Being the change

 

Luke 4:14-21

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

“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 favour.”

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.”

In the name of the Creator, the Redeemer and the Sustainer Amen

What would it take, today, to say: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

What would it take to be able, having read from the scroll (or the gospel book today) to place it back where it lives during the week - and to set about fulfilling scripture?

How might we hear the good news for the poor?

How might our eyes be opened?

How might we be set free for things that hold us back.

How might we rise up from things that keep us down?

We might want to argue that what Jesus was asserting was that he was the fulfilment of Scripture - that what those in the synagogue were witnessing was the one on whom the Spirit of God rests.

And, of course it was. But what about now.

How is that Scripture going to be fulfilled today?

Good news for the poor

Release for the captives

Sight for the blind

Freedom for the oppressed.

How will we hear that scripture setting us free today?

And how will we fulfil that scripture for others? 

What does it look like today, to bring good news to the poor?

What does good news even look like in our communities today?

What does good news look like when you are constantly worried about where your next meal will come from?

Or whether you can afford to turn the heating on?

What does good news look like when you are worried about inflation - particularly when you’re not even that sure what inflation is - but you do know that, even though you’re working two jobs you can’t afford your weekly grocery bills and, if you’re lucky enough to be just about managing, there’s absolutely no cushion for any surprises, any unforeseen expenses.

What does good news look like to the many in this community who are living hand to mouth, not because they’ve been careless - and who are we to judge - but because constant and relentless austerity measures hit hardest those who are just about managing.

What does good news look like to those who are just getting on their feet, or to those who are barely keeping their heads above water, for whom there is no safety net.

And what about release for the captives.

Those trapped in isolation, or addiction, or fear, those stuck in food or fuel poverty, those struggling with mental health issues - how will they find release?

And how will the blind be enabled to see - both the beauty and pain, the good will and the sickness that affects our community?

How will our eyes be opened to all our blind spots - the things we overlook or fail to see?

How can we proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour?

That is some calling to fulfil.

We are confronted today with that same stark reality with which Jesus presented those who heard him read scripture in the synagogue.

Promises are empty - until they are fulfilled.

It’s no good knowing scripture by heart if we don’t live into it.

Believing in the promises for ourselves - and for the communities in which we live and work.

Promises that remain empty words unless we are prepared to be the means of seeing Scripture fulfilled.

We know that’s a huge task - much bigger than us.

So - how can we avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer size of the task before us?

How can we avoid being disabled by its enormity?

What if we took seriously the notion of God’s spirit resting on us.

What if we took seriously that Gods spirit enables us.

Enables us to be good news,

Enables us to see beyond our blindness.

Enables us to throw off the chains that keep us bound to our smallness and our lack of vision.

Enables us to break free from the limiting stories that we’ve heard so often that we believe them - stories of not having enough, of not being enough.

God spirit rests on us.

Who are we to limit the Spirit of God?

What if, in the power of that spirit, we asked God to reveal one thing - one thing that we can do , one thing that we might be - that will enable us to live into our calling as God’s people today.

A people called and equipped to fulfil scripture.

I don’t know what the one thing might be for you.

What I do know is that if we all find that one thing, then together, Scripture will be fulfilled.

Today.

In this place.

Let’s hear today’s gospel again - read this time from The message version - just to give us another take on it:

Luke 4:16-21

He came to Nazareth where he had been reared. As he always did on the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place. When he stood up to read, he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,

God's Spirit is on me;

he's chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor,

Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and

recovery of sight to the blind,

To set the burdened and battered free,

to announce, "This is God's year to act!"

He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the place was on him, intent. Then he started in, "You've just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place."

May it be so that this prophecy came true today, in this place - and in all the days to come as we seek out that one thing that we can do as we live into being the body of Christ in this place.

Being good news for the poor

Release for captives

Sight for the blind

And freedom for the oppressed.

Being the fulfilment of Scripture in this community today.

Amen  

Thanks be to God.