What Does the Fox Say?

February 21^st, 2016      “What Does the Fox Say?”       Rev. Heather Jepsen

Luke 13:31-35

          Our Lenten journey continues, as this Sunday finds Jesus continuing on the road to Jerusalem.  Some gospel writers place Jesus on the outer banks of the city for this story but Luke simply has Jesus on the road of ministry.  He is traveling between villages, continuing to spread the gospel, as he also continues to move ever closer to the time of his death.

          Jesus continues to share his special mix of uncomfortable stories with the people he encounters.  The religious leaders of the time cannot help but notice the ideas he preaches; from the narrow door through which only a few may enter, to stories of people coming from east and west, north and south, the things that Jesus says are definitely thought provoking.  Jesus also continues to lift up that pesky message about the first being last and the last being first. 

          It is into this setting that the Pharisees arrive.  They tell Jesus to flee, since Herod is on the lookout for him.  It is hard to believe that his religious rivals would be watching his back.  It seems more likely that they just want to see the back of him as we walks away, leaving their cities and their nice little synagogues to themselves.  Most religious teachers, myself included, are not very excited about those who would bring a rival religious message into town.

          Jesus will not be swayed by their argument.  He is not afraid of them or of the one they represent, and he tells them so.  He is on a plan for mission and ministry and though he is aware that his time is limited, he also knows that he has time enough left to work.  “Go and tell that fox for me, I am casting out demons today and healing folks tomorrow and on the third day I finish but right now I am busy.”  He then goes on to lament over the broken state of Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets.  In wonderful imagery he compares himself to a hen who longs to gather her chicks under her wings but they are unwilling. 

          There are several avenues for interpretation of this text, but what kept popping into my head this week was that silly song, “What does the fox say?”  You might remember it from a few years ago.  It was a silly song by a European band that had a catchy beat and was very popular on the internet.  The song itself has little bearing on the text, if anything, but the question it asks does.  What does Herod the fox say that is different from the message that Jesus was spreading?  What sort of things do the foxes of our own day and age say?

          Jesus refers to Herod as a fox and it clearly has negative connotations.  In the Hellenistic world of the time, foxes were thought to be clever but also unprincipled.  In Jesus’ Jewish culture, foxes are among the ranks of unclean animals and they are associated with destruction in several Old Testament passages.  In our own day and age, most people think of foxes as being cute.  But we also place them in the category of sly and cunning creatures, not a positive trait for a human.

          Herod certainly is worthy of the comparison.  The ruler of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus was Herod Antipas.  The whole royal family was disliked for their collaboration with Rome.  Though they were Jewish, they seemed to side with the Roman occupiers in matters of power and influence.  Many people thought of them as traitors to the Jewish faith.  Earlier in the gospel of Luke, we read that John the Baptist had been preaching against Herod for taking his brother’s wife for himself.  We also read of the be-heading of John at Herod’s command.  Herod is certainly a cunning man of vast power, who is ruler of Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets.

          So, what does Herod the fox say?  He says that one dare not speak against him, against his actions, or against his royal family.  Herod says that the nation of Israel’s collusion with the corrupt Roman Empire is of no consequence.  Herod says that anyone who dares challenge him will die, and Herod makes sure to follow through on the threat.  Herod says that he is in control, he has all the power, and prophets and others be damned.  That is what the fox says.

          One doesn’t have to look far for foxes in our modern world today.  I know I keep coming back to the presidential elections, like you I read the newspaper and watch TV, and so I keep finding Biblical references there.  What are the foxes saying today about their rise to power and the things it takes to hold on to power?  The foxes are saying that money rules all.  The foxes are saying that America is for Americans only.  The foxes are saying that if you work hard enough, you can be a millionaire.  The foxes are saying that this country is in control of the world and if you disagree we will deal with you with violence.  It is highly likely that the foxes are also saying that those who speak against the ways of this nation ought to be dealt with.  Just like in Herod’s time, the foxes are ready to kill the prophets and stone those who are sent their way.

          Jesus presents himself as the counter example to the fox.  “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”  We know what mothers are like, fierce protectors and dispensers of care and love.  We also can easily imagine this image of a mother hen, wings spread broadly, protecting and providing warmth for her chicks.  But what does the hen say?

          Well, if Jesus is the hen, then the hen says all sorts of things.  The hen says the first will be last and the last will be first.  The hen says all who are weary and heavy laden, come to me and I will give you rest.  The hen says take up your cross and follow me.  The hen says that the son of man came not to be served, but to serve.  The hen gathers in the lost ones; the prodigal, the leper, the tax collector, the sinner, and the outcast.  The hen is one who challenges the world with love and mercy.

          One also doesn’t have to look far to find hens in our modern world.  They are those in social services, working to gather in and care for the abused and orphaned.  They are those that are working to glean and share food with the hungry in our world.  They are those striving to provide healthcare for folks who do not have the financial ability to obtain it.  They are those continuing to call for peace in our nation and in our world.  What does the hen say?  The hen says all lives matter.  The hen says all people are of value and worth saving.  And the hens says that it shouldn’t be every man for himself, rather everyone should work together for the greater good of everyone else.

          The hen can be found in church when we are doing things right.  There will always be a fox or two in the hen house, but in general the church should be a place that lifts up and cares for the broken individuals of our world.  The church should be a place that spreads its wings broad and wide in an effort to embrace as many people as possible within God’s loving arms.

          We are faced with a contrast of voices in our world today, just as Jesus and his followers were faced with a contrast in their own world.  The foxes are always in power.  The hens are always on the sidelines, preaching a different message.  Jesus seems to know that the message he brings will not be heard.  As he laments over the city of Jerusalem he declares, “See, your house is left to you.”  Nowadays we would say, “You’ve made your bed, now you lie in it.”  The people had a chance to choose, and the people chose the way of the fox.

          We too have a chance to choose.  Will we be swayed by what the fox says every night on the news, or will we be swayed by the message of the hen that we hear in church each Sunday.  The voice we choose to listen to will determine the life we live, and as Jesus says, “see, your house is left to you.”  It’s up to you to determine what kind of house that will be.

          The season of Lent is a time for reflection.  It is a time to pay attention to the ways that we live our daily lives and to be mindful of the words we say and the things we do.  This week we are called to consider if we are following foxes or following hens.  Jesus has made it clear that he is busy, he is on the road to Jerusalem, and whether or not we chose to follow him on the path of sacrifice is up to us.  Amen.

           

Temptation

February 14^th, 2016      “Temptation”    Rev. Heather Jepsen

Luke 4:1-13

Today is the first Sunday of Lent, a time when we turn our hearts and minds toward a period of reflection.  In the church, the period of Lent lasts for forty days, which doesn’t include Sundays, leading up to our celebration of Easter which will be March 27^th this year.  The first text of the Lenten season is always the temptation of Christ which gives us an opportunity to reflect on our own experiences of temptation, as well as our own sinful nature.

While the story of Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness is one we have heard many times and are quite familiar with, it seems to have something new to teach us each year.  This year of course, we are reading in the gospel of Luke.  As with the other gospels, in Luke Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit out into the wilderness immediately following his baptism in the river Jordan.

Jesus has been baptized by John, he has witnessed the Holy Spirit descending on him in the bodily form of a dove, and he has heard a voice from the heavens.  God has spoken and declared that Jesus is God’s beloved Son, and that God is pleased with him.  The moment of baptism is the moment Jesus is anointed to begin his ministry, but before he does that he needs to determine what his ministry will be.  That is what the time in the wilderness is all about.

Jesus spends forty days in the wilderness during this season of self discovery.  The period of forty days is meant to evoke a remembrance of the Israelite’s period of wandering in the desert, forty years.  It is also the reason that our own season of Lent lasts forty days, a reflection of this time Jesus spent in the wilderness.  The wilderness itself is a common place for struggle as well as for growth and insight.  Both of which will be a part of Jesus’ experience, and both of which may play a part in our own individual Lenten journeys.

The author of Luke tell us that for forty days Jesus was in the wilderness and was tempted by the devil.  We will see that all of the temptations that Jesus faced hold a personal draw to him as an individual, and are also significant to his upcoming role as the Messiah.  During this time Jesus not only is learning what kind of man he is, he is learning what kind of Messiah he will be.

The first temptation seems pretty straightforward.  Jesus fasted during the whole forty days and at the end of the period of fasting he was very hungry.  The devil spots a weakness and sees a chance for attack, inviting Jesus to turn stones into bread.  The personal temptation is clear, Jesus is hungry and this little miracle would assuage his hunger.  The big picture Messiah temptation is also clear, for if Jesus can turn a few stones into bread for himself, than he can turn every rock in Israel into bread and no one would ever go hungry again.

Jesus determines that this is not a proper use of his power and authority.  He also seems to determine that though feeding the people would be a blessing, that is not the reason he has been sent as the Messiah.  To turn the devil away he quotes scripture, “One does not live by bread alone.”

At the root of this temptation we find the devil presenting wants as needs.   This is a very real temptation that most of us face every day.  Think of the way media, advertising, peer pressure, and the sheer world we live in are always presenting wants as needs.  When you really try to separate the two in your life it can be very confusing.  Do I want a second car or do I need one?  Do I want a new TV or do I need one?  Do I want another pair of shoes or do I need them?  I may want those things but I probably don’t need them. 

So what exactly are my needs?  It can be hard to define in our American culture.  That is why I find travel outside the western world to be so helpful in getting perspective.  Only after visiting Africa did I realize that I wanted things like a big home, TV, and electricity.  By contrast I discovered that the only thing I really needed was clean water. 

The devil is presenting wants as needs.  How often do you face this in your own life?  In what way are the things you supposedly need, really just things you want?  It is a good question to reflect on during the season of Lent.

For Jesus’ second temptation, the devil shows him all the kingdoms of the world.  The devil promises to give them over to Jesus, if Jesus will but submit to the devil one time.  The personal temptation for Jesus is to have all that power.  The Messiah temptation is to bring about the kingdom of God by ruling the kingdoms of man.  Again, Jesus refutes the devil with scripture, “Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”

Here we find that the devil is presenting lies as truth.  The devil claims to have control over the kingdoms of the world, but he does not.  It is tricky because in the time of Jesus, the Roman Empire was oppressing what would have been the known world.  It would certainly seem as if the devil was in control.  Just as it may seem at times that the devil is in control of our world.  But he is not.  He wasn’t in the time of Christ and he is not now.  The devil is presenting lies as truth.

One doesn’t have to look far in the world today to find folks presenting lies as truth.  It is all over the presidential campaign on every side.  We hear it in campaign promises that cannot be kept like building a giant wall between the US and Mexico, like exporting all illegal immigrants, and like free college education for every person.  The ideas may be good ones, but they are not promises that can really be kept.  They are lies being presented as truth.  The same is true in the things candidates say about each other, about immigrants, about refugees, and even about their own pasts.  They are offering us lies being presented as truth.

 Like Jesus, we are often tempted to believe lies that are presented as truth.  More often than not, they are things that we want to believe.  This Lenten season, a good practice for us would be to really look for truth in our world.  This is a great time to study all the facts, and to weed out lies on both sides of the political campaigns.  If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

For the third temptation, the devil takes Jesus up to the pinnacle of the temple.  This time the devil quotes scripture about God’s promise to protect God’s people.  You may recognize this from our Psalm reading for this morning.  The temptation for Jesus is to prove that he is the Son of God, to himself and to others.  He is tempted to prove his beloved status as declared at his baptism.  The temptation to the role of Messiah is to win the people over with amazing signs and wonders.  Nothing will catch people’s attention like legions of angels catching Jesus in the temple square.  Again, though, Jesus is able to reject the temptation, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

In this last one, the devil is encouraging Jesus to do just that, to test God.  The temptation here is the belief that God must earn our faith.  God must do something for us, and only then will we believe in God.  Just like the others, this is a very real temptation in our own lives.  We see this in our natural desire to bargain with God.  If you do this for me, than I will believe in you forever.  If you heal my friend of cancer, I will be a better Christian.  If you make my child a believer, than I will devote my life to your service.  If you prove yourself to me God, then I will believe in you.

Must God earn our faith through signs and wonders, or is it something we are simply able to offer as a matter of obedience to the divine?  This is another good question for the season of Lent.

The story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is a wonderful start for our own Lenten journey.  For forty days Jesus was tested.  It was a time of reflection and a time of spiritual growth.  When it was over, the devil left him until another opportunity should present itself.

We too, are entering a forty day period of reflection and growth.  Like Jesus we will face many temptations to turn away from God during this time.  We will face wants being presented as needs, we will face lies being presented as truth, and we will face the desire to ask God to earn our faith through signs and wonders.  The season of Lent is a time to be intentional about our actions.  It is a time to fully reflect on the ways our world tries to lead us astray and to return to the Lord over and over again.  May God give us courage and strength, as we too face temptations in the wilderness of our world.  Amen.

Weighed Down

February 7^th, 2016         “Weighed Down”       Rev. Heather Jepsen

Luke 9:28-43

          The previous two Sundays in worship we have been discussing the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry in the gospel of Luke.  Typical of the lectionary cycle, we seem to be always jumping around to match the liturgical holiday calendar.  Last Sunday Jesus was beginning his ministry in a swirl of chaos and anger, this week he is on the mountaintop turning his face to Jerusalem and death, and next week we will jump back to the temptation in the wilderness which occurs even before last week’s readings.  It is enough to make one’s head spin, or at least to be very confused.

          So, today we are celebrating Transfiguration Sunday.  This is one of those odd little church holidays without an accompanying celebration in the secular world.  Today we jump to the middle of the story about Jesus’ life.  He has admitted to being the Messiah, as well as warned his disciples that the path of the Messiah is a path of suffering rather than glory.  He then takes this break in the middle of his ministry, to ascend the mountaintop and to connect with God.

          All of the synoptic gospels tell the story of Jesus on the mountaintop, but they all tell it a little differently.  In Luke, Jesus ascends the mountain to pray.  He is weary from his ministry and is seeking to reconnect with God in a private moment of prayer.  It is so interesting that as people intent on following Jesus into ministry, we often neglect our own inner spiritual life.  Not only was Jesus out in the world healing folks and spreading the gospel, he also frequently took time away to attend to his own spiritual needs in prayer.  Jesus climbs the mountain to get close to God and to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world.  It is an example that we should all remember in our own lives of ministry.

          Jesus takes his inner circle of disciples up the mountain with him that day.  Peter, John, and James are his closest friends, and the ones who will see him through the majority of his ministry.  While Jesus is in prayer, his appearance begins to change.  He is transfigured.  His clothes and face become dazzling white and in a vision Moses and Elijah appear and speak with him for some time.  All of this has deep meaning for the writer of the gospel of Luke.  For Jesus to appear with Moses and Elijah serves to confirm his status as the Messiah.  Both the tradition of the law (represented by Moses) and the tradition of the prophets (represented by Elijah) are seen as giving their seal of approval to Jesus and his ministry based on this appearance.

          Peter wants to hold on to the moment and celebrate it in mud and stone.  He offers to build dwellings for each figure but before he can even finish his sentence he is interrupted by God.  A cloud overshadows the group on the mountain and the voice of God speaks, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”  Much like the voice at his baptism, God anoints Jesus for mission and ministry.  Here he anoints the disciples as well, giving them specific instruction to listen and follow even the most difficult of teachings.

          Unique to the story in Luke is the weariness of the disciples.  Luke writes that Peter and the disciples were weighed down with sleep, but that they managed to stay awake enough to see the glory.  When I was studying the text this week, I came upon a really interesting take on this portion of the reading.  Jill Duffield, editor of the Presbyterian Outlook magazine, observes that throughout the scriptures, the idea of sleep is often connected with death.  She wonders if perhaps the disciples were weighed down with the heaviness of death rather than literal sleep. 

          She writes, “By this point in Luke's Gospel the disciples have been up close and personal with lepers, the demon possessed and a massive crowd of hungry people.  They have gone toe-to-toe with Pharisees, heard that Herod is asking questions and know that the one who first proclaimed Jesus, John the Baptist, has been beheaded.  They've almost drowned at sea and have just been informed that the One they left everything in order to follow will undergo great suffering and rejection.  Oh, and by the way, they need to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow.  And, yes, they've gone out and preached and healed, but the needs are great, the accomplishments few and the suffering and the death never ending.”

          This idea really resonated with me.  So much of following Jesus is being exposed to the suffering of our world.  This week in particular, I was face to face with literal death in many ways.  From the death of Marion, and the death of Louise, to the death of one of my own personal mentors; the aura and weight of death hangs heavy on me these days as it often does.  Like many of you, I find myself reminiscing about how many people I loved who have died, and wondering how many more people I will watch die during my own lifetime.

          And of course, it is not only literal death.  It is also the suffering that we witness in so many shapes and forms.  From the brokenness in the lives of individuals, to the brokenness in our world, being followers of Jesus exposes us to a wide range of suffering.  I know that if I were not involved in the church, I would not be exposed to suffering in such a way.  If I could stay home with my doors and windows shut and the TV turned off, I could hide from the suffering of the world, I could ignore the suffering of others.  But of course, that is not the path for the followers of Christ.

          We see this in our scripture reading.  The next day Jesus and his friends come down from the mountain and once again they enter into the messy brokenness of our world.  A crowd has gathered, people have been waiting, and the disciples have been trying but failing to heal a demon possessed boy.  The father cries out in anguish to Jesus who consents to heal his son.  Even though Jesus seems to curse the crowd that has gathered to gawk at the man’s suffering, the author of Luke tells us that after the miracle, all were astounded at the greatness of God.

          So too, our ministry is one of continuing to return to the painful broken places of our world.  Again, Jill Duffield writes, “We keep filling up the food bins, but they keep emptying.  We start cleaning up after the floods and the record blizzard hits.  Things settle down in one part of the world but another is exploding.  We reconcile with one family member and darn it if we aren't now at odds with another.  The credit card gets paid off and the furnace goes out.  Our children seem happy and in a good place, but now our parent's health is failing.   We are following Jesus the best we can - visiting the sick, feeding the hungry - and yet there is always more to do.  And we are so tired, so stretched, fighting not to give in to a death-like sleep that renders us blind to Jesus' glory and deaf to his Word.”

          When we think about it this way, it is easy to understand why the disciples were so tired on that mountaintop.  I personally cannot imagine what it would have been like to follow Jesus throughout the world.  To truly witness the crowds of suffering humanity in the way he did.  No wonder the disciples were so tired.  And no wonder we are so tired as well.  We keep serving the Lord, we keep giving it our all, and there is still so much to do, there is still so much healing needed in our world.  Like the disciples, it is no wonder that we sometimes fall asleep when we are praying.

          Such is the nature of our faith and our ministry.  The glory of God, witnessed on the mountaintop, cannot be separated from the pain of a broken world down at the bottom of the hill.  Jesus ascends the mountain for a few moments away from the pain, a few moments of quiet prayer.  He is granted a vision and a message, a renewed sense of the power of God present within his mission and ministry.  He then descends the mountain and carries that transfiguration hope and healing down into the brokenness of the world.  He carries that light and radiance, down into the dark places of our lives.  Such is his mission, as he will now turn his face toward Jerusalem and the impending violent end to his own life.

          So too, as followers of Jesus, we are called to witness to hope in a broken world.  We must remember to follow his example, to take time away with a supportive community in prayer.  We must take that Sabbath time to connect with God and to be once again transformed in faith, renewed in our mission and ministry.  And then we must descend the mountain, returning to the brokenness of our world.  We must carry the light of faith that we have been given, into the dark places that we see around us.  As followers of Christ, this is our ministry and mission in spreading the kingdom of God.

          This Wednesday we will officially begin our season of Lent.  This is our own forty day journey, our own road to Jerusalem and the cross.  This is a time for us to be aware of our own sinfulness and the weight of death that makes us weary and closes our eyes.  This is a time for us to hold on to the knowledge of our own beloved state as children of God, and to use that energy and light as a force for good in the world around us.  As we follow Jesus on the road to the cross this Lent, may we continue to work in his name in the broken places in our world.  We may be weary, but we shall not faint in our service to the Lord.  Amen.

 

Crossing Lines

January 31^st, 2016          “Crossing Lines”       Rev. Heather Jepsen

Luke 4:21-30

          Last week I promised you a cliff hanger and this week we find Jesus about to be literally thrown off a cliff.  What could he have done to so anger the people of his own hometown?  Let’s look at the text for this week and see if we can find any answers.

          Those in worship last Sunday will remember the setting in the gospel of Luke.  Jesus has just begun his ministry as an itinerant preacher and teacher.  He has returned to his hometown of Nazareth and is teaching in the synagogue.  He reads from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah about the Messiah that was to come, and then sits down and declares that he is this Messiah.

          Jesus clearly lays out his belief in the mission that he has been sent on.  The Holy Spirit has come upon him and he has been anointed by God to “bring good news to the poor, 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 Lord’s favor.”  Jesus has also made it clear that he will not be using vengeance, or the wrath of God, as part of his mission.

          As he declares his Messiah status, the folks of Nazareth become naturally excited.  The Messiah is in their midst and he is one of them, “Isn’t that Joseph’s boy?”  They remember him from his childhood in the village, and they are happy to embrace him now as one of their own.

          Their joy is short lived though, as things begin to take a negative turn.  It is interesting to note that it is Jesus himself who starts to take things in a negative direction.  Whether he is responding to the thoughts of their hearts, or he is simply eager to mix it up in the hometown, Jesus comes out swinging. 

          He assumes they will ask for a miracle, a sign, a chance to bask in his powers and glory.  “Doubtless, you will say to me, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ and ‘Do here what you did at Capernaum.’”  But Jesus has no intention of showing off for the hometown crowd as he says, “no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown.” 

          That alone is enough to get the people disappointed.  They haven’t even had the chance to find out more about him, they haven’t even had the chance to ask for a miracle.  They have hardly had the chance to even think about Jesus being the Messiah, and he makes it clear he has no intention of bringing fame and fortune to Nazareth.  Jesus says he is the Messiah, but he has no intention of being the Messiah in Nazareth.  They will get no miracles or signs, they will get nothing.  I am sure the people wondered just what Jesus was playing at.

          Jesus then goes on to cite Biblical examples of Jewish prophets bringing miracles to non-Jews.  Everyone remembers the stories of Elijah and Elisha who brought healing not to the people of Israel but to those outside the bounds of the chosen people.  Jesus seems to imply that though he is the Messiah, the people of Israel, or at least the people of Nazareth, will see none of the rewards.  They will receive none of the benefits of having the Messiah within their ranks.  They will receive none of their just desserts for having raised this kid who now claims to be the Messiah.

          It is no wonder that the people get really upset at this point.  In fact, the author of Luke tells us that they are filled with rage and rightfully so.  The things Jesus are saying are really offensive and Jesus is acting like a crazy person.  He is clearly not the Messiah, or he would know that the Messiah was supposed to bring miracles of healing and justice to the nation of Israel and not to outsiders.  He is clearly not the Messiah, because the Messiah would be proud of his hometown Nazareth, and would want to share his power and privilege with them.  In fact, it appears that Jesus is nothing more than an ungrateful jerk who doesn’t think very much of them and the fact that this community had raised him since he was a boy, and put up with all of his silly and questionable behavior up to this point because they hoped he would amount to something.   But this is just it, it’s the last straw.  We can’t have that crazy guy out there telling the world that he is the Messiah, because it will make all of us look bad because he’s one of us, so let’s get him.  Yeah, let’s get him.  Let’s throw him off a cliff.  (At least that’s how I imagine it went.)

          Jesus of course, manages to get away.  Either he used his magic Messiah powers, or people in the community helped him hide, or he put on his invisibility cloak, and he just sneaks away.  Some people think it was a miracle, and that the people of Nazareth got the miracle that they didn’t even get a chance to ask for.  I think that they were just so upset, and had tears in their eyes, and couldn’t see in the crowd and the mob, and he just slipped away.  Just like he seems to slip away from us sometimes when we become distracted by the world.

          I know we like to read this and think “man, those people are idiots”, but the more I look at this story the more I see us, I see myself, in their actions.  Listen here, I’m not saying I’m going to push somebody off a cliff, but I am saying I can certainly resonate with their deep disappoint.  And I really think their anger is justified.  They raised that kid, they know Jesus, “isn’t he Joseph’s son?”  He comes into the temple and before they can even respond to his outlandish claims he starts messing with them.  Like some punk kid.  And the things he says are offensive in the church.  We want to hear about our status as God’s chosen people.  The people in the synagogue have been taught all their lives that they are God’s chosen people.  And that if they do the right things, if they tow the party line, then God will bless them.  They are owed a Messiah, a Messiah for Nazareth, and Jesus refuses to be that.  No wonder they are so angry.

          I see this playing out all over in our world today.  It would be a lie not to say that in some way, we all think of ourselves as God’s “chosen people”.  God chose me to be a pastor and to serve God’s people.  God chose this church to carry out God’s mission and ministry.  God chose this country to be a place that was blessed by God.  God chose us.  And if we do the right thing, then we will be rewarded with blessings.  Wasn’t that the deal?  Wasn’t that what we agreed to?

          Jesus seems to imply that that wasn’t the deal, or simply that the deal is off.  Jesus is not here to be the Messiah for us.  Jesus is here to be the Messiah for others.  For those who weren’t chosen, for those who don’t go to church, for those who are outside of the fold.  Like the good brother in the story of the prodigal son, we feel rightly cheated.  Isn’t God supposed to be on our side?

          Like the people of Nazareth, we see that anger and rage on the news every night.  Tell me that desire to get what is rightfully coming to us, to get what we are owed, isn’t fueling the presidential campaign on both sides.  Tell me that anger and loathing against those who aren’t the chosen ones, the fear of them getting our blessings, isn’t on the news every night.  I am confident that the people of today would also try to throw the Jesus of the gospel of Luke off a cliff.       

          An old pastor friend of mine is very fond of the saying, “Where ever you draw a line . . . Jesus is on the other side.”  That is the hard lesson that the people of Nazareth got that day.  They had drawn a line around Nazareth and a line around the Jewish people, and Jesus was all about crossing that line.  We also draw lines around our church, our nation, our identity as God’s people and the first thing Jesus will do is cross that line.  Jesus has come to bring good news . . . good news to people on the other side of the line.

          It’s such a hard lesson because drawing lines is our natural inclination.  We are always finding differences between ourselves and other people.  We are always finding reasons to draw lines.  Lines make sense for safety, and for order, and for organization, and for functioning, I mean, we just need lines to make the world work.  And Jesus hates lines.  It feels like we can’t win, which is what I imagine it felt like for the people of Nazareth that day.

          As we study the gospel of Luke this year, we will find that the Jesus in Luke can be really hard to like.  The Jesus of John is great because he’s God, and the Jesus of Mark is just grumpy, and the Jesus of Matthew is busy being Moses, but the Jesus of Luke just seems determined to make us look bad.  The Jesus of Luke makes us look rich, and wrong, and like outsiders to the kingdom.  When the good news is for someone else, it is a very hard pill to swallow.

          So, this morning’s text tells us that Jesus is the Messiah.  He is coming with good news for the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and to let the oppressed go free.  If we don’t find ourselves in any of those categories, then we might find ourselves disappointed.  The people of Nazareth certainly were.  Amen.