“Why Jesus Came” – Luke 4:14-21 – January 24, 2010
If you ask folks why Jesus came you will get a variety of answers such as; he came to die for our sins, he came to teach us to love and worship God, he came to show us how to be compassionate and loving toward others, or he came to bring peace.
Here in the gospel of Luke, Jesus was sharing to the people of Nazareth, in his own words, why he came. He said, “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 favor.”
These words were also the words of Isaiah, the prophet, who came six centuries earlier. Isaiah was speaking to the faith community who had neglected to be faithful and who were not responding to the needs of their neighbors. There would be hope for them however, providing they heeded his call to repentance and put their ultimate trust in God. Jesus was reminding the folks of Isaiah’s words but took it a step further when he said, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
So, what did Jesus mean? I believe by fulfillment he meant that through his presence, God was in their midst, loving them and showering them with abundant grace. In Christ they were forgiven, free and not alone. At the same time, they were called to be God’s servants. Up until this moment the faith community had been instructed by John the Baptist to share and never take advantage of others. Most importantly they were encouraged to depend on God.
How did the people of Nazareth respond? They got angry at Jesus since he raised the issue of their neglect for those in the community who had need. These were words they did not want to hear and so they attempted to get rid of him by throwing him off a nearby cliff (vs. 29-30). Fortunately, Jesus managed to escape. Isn’t sad that the folks of Jesus’ hometown took issue with God’s command to love their neighbors and attempted to destroy his son.
The obvious meaning of these words is that Jesus came to show us how to love our neighbors. At the moment we are witnessing God’s love ethic with an outpouring of love and aid to the people of Haiti from our country and around the world. People are donating in record amounts. Thankfully, God’s love ethic is happening in our day. That is good news to the poor who are receiving the basic resources that are essential for their survival.
Hearing Jesus’ words and Isaiah’s message means to participate in the relief of human suffering and tragedy. The people of Haiti are loved and as President Obama said, “not forgotten.” As we have watched the world’s response to this horrible tragedy we are also experiencing the sense of urgency. Unless the world acts quickly, thousands more will perish.
That being said, to love our neighbors goes beyond responding to a crisis. It means we are to work to change systems that are oppressive and mean-spirited. It also means we are to work toward reconciliation and peace. The expression, “the year of the Lord’s favor,” means the cancellation of debts and forgiveness.” We are called to live out our faith by forgiving others and setting them free.
In Glasgow, Scotland, a young lady, like a lot of teens today, got tired of home and the restraints of her parents. The daughter rejected her family's religious lifestyle and said, "I don't want your God. I give up. I'm leaving!" She left home, deciding to become a woman of the world. Before long, however, she was dejected and unable to find a job, so she took to the streets to sell her body as a prostitute. The years passed by, her father died, her mother grew older, and the daughter became more and more entrenched in her way of life.
No contact was made between mother and daughter during these years. The mother, having heard of her daughter's whereabouts, made her way to the skid-row section of the city in search of her daughter. She stopped at each of the rescue missions with a simple request. "Would you allow me to put up this picture?' It was a picture of the smiling, gray-haired mother with a handwritten message at the bottom: "I love you still.., come home!" Some more months went by, and nothing happened.
Then one day the daughter wandered into a rescue mission for a needed meal. She sat absent-mindedly listening to the service, all the while letting her eyes wander over to the bulletin board. There she saw the picture and thought, Could that be my mother?
She couldn't wait until the service was over. She stood and went to look. It was her mother, and there were those words, "I love you still.., come home!" As she stood in front of the picture, she wept. It was too good to be true.
By this time it was night, but she was so touched by the message that she started walking home. By the time she arrived it was early in the morning. She was afraid and made her way timidly, not really knowing what to do. As she knocked, the door flew open on its own. She thought someone must have broken into the house. Concerned for her mother's safety, the young woman ran to the bedroom and found her still sleeping. She shook her mother awake and said, "It's me! It's me! I'm home!" The mother couldn't believe her eyes. She wiped her tears and they fell into each other's arms. The daughter said, "I was so worried! The door was open and I thought someone had broken in!" The mother replied gently, "No dear. From the day you left, that door has never been locked." (from: The Unlocked Door by Robert Strand)
With God, the door is never locked. It is always open. We just have to walk through. When Jesus said, “Today,” he meant today, not tomorrow, not next week, not next month or not next year. Jesus’ words were profound and immediate. To procrastinate or ignore his message would mean missing out on God’s saving grace.
There is also a “not so obvious” meaning to Jesus’ message. We are not a poor people by any stretch of the imagination. We live in a free society which does not live under a government that is oppressive and tyrannical. We are not slaves nor are we in bondage to some dictator or evil ruler. Nevertheless we are still in bondage. We are victims of systems which are out of control. We worry about what others say about us. Some are living is disappointment due to failed dreams. Some are angry. Some are anxious. Some are afraid. Any of these can enslave us, hold us back, and make us feel like prisoners.
Alexander Whortley was a man who literally lived in a box. It was a mini-trailer, three feet wide, four feet long and five feet high. He lived there until the age of eighty. His box was made of wood, had a metal roof, and it housed him with all his meager belongings. Whortley chose to spend his life in that cramped space although he could have afforded more comfortable quarters.
None of us lives in a box, however many of us “box” ourselves in and continue to live our lives because we don’t attempt to change, or we let others control our thoughts, feelings and attitudes. We are boxed in by fear, negativity and self-doubt. We resist Jesus message because it challenges us to change and surrender to God’s grace.
We are not limited or inferior. Others may judge us but God does not. Others may have a negative opinion of us or feel we are unworthy but God loves us unconditionally. God restores our sight by opening our eyes to his love for us and enabling us to see what others can’t or don’t want to see.
God wants us to embrace Jesus’ message and receive it. We are not enslaved to anything or anyone. We are free. No one owns us. No one can decide for us. We are liberated by God’s forgiveness and grace. And, we are free to be who God made us to be.
Dr. Keith Wagner