forget about acceptance, and put those words out of your brains when it comes to Jesus. Jesus PREFERS us. Isn’t that Good News? Isn’t that a powerful proclamation? Luke Timothy Johnson writes, “Luke portrays his liberating work in terms of personal exorcisms, healings and the teaching of the people. The radical character of this mission is specified above all by its being offered to and accepted by those who were the outcasts of the people.[2] Do you hear it again? The work of Jesus, the concern of Jesus is for the outcasts, the poor, and the downtrodden, and much less-so for the haughty, proud and powerful.
Now here is the crux of the story. Jesus was rejected by his hometown crowd. He scared them so badly that they chased him out to the pinnacle of a hill and intended to push him off. Why? I really don’t think it was about blasphemy or any real theological transgression like that. Consider this. They wanted to kill Jesus already because his message would take what had been exclusively theirs and share it with those the upstanding members of the community identified as “other.” They would no longer be able to hold onto it for prestige or power, Jesus was going to make it available to “the least of these,” to “all of these.” And the impending loss of power, position and prestige infuriated them so much, they wanted to kill Jesus – early. There is another powerful proclamation for us this morning. The message of Jesus is for – All. It is for the powerful, it is for the weak. It is for the rich and it is for the poor. It is for insiders and it is for outsiders. It is for them and it is for you and you and all of us gathered here and across the world today. Jesus proclaims powerfully that his message; that God’s message is for ALL of us and for all of them. Johnson points out that some reject the gospel just because it IS meant for all. Let us be a people who embrace the gospel specifically because it IS for all people.
Conclusion:
In the Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, we read, “Here is a sad fact manifest in supreme degree with reference to Jesus, but observable again and again in human relationships. God’s truth may come in ways which we do not choose to recognize….We will not pay heed to someone who might bring us closer to God, just because we do not have humility enough to listen.” [3]
From whom are we willing to hear God’s message today. Let us imagine for a moment that your Pastor just sat down and for whatever reason could not bring the message on a Sunday morning. To whom would you listen? Would we hear it from a child? Would we hear if from a very poor person? Would we hear it from someone who had no seminary degrees? Would we hear if from someone whose religion was different from ours? Or would we, like the hearers in today’s gospel want to take that person out of here and throw them off the bridge? Hear the voice of God this morning, the word of God comes in all kinds of messengers. God is not dead and is still alive and well and is still speaking. Let us, together, listen for God’s voice, for powerful proclamations from each other and from others when they come our way. Finally, let us together live our lives according to the Powerful Proclamations of Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of Humankind. Powerful Proclamations, in the name of Jesus, AMEN.
Psalm 71
In you, Adonai, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me. Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel. For you, Adonai, are my hope, my trust, O God, from my youth. 6Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.
Luke 4:21-30
Then Jesus began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
The prophet who announces the message of the Lord is unacceptable. SP 80
For all, not just for them enrages. Some reject the Gospel specifically because it is meant for all.
