On whose side?

 

Luke 4:21-30 is the Gospel lectionary text for Epiphany IV, January 30.

 Jesus went too far.  He told the truth which did not coincide with their myths about events and how God works.  He challenged their long-held ideologies.  He dared to counter their imbedded anthropomorphized theologies.  The reaction was swift and unsubtle.

 They could go along with His mission to the poor, the imprisoned, the infirm and the oppressed.  These were words, no doubt heard before in the synagogue from the prophets.  The people could go along with one guy spouting off about such things, knowing that nothing would systemically change to bring about such liberation, especially under empire.  It sounded good, theoretically.  It would surely never be fulfilled actually.

 The people were amazed at his gracious words, especially since the synagogue in this corrupt time was not known for gracious words about the poor, sick, imprisoned or oppressed.  They heard blaming words regarding the victims of empire, because those in power had spread like leaven the ideologies of empire throughout the world.  Those on top must be blessed by (the gods) God.  This must be God’s will.  God must value power and wealth for the few who are enlightened, so those who do not have it must have done something wrong in God’s eyes to receive their plight under empire.  “Thems tha rules.”

 They had already started dismissing the words as quaint reminders of the prophets by pointing out that this was just one man’s opinion.  What could Joseph’s son know?  He was the son of a carpenter from Nazareth, after all.  But Jesus pointed out that this would not keep them from seeking whatever benefits of the Kingdom He could throw their way, as in the things he was doing to bring healing and wholeness to people elsewhere.  “We want ours.”  Jesus pointed out that He was recognized as being something other than Joseph’s son when He ushered in the Kingdom elsewhere, but here they diminished His identity to suit themselves.

 Jesus’ message to those who would not recognize His Messiahship was that this is not about Israel being on top, no matter what, because of their status as God’s chosen.  God was the God of all nations and peoples, after all.  He pointed out that God blessed foreigners of different beliefs at times, while allowing Israel to suffer and struggle to survive.  He pointed out that their identity as the people of God did not entitle them to some kind of nationalistic ideology of “we can do no wrong,” or being above the Will of God.  They did not own God.  God did not reflect their nationalistic ideology and did would not stand by idle as they perpetrated evil on their own people or others out of their corruption. 

 Now Jesus went too far.  We are not the “exceptional” ones?  God does not reflect our values and ideologies?  God is not only on OUR side?  What kind of blasphemy is this?  They were filled with RAGE that Jesus (God) was not in compliance with their Will and Ways.

 They staged a full-blown insurrection against God in Jesus, drove Him out of town and were about to throw Him over a cliff.  But He was Jesus.  He walked through the midst of them and went on HIS WAY.

 Their ideologies and the theologies they had twisted around them were not in alignment with Kingdom values, because they reflected the values of empire.  They believed themselves to be exceptional, higher and better than others in the world and thus entitled to a status and the power and wealth that being superior should bring, according to the ideologies of empire.  Jesus dared to point out that they were not above God’s Will for them, and that God’s Will was not theirs.  Their reaction revealed who they were.

 Is Jesus still speaking to empire?  Is Jesus speaking to us?  How have we twisted even Jesus’ Good News to justify our empire values of Greed, Lust for Power and Desire for Status or to justify our hatred of others because of them?  How have we imbedded theologies within ourselves and in our culture that reflect and promote empire, rather than the Kingdom of God?

 When the Gospel challenges us, do we smugly nod and think that the words are nice, but will never be lived in this part of God’s Kingdom, here and now?  Do we dismiss them as the words of the mere humans who wrote or speak the scriptures?  Do we react extremely when our lack of exceptionalism in the eyes of God is expressed?  Are we on the side of God or of empire?

 Pastor Jamie