1/23/22
The Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Luke 4:14-21
Psalm 19
From the Gospel: He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. In the Name of the one, holy, and undivided Trinity. Amen,
The first reading from Nehemiah describes the Priest Ezra reading the Torah to the people of Israel in Jerusalem after their release from captivity in Babylon. The people weep, perhaps from joy at the rebuilding of Jerusalem, perhaps at their understanding that the destruction of Jerusalem and the deportation to Babylon was the result of not following the will of their God as described in the Law. This event takes place at the beginning of a new year and represents a new beginning for the nation.
When Jesus returns to his home town of Nazareth after preaching in other parts of Galilee, he goes to the synagogue on the Sabbath. The scroll of Isaiah is given to him to read. He chooses a passage from the later part of Isaiah that speaks of the renewal of Israel after the captivity. He reads:
“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,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.
Jesus takes the words of Isaiah and applies them directly and uncompromisingly to himself. The drama of this moment is hard to overstate. He is taking an ancient writing and is asseerting, “This is happening now. This is about me.”
Given that claim, what do we learn about how Jesus understood his mission? Jesus is sent to the poor, to captives, to the blind, and to the oppressed. So how do we hear his words? I cannot speak for everyone listening, but I can speak for myself. I know that I am not poor, or in jail, or blind or oppressed. Does this mean Jesus and his message is irrelevant to me? It does not. While I am comfortable in terms of possessions and security, I do not open myself to receive all of God’s bounty and spiritual blessings. Although I may come and go as I wish, there are ways that I still experience the chains of my family of origin, my whiteness and culture. Although my eyes work well enough, I have plenty of blind spots in the way I fail to understand other’s perspectives and in how I do not perceive all the ways in which my life is privileged. I cannot claim to be oppressed by other people, but there are voices in my head and desires in my heart that are less than pure or healthy that are not of my own choosing. And many of us are oppressed by ill health, difficult relationships, and anxiety about the future. From all of these Jesus came to save me and you.
There is another way in which this description of Jesus’ mission is pertinent to all of us here ate St. Michael’s. St. Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians that they are the Body of Christ and individually members of it. We are, too. Collectively, we are the Body of Christ. As such our mission as a church is also to bring good news to the poor, 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. We are called by our Baptismal covenant to help the poor, those whose freedom is curtailed in any way, the blind and all whose perceptions are distorted, and all who are the victims of the abuse of power by others. This requires us to look at how our social and political systems contribute to any of these assaults on the dignity and freedom of any. The fact is the Gospel has political implications. As citizens of a country where we have what is intended to be a representative government, we have a responsibility to each other to work for changes that will reduce the amount of poverty, bondage, blindness, and oppression experienced by our fellow citizens. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we have a responsibility to the world, and to every son of Adam and daughter of Eve to work for equitable access to the bounty of the earth, for freedom, clarity, and right use of power to accomplish the welfare of all.
It is legitimate and valuable that we disagree on how these goals are to be accomplished. We can disagree on specific policies and priorities. We can and will disagree about how to accomplish these aims and what should come first. But we must not turn our backs on our responsibilities as citizens and as members of the Body of Christ.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon all of us. It was given to us at our baptisms and again when were confirmed. We are anointed with oil of the Spirit to share in the anointing that makes Jesus the Messiah. The Word comes to us from Isaiah, Luke, and from Jesus. Will we dedicate ourselves to this as new beginning? Let us affirm in our lives and our commitments, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”