There
was once an evangelist named Billy Sunday. He was the Billy Graham of his
generation. He was conducting a crusade in a particular city, and in one sermon
he said something critical of labour conditions for workers in that city. After
the service, several businessmen sent him a message which read as follows: “Billy, leave labour matters alone.
Concentrate on getting people saved. Stay away from political issues. You’re
rubbing the fur the wrong way”. Billy Sunday sent this message back to them: “If I’m rubbing the fur the wrong way,
tell the cats to turn around”.
I
wonder if the congregation in the gospel reading from Luke 4:21-30 was just as upset
by Jesus’ comments as the businessmen were by Billy Sunday’s message. After
all, here was Jesus, a simple, common local man who was saying such profound
things………things that they didn’t want to hear. He was welcomed as a hometown
hero……..until he exposed the darkness of their souls. That darkness included
the view that they were “holier than thou”. They thought that Jesus should save
his miracles and teachings for them, instead of including people they regarded
as human trash; namely the Gentiles and others who were rejected by society.
They
did not realize something that we often fail to realize today. The church is
not a club or a membership organization. It is a place where Christ is preached
and proclaimed, where disciples are made and nurtured, and a place where we
confront ourselves. We have to realize that we are not who we think we are, but
instead we are sinners who have been redeemed by a God who sent his son to die
for us. The church is where we gather as sisters and brothers who are different
from each other but who are one people gathered at the font and the table and
sent out to serve in so many different ways.
Jesus
came to free sinners from the bonds of guilt, sin and corruption. He is the
servant referred to in the passage he read from Isaiah. Now the Jews had been
waiting for centuries for a Messiah to rescue them from the bonds of
oppression, but they weren’t ready for him when he came. They expected a
military-type of Messiah who would drive the Romans out and return Israel to
the glory days of the reign of King David. Instead, what they got was someone
who was far from their expectations-a simple, common man from a simple, common
background who would do extraordinary things such as heal the sick, cure the
lame, save sinners and associate with outcasts such as sinners and tax
collectors. They did not realize that in fact they were the ones who needed
healing and saving.
When
someone is different or doesn’t meet our expectations, how do we treat them? Do
we accept them for who they are, or do we reject them because they are
different or because they don’t belong? I found myself in a situation like this
when my family moved to Liverpool, Nova Scotia in 1973. When I started school that year, I was
shunned to the point of being bullied, largely because I didn’t fit in and
because of where I was from.
The
people in the congregation were indeed “holier than thou”. They thought that
they were better than everyone else. They wanted to keep Jesus for themselves
and away from the social outcasts. We are the same today. We sometimes think
that we are better than others because we belong to the right church or club,
or go to the right schools, or live in the right neighbourhood. When we meet other
people do not go to the same church, club or school, or live in the wrong
neighbourhood, we sometimes look down on them. For example, I heard my father
tell the story one time of an incident that happened before my family moved here.
One day he was in the post office in the community we were living in when a
lady came in and started having a conversation with him. At one point, she
asked him which church he went to. When he told her, she said, “Well, that’s
what I was afraid of!” and stormed out of the post office.
There
was another example of this “holier than thou’ attitude in oour provincial newspaper
a couple of years ago. There was a story about a devout
Anglican who died without a wife or children,
and under the terms of his will, which was written approximately 25 years ago,
his house could only be sold to someone who was an Anglican or a Presbyterian.
The executor too this to court, and the judge ruled
that since the Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the purchase of
sale of property on the basis of religion, this restriction was illegal.
We
often judge people because of prejudices that are caused by the other person’s
family, social status or other reasons. For example, many of you may remember
when Hank Snow lived and grew up in this area. My mother has told me stories
about his family situation, how he grew up and how he was forced to leave the
area. After he became famous, people in this area were behind him one hundred
percent, especially in recent years because of the Friends of Hank Snow Society.
Jesus met with a similar reaction. He was welcomed by the hometown crowd when
he returned, but when he turned the spotlight on their sins, they wanted to
kill him.
Jesus
told the crowd what they needed to hear instead of what they wanted to hear. He
challenged their way of thinking and the status quo. He came to “upset the
apple cart” called their way of life. He told the crowd that they did not have
an exclusive relationship with God. He reinforced John the Baptist’s claim in
Luke 3:8 about God being able to use stones to raise children of Abraham. Jesus
reminded them of times when God passed judgment on Israel but saved a Gentile
woman. He reminded them of God finding favour with Naaman the leper-a leper who
was a Gentile. All told, his message was a reminder of the old adage that “the
truth hurts”. In this case, the truth hurt the congregation.
Jesus
dragged the margin boundaries of race, creed and colour to include all people.
This was part of his ministry. The Jews were not necessarily at war with Jesus
the man. They were at war with his ministry, just like the world is often at
war with modern Christian ministry. The Jews felt threatened by the Christian
movement, just like many in our world today feel threatened by the Christian
climate. Christians are threatened throughout the world today, especially in
places such as Iran, India, China and North Korea. In fact, North Korea has
been ranked number one in the world by the organization Open Doors 2010 World
Watch List in terms of persecution of Christians.
For
centuries, people in India have lived under a rigid caste system in which every
person is born into a set social group or caste. People who are born into the
highest social group receive the benefits of honour and respect. Then there are
different levels below this. A person’s caste at birth will determine what job
he can have, who he can marry, and what rights he has in society. The very
lowest caste is the Dalits, whose name actually means “broken, crushed”. The
Dalits are targets of violence and discrimination in Indian society.
And
now, they are targets for discrimination for another reason: their faith. The
Christian faith is quite attractive to the Dalits. In fact, 80% of Christians
in India are Dalits. They choose to follow Christ even when they know the
consequences they might face. Why would they invite this treatment by becoming Christians?
They do so because in Christ, we meet a God who loves and lifts up those who
would be torn down by society. His heart is with those who suffer. He cares
about those who are hurting, who are helpless, who are brokenhearted, and who
are in bondage. He will not abandon us to despair. God is a God of hope. God is
a God of justice.
Today,
where do we see the church behaving like the congregation in the synagogue?
Where do we see any group suffering from a toxic case of in-group loyalties,
otherwise decent people making furious fools of themselves? Any group that
considers itself to be favoured can behave in this way, from a congregation to
a nation. Where do we see outsiders who welcome the good news and new life that
Christ offers?
Jesus
read the hearts of the congregation just like he reads our hearts today. How do
we respond to war, abortion, divorce, conspicuous consumption, concern for the
poor, racism, sexual orientation or child abuse and exploitation? Do we respond
out of prejudice or out of Christian love? In our hymn book there is a hymn
with this line: “Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?” Jesus
calls us to come and go with him, to become servants, fishers and followers,
witnesses---in other words, to become more than we are. A good example of this
is the outpouring of support for the victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti.
We
are called upon to speak and act on God’s behalf, especially when we see
injustice in our world. For example, lay readers in this Diocese are encouraged
to become involved in areas of social justice. That’s one reason why I’m
heavily involved with the local food bank. Do we feel up to the task? Can we
face opposition? Can we do anything to bring about change? Yes, we can,
especially with faith and God’s help. We are to see that the broken, bound and
bruised are set free and made whole. By doing so, we show the radical nature of
God’s love. God does not love just US.
God does not love just people WHO ARE
LIKE US. God does not just love people WHO
LOVE US. God loves even OUR ENEMIES---people
who hate us---people who hurt us.
When
we reject Jesus, we miss the opportunity of a lifetime. There is no guarantee
of a second chance. Today, there are only two continents in the world on which
Christianity is not growing--Europe and North America, two of the most
prosperous places in the world where our faith was planted long ago. Today,
many refuse to believe in the miracles of the Bible, including the
resurrection, so God has sent the Gospel elsewhere. Jesus asks us the same
question he asked Peter long ago at the shore of the Sea of Galilee; namely “Do you love me?” What he is really
asking is “Do you love me more than
anyone or anything else? Do you have faith enough to let me cleanse you of myth
and prejudice, rearrange your priorities and set your agenda?”
ESV Study Bible
International Christian Concern (2010, January
15). North Korea on Top Persecution List-Again. Retrieved January 15,
2010, from Persecution.org:
www.persecution.org/suffering/newsdetail.php?newscode=11488
Dunnam, M. (n.d.). The
Word and Words. Retrieved January 13, 2010, from eSermons.com: www.esermons.com
“Even when there’s a will, there’s no way house sale can be
discriminatory, court rules”, The Halifax Chronicle-Herald, Jan. 27, 2010
Exegesis of Luke
4:21-30. (n.d.). Retrieved January
13, 2010, from Sermonwriter.com: www.sermonwriter.com
Henry, M. Matthew
Henry Concise Commentary.
Kegel, Rev. D. (n.d.). Not
Just Inside. Retrieved January 13, 2010, from Sermonwriter.com:
www.sermonwriter.com
Molin, Pastor S. (n.d.). What About Us? Retrieved
January 13, 2010, from Sermonwriter.com: www.sermonwriter.com
People's New Testament.
(n.d.).
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