SETTING THE CONTEXT

In Luke’s gospel Jesus began his public ministry at about the age of thirty years old. Immediately Luke has Jesus going through a time of testing. He was tempted by the kinds of lies that I think he would face in his ministry. Having completed that time of testing, Jesus begins his public ministry in the area of his home, Galilee. Luke has Jesus go to his hometown first to reveal who he is beyond being just Joseph and Mary’s son. Remember that we are still in the season of Epiphany and Epiphany means a manifestation or appearance of someone or something. In this passage, Jesus reveals that he is the manifestation of an ancient prophecy. The prophecy is from Isaiah 61 and it talks about the coming Messiah or Chosen One from God. Through this Scripture, Jesus sets forth his purpose.

Read Luke 4:14-21

We read the first part of this chapter from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians last week where he emphasized that though we have a variety of gifts there is only one Spirit. We continue that reading today as Paul emphasizes the importance of each part, each person working together. His graphic illustration using honorable body parts and less honorable body parts stimulates the imagination and could be made into a great comedy routine.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:20-31

THE SERMON

It’s always good to know where you’re headed. Luke has Jesus very clear about his purpose. It is to be the fulfillment of the prophecy found in Isaiah 61 which Luke quotes. You notice that Jesus from the very beginning is deeply grounded in Judaism. As he states in Matthew’s Gospel, “do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets [his Jewish faith]; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17)

Let’s look at the verbs, the action words, in his purpose statement. He is to preach good news, proclaim freedom, release the oppressed, and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Do you notice that three of those words are the same, preach and proclaim? Where are those words pointing? They all point to the power of God to change people’s lives and Jesus was going to manifest or show that power through his own life. Jesus intended to make a profound difference in the lives of people spiritually, sociologically, and economically.

This passage includes the first word Jesus utters in Luke’s Gospel as an adult to a public crowd (other than reading Scripture); that word is today. He will make this profound difference TODAY. Remember that sense of urgency that George talked about last week? For the poor or afflicted, for the captive, for the marginalized, for the oppressed there is an urgency to this prophecy and to the work of Christ. “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled.” We know that this purpose has been passed on from Christ the individual to the Body of Christ the church. At Pentecost, the Spirit of the Lord came upon the church anointing them to continue that purpose of preaching, proclaiming, and releasing, so that we might continue to point to the One who can change lives.

Anointing is a churchy word. I doubt anyone has heard Jay Leno or David Letterman utter it. I doubt it’s ever uttered on the local or national news. We anoint the sick with oil when we have our healing services to point to the action of the Holy Spirit and as a sign of the healing presence of Christ. Anointing also served as a sign in ancient Israel that someone or something was set aside for some sacred purpose or service. The priests were anointed as a sign of their being set apart for sacred service. The kings of Israel were anointed showing that their governance was more than political it was sacred service to God who was the true king of Israel. The Spirit of the Lord anointed or set Jesus apart for this sacred service of preaching, proclaiming, and releasing. We continue to be anointed for this sacred service and not just priests but as George said last week all of us are called to our vocations in the Body of Christ.

Once there were two little pools that sat way up on top of one of the highest mountains around.^[i] They were very happy until one day one little pool said, “I feel that something is missing from my life. Like I’m not doing all I should be. I’m not sure what I can do, but there must be something.” The other little pool said, “You must be kidding! What could be better than sitting up here at the top and enjoying the view?” “I don’t know” said the first little pool, “but I think I will try to find an outlet so that I can go down the mountain.” The second pool laughed in disbelief at the foolishness of the first pool and watched as he began to empty himself down the mountain. Well, as the first little pool started washing down the mountain he began to feel strengthened even as he became less. When he reached the bottom he looked back at what he had done. He saw that animals had been refreshed by his water and had multiplied, he saw that crops had flourished in his wake and people had been fed, and that green vegetation had sprung up along his route. He felt wonderful. As he took an inventory of himself he realized that there was not much left and this made him sad because he wanted to give even more. Just then he noticed other streams coming down the mountainside towards the valley he was in. As they came together a wonderful thing happened, they all joined together and formed a huge river. The river wound its way around the land replenishing animals, land, and people as it went and the good work of all the streams was continued and made larger. Eventually the river emptied into the ocean. When this happened the little pool realized that he had become a part of something much bigger than himself. And then a miracle happened and the sun evaporated the little pool up into the sky where a cloud was formed. As luck would have it the cloud blew over the very mountain where the little pool had started out and he rained himself down into the bed he had occupied before. He was full of wonder and felt energized and refreshed. When he looked over to tell his friend all about his journey and all he had learned, all he saw was a dry spot.

Some people in the Apostle Paul’s church looked down upon some of those small pools thinking some better than others. Some people might look down on themselves as too small a pool to matter, but if you have ever seen snowmelt coming off a mountain with hundreds of tiny streams you see the power of lots of little pools coming together. We come together each of us doing our part becoming a local church, our local churches join together in our region (Arizona and southern Nevada) as an Annual Conference, our Annual Conferences join together across this nation as a river for Christ, and we join United Methodists of other countries to become an even mightier river; now add all the other Christian denominations to that torrent. We should be making a huge impact for Christ preaching, proclaiming, and releasing. We should be asking ourselves why we are not! Could it be we have too many pools sitting up on the mountainside sunning themselves or too many arguing with each other!

Are there still the poor and afflicted who need good news? Are there still prisoners who need freedom? Are there people who still need to be accepted back into their community, people who still need to be healed? Are there oppressed who need release? God has anointed each of us to work together to be this great flood called the Body of Christ, a river of God’s love. If we are going to point people to God who can and does make a profound impact on life, if we are going to participate with God in making a difference in the lives of people spiritually, sociologically and economically TODAY, we need each of us acting, playing our part no matter what role that might be. What a blessing it is that we have taken in new members this weekend; our river is increasing.

I want you to turn to the people around you and say “the Sprit of the Lord is upon you, you are anointed.” Now I want you to turn to the people around you and say, “You are vital to Christ’s mission.”

Love is another verb and to share Christ’s love, to fulfill his purpose is going to take us all. Amen.

Sermon delived by Rev. Nancy Cushman on January 21, 2007.