PROCLAIMING
THE GLORY
Nehemiah
8:1-3, 5-6,
8-10
Psalm
19
I Corinthians
12:12-31a
Luke 4:14-21
It
seems entirely appropriate that our annual parish meeting fall on the
3rd
Sunday after the Epiphany with these readings that emphasize the
proclamation of God’s glory.
Nehemiah
receives precious few visits in our lectionary and yet it records a
fascinating story of a period in the life of our spiritual ancestors.
When most of the Jews were carried into captivity in Babylon and
Jerusalem was destroyed, non-Jews living in the region moved into the
vacated space. Almost a century later, after Babylon's fall, Jews
started to return to the region, first under the leadership of
Zerubbabel, then much later under Ezra and finally, Nehemiah. Although
the temple had been rebuilt, it was a mere shadow of the
great temple of Solomon and failed to inspire the people.
They
faced continued attacks by those who had claimed the territory
during the exile – they were not easily discouraged and hoped to
drive the returning Jews away. Nehemiah, recognizing the need for
basic security as a prerequisite to spiritual development, encourages
and leads them in rebuilding the walls of the city while maintaining
its defenses.
Once
the walls are finished – symbolizing satisfaction of the most basic
physical needs – attention turns to restoring spiritual health to
this remnant. This comes after all a long and troubled time. Think
of all they had been through: dislocation by having returned to the
land of their ancestors – a strange place to them; the risks and
hardships to which they have been exposed; the stress of fear and
deprivations. Then things start to come together. The wall for
protection is finished; people begin to move into the city where
there is at least a measure of security. Now, it seems they can
relax. But their minds and hearts are still on edge, in a mode of
fear for real and imagined dangers and threats. They have not yet
realized that they are home, that their hearts can rejoice. Nehemiah
and Ezra gather the people and the religious and secular leaders,
perhaps recalling the words of the Psalmist:
The
law of the LORD is perfect and revives the soul; the testimony of the
LORD is sure and gives wisdom to the innocent. The statutes of the
LORD are just and rejoice the heart; the commandment of the LORD is
clear and gives light to the eyes.
The
Torah – God’s law but even more – God’s covenant with his
chosen, the proclamation of his love and concern for their well-being
– is read in the public square. It is read for SIX HOURS. These
are clearly NOT 21st Century church-goers. The people
stand, listening, absorbing, reacting. Pretty remarkable that they
would stand six hours listening to the Word of God being read, yet
there must have been a great hunger, a real need for the reassurance
that they were home, that all their sacrifice was not in vain.
They
respond with weeping, a sign of grief perhaps mixed with relief and
pent-up anxiety. Their hearing seems focused on their shortcomings
and needs. But Nehemiah tells them to rejoice, to feast – to find,
not sorrow in weakness and shortcoming but rather strength in joy
through God’s grace.
Perhaps
that is what Luke signals when he says that Jesus was “praised by
everyone” when he began to teach in the synagogues. Jesus comes
with a fresh view of God, one that points not to the messenger but to
the message. When he left his disciples at the end, he told them –
and us – that we would “do greater things” than even he when
the Holy Spirit comes.
In
today's gospel reading, the scene opens with Jesus entering the
synagogue to teach. He has just come from his period of trial in the
desert and his heart is filled with that experience. Accolades are
not uppermost in his mind. Rather, I think, he is concerned for the
people who have been apart from God for so long. Abused may be too
strong a word but the religious and political leadership seems to
have shown little concern for the ordinary and struggling humanity
that suffers from the intrigues of the powerful and rich while
relaxing in their self-image of God’s favorites. Jesus proclaims
the great deliverance passage from Isaiah, then, shockingly,
indicates that the time is now, the deliver is here, God is neither
absent nor asleep. The time has come to rejoice!
What
today's pericope fails to reveal is that the people liked hearing
these comforting words – until Jesus began to interpret them. Verse 22
says, “All spoke highly of him and were amazed at the
gracious words that came from his mouth. But they also asked, ‘Isn't
this the son of Joseph?’”
When
he indicated that to be God’s chosen in name only is not what is
important – an idea borne out by Elijah being sent to the widow in
Sidon or healing a Syrian – they immediately turned on him, angered
by his words and attitude to the point of wanting to kill him. While
that is something we need to explore on another day, I think it is an
important shading to frame the image of what Jesus had to say in the
synagogue and to us in St. James’ on the occasion of our annual
meeting.
Expectations
are what we use to chart our course, to measure our performance, to
guide our efforts. Our vision for a world where all are at rest in
God, living as family in the best sense if that word, moves us all to
seek closer relationships with God and with each other. If there are
marching orders, a vision for the church, expectations for how we are
to live, it is, I think, contained in those words that Jesus speaks,
“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Fulfilling
God’s promises, living into the covenant as chosen, as precious
jewels in his sight – these are lofty goals; we should not become
settled into thinking we have arrived. As long as there is one
person whose spirit is defeated, hungry for a word of hope; where
there is yet a single man or woman imprisoned by self-hatred, living
out that through addictions or in expressions of anger; while those
within and without the church are bound by fear or blinded by the
darkness of the world – we are called to proclaim salvation.
A
powerful statement we hear repeated so often that we probably fail to
understand it in its deepest sense comes in the sending of our
Eucharistic visitors: “We who are many are one body because we
share one bread, one cup.” Different gifts, different
personalities, unique individuals, all a part of God’s family,
close kin of one another. We truly are
gifted by the Spirit to carry this salvation to everyone, to every
place; to relieve suffering, to bring hope, to proclaim the year of
the Lord.
In
a few moments, we will take a look back at what we as a church have
done this past year and will peer into the future with a renewed
sense of commitment. We will celebrate the varieties of gifts we
find among us and we will celebrate, celebrate the strength we find
in the joy of the Lord and rejoicing on this day which is holy to the
Lord. Let us hear anew our charge today as we recall our mission
statement:
St.
James' is a church family where all are invited by the limitless love
of God
to
be nourished, blessed, and empowered to love and serve the world.
John Dryden Burton
January 24, 2010
St. James’
Eureka Springs, AR