15
REJECED
Isaiah 53:3; Luke 4:16-30
Rev. Paul Wrightman 3/17/24
SOMETIMES WE NEED TO BE TOLD OFF
FOR OUR OWN GOOD.
OUR IMMEDIATE REACTION TO BEING TOLD OFF
IS USUALLY TO GET DEFENSIVE
AND TO ARGUE FOR
WHATEVER IT IS WE WERE ARGUING FOR
EVEN MORE VEHEMENTLY.
BUT SOMETIMES AFTER THE HEAT
OF VERBAL BATTLE HAS SUBSIDED,
WHATEVER TRUTH THERE WAS
IN OUR OPPONENT'S POSITION
BEGINS TO SINK IN.
AT TIMES, IF WE CAN SUMMON UP
THE NECESSARY HONESTY,
WE REALIZE THAT WE ARE IN THE WRONG.
WITH GOD'S GRACE, SOMETIMES WE CAN EVEN
SUMMON UP THE HUMILITY AND THE COURAGE
TO SEEK HEALING AND RECONCILIATION.
A VERSION OF THIS PROCESS
IS GOING ON IN TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING.
JESUS TELLS OFF THOSE GATHERED
IN HIS HOMETOWN SYNAGOGUE,
AND WE KNOW FROM OTHER PLACES
IN THE GOSPELS
THAT THIS INCLUDES TELLING OFF MEMBERS
OF HIS OWN FAMILY, SPECIFICALLY HIS BROTHERS.
SCRIPTURE TELLS US THAT EVENTUALLY
JESUS' BROTHER JAMES SOUGHT RECONCILIATION
AND BECAME THE LEADER
OF THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM.
WE CAN ONLY HOPE THAT OTHERS
IN THE SYNAGOGUE THAT DAY
EVENTUALLY LET GO OF THEIR DEFENSIVENESS
AND CAME TO ACCEPT THE TRUTH
OF WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING.
BEFORE WE WRESTLE WITH
THIS DIFFICULT READING
WE NEED TO CLEAR UP A MISTRANSLATION.
THE MISTRANSLATION OCCURS IN VERSE 22,
WHEN IT SAYS "ALL SPOKE WELL OF HIM…"
THE ORIGINAL GREEK READS SIMPLY
"THEY WITNESSED HIM,"
LEAVING IT UP TO THE READER TO DECIDE
FROM THE CONTEXT OF THE PASSAGE
WHETHER THE WITNESSING WAS FOR GOOD OR ILL.
A MUCH MORE ACCURATE TRANSLATION
OF THE BEGINNING OF VERSE 22 WOULD BE
"AND ALL WITNESSED AGAINST HIM…"
THIS BRINGS US TO THE QUESTION WHY?
WHY WOULD JESUS BE REJECTED
BY THOSE OF HIS HOMETOWN,
INCLUDING SOME MEMBERS OF HIS OWN FAMILY?
SOME OF US REMEMBER THE BOOK AND MOVIE
THE PERFECT STORM,
IN WHICH A HURRICANE, A "NOREASTER"
(A SQUALL WITH NEAR-HURRICANE FORCE WINDS),
AND A VIOLENT STORMFRONT
COMING DOWN FROM CANADA
ALL CONVERGE TO PRODUCE
WHAT IS STILL KNOWN
IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS
AS "THE STORM OF THE CENTURY."
JUST AS THREE HUGE STORMS CONVERGED
IN THE 1996 TO PRODUCE
"THE MOTHER OF ALL STORMS,"
FOUR POWERFUL FORCES DESCENDED ON JESUS
DURING HIS VISIT TO HIS HOMETOWN
TO CREATE A HEATED CONFRONTATION
BETWEEN HIM AND HIS OWN SYNAGOGUE.
THESE FOUR FORCES WERE:
1. HIS HAVING BEEN CONSIDERED A MAMZER,
A PERSON BENEATH CONTEMPT
BECAUSE OF HIS DOUBTFUL PATERNITY
BY THE GOOD CITIZENS OF NAZARETH.
2. HIS ANNOUNCEMENT OF
"THE YEAR OF THE LORD'S FAVOR,"
OR THE "YEAR OF JUBILEE,"
IN WHICH ALL DEBTS WERE TO BE FORGIVEN
AND ALL LAND RETURNED TO ITS ORIGINAL OWNER.
3. HIS NOT QUOTING THE FAVORITE PART
OF ISAIAH 61:1-2 FOR THE CITIZENS OF NAZARETH, THE VERY LAST SENTENCE, WHICH READS,
“AND THE DAY OF VENGEANCE OF OUR GOD.”
HIS NOT QUOTING THIS PHRASE WOULD HAVE
BEEN CORRECTLY SEEN AS HIS REJECTION OF IT.
JUST AS “AN EYE FOR AN EYE, A TOOTH FOR A
TOOTH” IS THE FAVORITE VERSE IN THE ENTIRE BIBLE FOR THE MAJORITY OF AMERICAN CHRISTIANS, BECAUSE IT KEEPS THE OPTION
OF REVENGE OPEN,
WE KNOW FROM ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORDS
THAT THIS PHRASE WAS THE FAVORITE ONE
OF ISRAEL AS A WHOLE. WHY? BECAUSE IT KEPT
THE OPTION OF REVENGE OPEN, AND OPEN TO
NO LESS A BEING THAN GOD.
WE HAD AN ENTIRE SERMON ON THE IMPLICATIONS
OF JESUS LEAVING OUT THIS PHRASE SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, AND I WON’T BE REPEATING THIS TODAY.
SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT LEAVING OUT THIS PART
OF SCRIPTURE WOULD HAVE SPARKED INTENSE FEELINGS OF ANGER AND REJECTION FROM THE
SYNAGOGUE CONGREGATION AT NAZARETH.
WE WILL SIMPLY REMEMBER
THAT JESUS’ OMISSION OF MENTIONING
GOD’S LONGED FOR VENGEANCE
WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH,
IN AND OF ITSELF, FOR THE TOWNSPEOPLE
OF NAZARETH TO WANT TO MURDER HIM.
4. HIS AFFIRMATION OF GOD'S LOVE FOR GENTILES,
THOSE OUTSIDE THE JEWISH FAITH COMMUNITY.
(PAUSE)
THIS MORNING WE WILL CONCENTRATE
ON JESUS’ DOUBTFUL PATERNITY, HIS FOCUS
ON THE JUBILEE YEAR, “THE YEAR OF THE LORD’S
FAVOR,” AND HIS INCLUSION OF GENTILES
AS RECIPIENTS OF GOD’S LOVE.
THE MAJOR NEW TESTAMENT SCHOLAR
BRUCE CHILTON, IN HIS GROUNDBREAKING BOOK,
RABBI JESUS, ESTABLISHES THE FACT
THAT BECAUSE THE IDENTITY OF JESUS' FATHER
COULD NOT BE DEFINITIVELY ESTABLISHED,
SMALL-TOWN NAZARETH
WOULD HAVE AUTOMATICALLY ASSIGNED HIM
TO THE CATEGORY OF "MAMZER."
A "MAMZER," WAS SIMILAR TO THE CASTE OF
"UNTOUCHABLES" IN INDIA.
THESE PERSONS WERE DESPISED,
PUBLICALLY RIDICULED,
BARRED FROM PARTICIPATIOIN
IN HEBREW SCHOOL,
AND NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO ATTEND SYNAGOGUE
UNTIL THEY WERE ADULTS,
AND THEN ONLY GRUDINGLY.
THIS GIVES NEW FORCE
TO THE PROPHET'S ISAIAH'S DESCRIPTION
OF GOD'S SUFFERING SERVANT
AS "DESPISED AND REJECTED OF MEN."
JESUS' CHILDHOOD AS EXPERIENCED
IN HIS OWN HOMETOWN
WAS NOTHING LESS THAN A NIGHTMARE.
REJECTED BY MOST EVERYONE IN TOWN,
THE ONLY EDUCATION AVAILABLE TO HIM
WOULD HAVE BEEN "HOME SCHOOLING"
BY HIS PARENTS.
WE CAN SURMISE FROM JESUS'
STRONG IDENTIFICATION WITH THE PROPHETS,
EXPECIALLY THE PROPHET ISAIAH,
THAT MARY AND JOSEPH
MUST HAVE PUT THE PROPHETIC WRITINGS
IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES
AT THE CENTER OF JESUS' EDUCATION.
JESUS QUOTES FROM AND ALLUDES TO
THE WRITINGS OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH WAY MORE
THAN FROM ANY OTHER BIBLICAL BOOK.
LET'S GO BACK TO TODAY'S TEXT
AND FACTOR IN THIS NEW INFORMATION.
JESUS IS DESPISED IN HIS HOMETOWN, NAZARETH.
THE REPORTS OF HIS HEALINGS
AND OTHER WORKS OF POWER
WERE MET WITH A GREAT DEAL OF SCEPTICISM,
IF NOT RIDICULE.
GOING BACK TO VERSE 22, THE PHRASE
"IS NOT THIS JOSEPH'S SON?",
SHOULD ACTUALLY BE READ SARCASTICALLY AS
"IS NOT THIS JOSEPH'S SO-CALLED "SON"?
THOSE GATHERED IN
THE SYNAGOGUE AT NAZARETH
WERE DEEPLY OFFENDED
AT THE AUDACITY OF JESUS
TO EVEN SHOW UP THERE.
THEY MUST HAVE BEEN NOTHING LESS
THAN OUTRAGED WHERE HE EXERCISED HIS RIGHT
AS AN ADULT JEWISH MALE
TO READ FROM THE SCRIPTURES.
IN JEWISH SYNAGOGUE SERVICES
THERE ARE TWO SCRIPTURE READINGS.
THE FIRST IS FROM THE TORAH --
THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE --
TRADITIONALLY BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN
BY MOSES, AND CONSIDERED TO BE
THE HOLIEST PART OF THE BIBLE
BY THE JEWISH TRADITION.
TO THIS READING FROM THE TORAH
WAS APPENDED A READING FROM THE PROPHETS.
WE KNOW FROM THE LIST OF APPROVED READINGS
FROM THE PROPHETS -- THE JEWISH "LECTIONARY,"
SO TO SPEAK, THAT WHAT JESUS CHOSE TO READ
FROM THE SCROLL OF ISAIAH
WAS NOT ON THE LIST OF AUTHORIZED READINGS.
THIS BREAK OF PROTOCOL ON JESUS' PART
WOULD HAVE BEEN NOTICED IMMEDIATELY,
AND ADDED TO THE CONGREGATION'S
INDIGNATION AT HIS BEING THERE
TO BEGIN WITH.
BUT JESUS' CHOICE OF TEXT --
WITH ITS NOTHING LESS THAN REVOLUTIONARY
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS --
WAS WHAT FANNED THEIR INDIGNATION TO FURY.
LET'S LOOK AT THE ACTUAL CONTENT
OF THIS TEXT FROM ISAIAH
WHICH SERVES JESUS' MISSION STATEMENT
FOR HIS MINISTRY.
LET'S ALSO LOOK AT THE
PRESUMED REACTION TO THIS TEXT
FROM JESUS' NEIGHBORS IN NAZARETH.
TEXT: "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,
BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME…"
REACTION: WHO DOES THIS MAMZER
THINK THAT HE IS?
SURELY GOD WOULD NOT -- COULD NOT --
SEND HIS ANOINTING SPIRIT
UPON THIS PIECE OF HUMAN GARBAGE!
TEXT: "HE HAS ANOINTED ME
TO BRING GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR…"
REACTION: GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR!
THIS JESUS IS THE POOREST OF THE POOR…
SO HE MUST BE WANTING TO GIVE HIMSELF
SOME GOOD NEWS…
TEXT: "HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM
RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES…"
REACTION: SO HE'S GOING TO SPRING FROM JAIL
THE MULTITUDE LOCKED UP
BECAUSE THEY CAN'T PAY THEIR DEBTS?
LET THEM -- AND HIM -- ROT IN JAIL.
WE DON'T WANT THAT LOT AROUND US ANYWAY.
TEXT: "AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND…"
REACTION: "BLIND" DOESN'T JUST MEAN
PHYSICALLY BLIND…
BUT SPIRITUALLY BLIND AS WELL…
WE ARE THE UPRIGHT, HARD-WORKING,
GOD-FEARING CITIZENS OF NAZARETH!
WHO IS HE TO CALL US SPIRITUALLY BLIND?
TEXT: …"TO LET THE OPPRESSED GO FREE…"
REACTION: THE OPPRESSED DESERVE
THEIR OPPRESSION.
AFTER ALL, ISN'T THEIR POVERTY,
AREN'T THEIR DISEASES,
SIGNS OF GOD'S DISPLEASURE,
SIGNS OF THEIR JUSTLY-DESERVED
DIVINE PUNISHMENT?
BUT WHAT REALLY GOT THEIR GOAT,
WHAT REALLY PUSHED THEIR ANGER
OVER THE EDGE,
WAS THE LAST PHRASE OF JESUS' PROCLAMATION:
…"TO PROCLAIM THE YEAR OF THE LORD'S FAVOR."
REACTION: HOW DARE THIS NOBODY DRAG UP
THAT OUTMODED, UNWORKABLE, INTOLERABLE
CONCEPT OF THE JUBILEE YEAR,
THE YEAR WHEN ALL DEBTS ARE TO BE FORGIVEN,
AND ALL LAND RETURNED
TO ITS ORIGINAL OWNER?
WALTER BRUEGGEMANN,
THE WORLD'S LEADING OLD TESTAMENT SCHOLAR,
IN A SERMON WHICH HE GAVE ON THIS VERY TEXT,
COMMENTS:
"WHAT THIS TEXT IS DOING
IS PROCLAIMING JUBILEE,
'THE YEAR OF THE LORD'S FAVOR.'
TO LET THE OPPRESSED GO FREE
IS TO CANCEL DEBTS,
TO LET THE POOR BACK INTO THE ECONOMY
WITH THEIR RIGHTFUL STUFF.
AND THEN HE MADE IT WORSE; HE SAID,
'TODAY THIS SCRIPTURE HAS BEEN FULFILLED
IN YOUR HEARING.'
WHAT HE MEANT WAS, 'I AM THE JUBILEE.
ISAIAH WROTE ABOUT IT.
I AM GOING TO ENACT IT.'
AND HE SET ABOUT GIVING SOCIAL POWER
AND SOCIAL ACCESS
AND SOCIAL GOODS
TO THE POOR AND EXCLUDED.
AND SAYS LUKE, 'THEY WERE FILLED WITH RAGE.'"
TO RETURN TO OUR METAPHOR
FROM THE PERFECT STORM:
THUS FAR IN OUR CONSIDERATION
OF OUR SCRIPTURE READING FOR TODAY
THE HURRICANE OF JESUS' MAMZER STATUS
HAS COLLIDED WITH THE NOREASTER
OF DESCRIBING HIS MINISTRY
IN TERMS OF ISAIAH'S HATED -- AND FEARED --
YEAR OF THE LORD'S FAVOR, YEAR OF JUBILEE.
THERE IS ONE STORM LEFT TO COLLIDE
WITH THE COLOSSAL COMBINED STORM
ALREADY BREWING,
AND THIS IS THE STORM
OF REMINDING PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT
THEY "OWNED" GOD,
THAT GOD LOVES EVERYBODY,
INCLUDING THEIR HATED NEIGHBORS,
THE CANAANITES AND THE ARABS.
SO JESUS, ADDING FUEL TO THE FIRE,
CHOOSES TO CONFRONT THE CONGREGATION
WITH TWO SIGNIFICANT HEALINGS
THAT WERE GIVEN TO SO-CALLED "PAGANS" --
A CANAANITE AND AN ARAB OF ALL PEOPLE! --
ISRAEL'S WORST ENEMIES (!),
DURING TIMES WHEN GOD HELD BACK
HEALINGS FROM THE "CHOSEN PEOPLE"
THEMSELVES.
AGAIN, RETURNING TO OUR PERFECT STORM
METAPHOR,
THIS VIOLENT STORM FRONT FROM CANADA
HAS NOW SLAMMED INTO THE SUPERSTORM
OF HURRICANE AND NOREASTER
TO PRODUCE THE STORM OF THE CENTURY,
"THE MOTHER OF ALL STORMS."
LUKE SAYS ABOUT
THE SYNAGOGUE CONGREGATION IN NAZARETH:
"THEY GOT UP,
DROVE JESUS OUT OF THE TOWN,
AND LED HIM TO THE BROW OF THE HILL…
SO THAT THEY MIGHT HURL HIM OFF THE CLIFF."
LEST WE THINK THAT THE NAZARENES,
OR THE MAJORITY OF THE JEWISH TRADITION
AT THAT TIME
WERE UNIQUELY HOSTILE
TO THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS,
WE HAVE ONLY TO IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN
IF JESUS WERE TO SHARE HIS MISSION STATEMENT
WITH THE VAST MAJORITY
OF CHRISTIAN CONGREGATIONS
IN FIRST WORLD COUNTRIES:
EXACTLY THE SAME THING!
JESUS AND HIS MESSAGE WOULD BE REJECTED;
HE WOULD BE RUN OUT OF TOWN,
IF NOT KILLED OUTRIGHT.
PERHAPS THIS IS WHY
MOST CHURCHES AND DENOMINATIONS
IN FIRST WORLD COUNTRIES
HAVE TAKEN JESUS' ORIGINAL
MISSION STATEMENT,
WHICH WAS ALL ABOUT LOVE OF NEIGHBOR
IN THE CONCRETE MANIFESTATIONS
OF DEBT RELIEF AND LAND RESTORATION,
AND TURNED IT INTO A BUNCH OF DOCTRINES
THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO BELIEVE
ABOUT JESUS.
THE FIRST WORLD CHURCH, IN OTHER WORDS,
PRETTY MUCH FREAKED OUT
AT HAVING TO FOLLOW
THE ACTUAL MISSION STATEMENT OF JESUS,
AND TURNED JESUS' LARGELY ECONOMIC VISION
INTO A STATEMENT OF WHAT WE HAVE TO BELIEVE
ABOUT JESUS IN ORDER TO BE "SAVED."
FOR JESUS, BEING "SAVED" IS ABOUT
BECOMING PART OF HIS BAND OF FOLLOWERS
AND WORKING WITH HIM TO BRING ABOUT
THE KINGDOM OF GOD,
WHICH, NOT SURPRISINGLY,
LOOKS AN AWFUL LOT
LIKE THE YEAR OF JUBILEE.
AMEN.