Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:"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."And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
This Gospel Story today has been written for every one of us. This is the day when God has called us by name and has told us the God is interested every life God has created. We knew what Jesus was born in Bethlehem that he was born poor and helpless, and then the wise men came and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. We know that he was baptized and turned the water in to wine at the marriage of Cana. When Jesus manifested God's presence to all the nations we may not have known just how far that manifestation would go. Actually God's presence, power and hope and first concern is the poor, the captives, the blind, the oppressed, those who feel that they have failed.
Bishop Gene Robinson in his book In the Eye of the Storm, Swept to the Center by God writes:
"First item on the agenda; a trip back to his hometown, where like a good Jewish boy, he goes to the synagogue in which he's grown up. To honor his return, the elders of his synagogue call him up front to read from the sacred texts. He chooses a passage from Isaiah, and in this "inaugural" speech, declares what's on his heart and what his life and ministry will be all about." (Pages 115, 116).
This Gospel story is placed in the beginning of Luke's Gospel because Luke is paving the way for what Jesus will do with his work and ministry. Shortly after, we will see him cleanse the lepers, heal the sick, free those who have been in prisons, and bring into the fold those who have been left on the sidelines. He will forgive the sins of those who have forgotten love of God and neighbor, and he will challenge the arrogant to repent.
In today's Out in Scripture we read the following Commentary:
In this reading Jesus stands before the assembly and reads from the prophet Isaiah (61:1-2). The reading is one of Isaiah’s servant songs that describes the work of the messiah. It is a ministry that delivers hope to those who are poor, captive and oppressed (Luke 4:18). This anointed one, the messiah, also proclaims a year of jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-12), a time when the land rests fallow and is restored to those who lost it through poverty or debt (Luke 4:19). At the conclusion of reading the passage, in verse 21, Jesus claims the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Words to be spoken by the messiah are words now embodied in Jesus: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me" (verse 18).The readings today connect words, body, calling, community, Spirit and Christ. The LGBT community of faith is challenged to engage Scripture on its own and to embody it in the world. We must refuse to let God’s good word [RAR1]go silent. We must accept ourselves as vital members of the living body of Christ. We join our bodies with that of Christ, pray the Spirit of God rests upon us and live compassionately and justly.
The Gospel Reading from Luke definitely fits in with the reading from Second Corinthians 12:12-31a where we continue to read Paul's response to the early Church struggling with a diversity of gifts. Paul acknowledges that not every part of the Body of Christ is able to do the same things, but all have their part to play. Just because not everyone is a preacher, administrator, or teacher does not mean we do not have something valuable to offer. Likewise just because we are lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgendered does not mean that we do not have valuable and worthwhile gifts to offer the Church in our present time.
These Scripture readings very much play into the activities of this past week, and they are a wake up call to the Church and society. We are offered an opportunity to see into what happened and respond with all due concern and appropriate action.
Let's read a little bit more from Bishop Gene Robinson about today's Gospel reading.
"I don't know about you, but this doesn't exactly fit my idea of good news. Frankly, I don't like hearing this, partly because I'm one of the privileged. I have more money than I need, I'm blessed beyond my wildest dreams, I live in a house ten times the size of most families in the world. I'm more educated than most people in the world, have never known hunger, have seen a good part of the world, and consume more than my fair share of what the poor of the world produce. I like my comfortable circumstances and my mostly predictable life.
And yet in his inaugural speech, Jesus asks me, "How are you going to spend the privilege you've been given? You know of God's love for you, and you draw enormous strength adn comfort from that knowledge. But what good are you going to put that to? What risk are you going to take, what bold and daring thing are you going to do because of -- and in service to -- the Gospel? Because if you want to follow me, if you want to know me and be in relationship with me, this is where you've got to be: with the poor, with the prisoners, with the blind, the captive, the oppressed.
A church is more than a mutual admiration society. It exists for more than itself. If we are followers of Christ, we need to go where Christ is--which, as the Gospel tells us, is always with the poor, the dispossessed, the marginalized--in New Hampshire or New York, in Manchester or Belfast, in El Salvador or West Africa. The question that faces every single person who takes the title Christian is exactly the same question Jesus faced in the wilderness after his baptism: "How will you spend the privilege that is y ours? What risks will you take for the Gospel? What good will come to others from our knowing God's love for us?" (Page 117, 118).
Is it possible that God uses the prejudice and rejection that LGBT people experience in the Church and society to help open the hearts and minds of people to new and greater understandings about the world around them? Could it be that LGBT people can celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ came to serve us and to call us to serve others because we are often people oppressed and held captives by unjust laws and religious oppression? Could it also be that the reason the religious right rejects LGBT people so much, is because our gift of love is so different from what they think it ought to be, that it can cause others to see love beyond their Pandoras Box and understand love in new and diverse ways?
The horrible decision by the United States Supreme Court this week is bad for many reasons. It makes corporations and business profits to go before individual people and their fundamental civil and human rights. Health insurance companies who have been fighting health care reform and in many ways succeeding are now given the financial freedom to bring down any and all individuals who do not uphold their power over people's health care, by the use of their billion dollar profits. Why was this decision made? Because it is easier for businesses and corporations to take care of their profits, stocks and shareholders than it is to take care of people in need of health care services, better paying jobs and civil rights to pursue "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." To have to pay attention to the poor, the blind, those in captivity due to unequal rights, lack of health care and ability to take care of themselves and their families, makes many people just too damned uncomfortable. That's why this Gospel flies in the face of this Supreme Court decision. That is why LGBT individuals and all who care about themselves, health care and the future of democracy need to pay attention and be active in putting up new barriers in front of this ungodly decision.
I was recently asked "what can we do in the face of this decision that seems so final?" There are many things we can do to help. Among them is to sign the petition for Save Democracy . Also, we can also act by as much as possible letting those corporations who use their money against those who want civil rights, health care reform and better paying jobs, know that we will not support them and help them earn their billion dollar profits. Now this is easier said that done, because when we need something we need it, but when we do not, let's keep track of those who over step the use of their money and literally bankrupt them. We can also write our legislators and ask them to support legislation that will help in campaign finance reform.
We are asked today by Jesus in our Gospel to move beyond our comfort zones and be a voice for the poor, the blind, those marginalized by society, even if those people happen to be us. The good news for today is that all of us are in need of a Savior, and God has answered that prayer. Will we trust in God and do all we can for ourselves, the people of Haiti, Uganda and right here in our own Nation? Today, we heard our inaugural address, let's get to work and fulfill what we have promised to achieve.
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, BCP, Page 215).
O merciful Father, who taught us in your holy Word that you would not willingly afflict us, look with pity upon the sorrows of the people of Haiti, the LGBT Community here and those in Uganda and Rwanda for whom our prayers are offered. Remember them, O Lord, in mercy, nourish their souls with patience, comfort them with a sense of your goodness, lift up your countenance upon them, and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for those in trouble or bereavement, BCP, Page 831)
Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Oppressed, BCP, Page 826).
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