St. Charles' Episcopal Church – St. Charles, IL

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany – Epiphany 3 – Year C

Sunday January 21, 2007 

Nehemiah 8:2-10 – Psalm 113 – I Corinthians 12:12-27 – Luke 4:14-21

Rev. William R. Nesbit, Jr.

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

"The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him."

This is it. The climax. The moment of truth. OK Jesus, what ya' gonna do?

This story of Jesus returning to his home town has been moved by Luke to the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. When it appears in the other Gospels, it appears later in the story. Luke uses this story to foreshadow the whole ministry of Christ. We only heard the beginning of the story this morning, but it goes on for another nine verses in which the people in the synagogue are initially amazed by the good news that Jesus brings, but then become enraged and try to kill him and Jesus then passes among them and goes away. Have you ever heard a story like that somewhere before? The story turns when for some reason the initially friendly crowd turns hostile. Why do they do that? What is it about the message that Jesus proclaims that so enrages the people of Nazareth?

Actually it's pretty simple, and we don't like hearing it today any more than they did then. What he tells them is essentially, it's not about you. The good news that Jesus brings is for all people not just the Jews. And for that matter, not just for Christians either. The good news that Jesus brings isn't something we get to keep or something we can even keep to ourselves. More than anything else it compels us to action; Action beyond ourselves. The good news of Christ is about breaking down walls, pushing back boundaries, and opening doors. Moving out of our comfort zone.

I remember when I was in preaching class at seminary, our class was told to keep in mind that the role of a good preacher was to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. When Jesus came to the synagogue that morning his reputation preceded him, he was, if you will, already "Nazareth's greatest son." After he says, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing," the people are amazed and speak well of him and say, "Is this not Joseph's son?" We often have this interpreted as a statement of incredulity, like, "who does he think he is?" but I think a closer interpretation might be something more like, "That's our boy; Isn't that just like a son of Joseph." In short, they're not mad yet. They're still comfortable. And Jesus sees this and moves right away to break that comfortable assumption. He pushes the point -- I'm not here to make your life easier. It's not about you. And then they get mad and try to throw him off a cliff.

Luke puts this story early in his Gospel because he wants us to get the message early. Luke knows that often, the response that people have to the good news is one of possession and protection. My congregation, my church, my call, my faith. My. My. My. Luke has Jesus gently reminding us this morning that it's not about me, it’s not about us. We are the comfortable ones. Jesus reminds us that it's really about the poor, and the captives, the blind and the oppressed. It's about them and what they need from us.

We started this season of Epiphany by renewing our baptismal vows when we baptized Annie Gibson and Lily DuJardin. In that act we rededicated ourselves to the mission and ministry of Christ's church. Reminded ourselves of this important truth; that we are not God, we follow God; that it's not about us, and our will, it's about God and God's will for us; that we are only members of the body of Christ. Members one of another."For in the one Spirit we are baptized into the one body"

Next week is our annual meeting. We will be gathering to look back at where we have come from; and to look ahead to where we are going. And we will also be changing. I know nobody likes to hear the word change, and I hope I am not run out of town on a rail, or thrown off a cliff for saying it. It is not my intent to scare anyone, but I do need to tell the truth. We will be changing. Three members of the Vestry will be retiring, four members of the parish will be elected to replace them as well as fill the vacant position left when Linda Saxer moved away. We will also be electing one person to the office of warden. In this our own little incarnation of the body of Christ, the conformation of the body will change. What once was known and comfortable will become unpredictable and mysterious. It will be a time of growth and change. It will be uncomfortable...for a while. But if we do it right, then we know it comes from God, and it will be good. And so our job is to be sure that we do it right. "If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." Not tomorrow or next week or next year but now!

In the week ahead I ask you to pray about our own transition of power. Pray that those retiring may leave with a sense of accomplishment, and not just exhaustion. Pray that those elected may come with a deep awareness of the gifts that God has given them for the task ahead, and not only a sense of dread over the enormity of the task before them. Pray that the whole congregation may constantly remember that though we are individually members of the body of Christ, and all have important pieces of the mission to do, the entirety of the mission is in God's hands, and so we need only work, and not worry. We need only trust in God and pray for strength. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, because the Lord has anointed us to bring good news to the poor. The Lord has sent us to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. May we fulfill this scripture today, and every day. Amen.