23rd January 2022
Today we focus on the start of the public ministry of Jesus Christ. His stepping onto the stage of public ministry.
For this, he goes back to his home town of Nazareth. So, if you remember, in Luke’s gospel, Jesus has been baptised in the River Jordan and has spent forty days in the desert fasting and being tested. His identity and character are established as God’s beloved Son, the one who will take the way of a servant and will not misuse his power and authority. And after this, Jesus starts by going back home.
Now, going back home is always significant – as we know – because its often a test of emerging identity. Jesus begins public ministry, and establishing a new identity, by going to the synagogue on the Sabbath and reading verses from the prophet Isaiah. This is what 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, and to proclaim the year of the Lords favour.’ This is sometimes called the ‘Nazareth manifesto’. In these words of Isaiah, Jesus has chosen to read from the great overarching scriptural song of justice, the song we hear in the voices of the prophets, in Hannah, the mother of Samuel, in Mary’s Magnificat, and in Zechariah’s song, The Benedictus.
He reads, pauses, rolls up the scroll, gives it to the attendant and sits down. Then Jesus speaks nine words, (in the Greek and their English translation): ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’
Which is to say, that the Kingdom of heaven has begun, and is among us in Christ, in him we see Gods way of living, Gods life. A foretaste of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, is among us.
And the people are amazed and speak well of him. At first. But the reading goes on to say that very soon people take offence at him, and are so enraged that they drive him out of town and want to throw him off a cliff!
In fact, we can see this account as a mini-version of his whole ministry. First he’s recognised and admired, then his own people despise and reject him and seek to kill him.
It seems that what they find just intolerable is that Jesus insists that Gods great promises are not just intended for them, but they are for everyone and he reminds them that their own scripture teaches that God’s justice, abundance and healing are for everyone. This is so infuriating that they want to kill him.
And perhaps we can understand that life is hard for them, they’ve struggled under the privations of the Roman Empire, they’re longing for justice and a better life. They are longing for Gods promises. But when Gods promises are intended for everyone, then are offended and their identity as Gods chosen ones is threatened.
And so at the heart of this, I believe is a challenge for us still. Because this Nazareth manifesto requires us to let go of notions that somehow our needs and claims are the most special and important and instead, calls us to embrace our shared humanity and a common need for Gods mercy.
Christianity teaches both that we are uniquely known and loved by God, and, that so is everyone else. God’s promises are for all people.
But it’s our human tendency to find ways to reject what Jesus is saying.
I want to share something from history I’ve learnt about for the first time which is shocking. It’s a particular edition of the bible that was printed in 1808 for a small London mission agency. About 1000 copies were printed of which only 3 copies remain. The mission agency had a dozen or so missionaries working amongst slaves in N. America. In order that the teaching of the bible would be acceptable to slave owners, the text was expurgated of any reference to freedom or justice for the poor, anything that might be found to be subversive. 90% of the OT was removed and half of the NT, (both oru scripture readings today were removed) taking the bible from about 1200 Chapters to 232. The existence of this terrible bible tells us just how much the whole bible challenges injustice. And the creation of this bible for slaves is shocking, to re-shape scripture to accommodate intolerable injustice, rather than challenge it.
Christian teaching continually pushes us beyond the human inclination to be self –centred and selfish. Jesus always challenges those people who are jsut defending their own interests or who consider themselves superior to others people. And scripture, if we let it, challenges us to recognise our common humanity and to take the risk of caring and generosity.
Coming through pandemic, its become abundantly clear that we face global challenges of climate emergency and environmental loss, of pandemic, of starvation following disaster and war and of mass migration and these challenges are all connected.
But in the face of global challenge, we have God’s promises which are global and timeless and for everyone. We may feel overwhelmed by the challenge, but as Christians we have the great privilege of being part of Christ’s body in the world. Ours may just be a tiny part, but we have our part to play and we are vital to the well-being whole. We can each make a difference.
Following Christs teachings daily will connect us more and more to our common humanity, and to our common home.
