there’s no prizes for guessing the film as it’s on the
TRANSCRIPT
There’s no prizes for guessing the film as it’s
on the screen…but out of interest, when was it
first screened? 1977 – 42 years ago.
What was thought to be quirky was that the
story started at episode 4, rather then episode
1 (although it was the first time we had seen
any of the characters)
Yet how does this fit with our narrative from
Luke 4? (no connection to Luke Skywalker by
the way)
1
We read the passage and we ought to
remember that the gospel writers are not
writing a chronological account of what
happened; rather a faith account.
So what occurs in John Gospel from John1:19
– John 4:42 fits between Luke 4: 13 and 14
verse 14 being where our passage today
starts.
The context is also that Jesus had been
ministering then for around 12 months before
he returned to Nazareth.
2
(This picture is staged in the rebuilt synagogue
of what it may have looked like in Jesus’ time).
In our reading of the passage we can wrongly
assume that Jesus left his time of temptation
and hot footed it straight to Nazareth; rolled up
at the synagogue and immediately stepped up
to start reading, teaching and preaching.
So much of what we may have been taught
has done from our western perspective and
how our literature treats narrative.
As we see here, there are other ways of telling
the narrative, and putting the events together.
3
We are quite used to receiving invitations to
one do or celebration or another.
And so it was in Jesus’ time...’invitations’
feature in many of Jesus’ parables as well as
in his time of ministry; parable of the Wedding
Banquet; Jesus invited to the Wedding at
Cana; Simon the Pharisee inviting Jesus to
his house and there is no end of these.
Jesus would have been at the synagogue by
invitation… as what we would term the guest
preacher.
Whether Jesus chose the passage from Isaiah
or whether it was the set text for the day in
uncertain
4
The significance of Jesus sitting down was that
he showed he was not simply going to read the
words as one who read.
The Rabbis sat to teach – they never stood up
when they taught – that is our way of doing
things, not theirs.
As Jesus sat down every eye would have been
upon him – to see what he did and said next.
5
When He sat down He did not return to His old
seat. History tells us there were two seats at
the front of the synagogue, one of which was
kept empty at all times as it was the seat the
messiah would sit in. This is the seat that
Jesus sat in. He was demonstrating to them
that He was the messiah.
This cannot be proven hard and fast as some
synagogues did not have a ‘Messiah seat’ –
there is no record either way of the Nazareth
synagogue.
However it’s what Jesus definitely said that
causes a stir.
6
Whether coupled with sitting in the reserved
Messianic seat (if one was there) or whether
as a stand alone statement; this was Jesus
openly and publicly declaring His Messiahship.
Jesus was not only confirming the prophecy of
Himself that he had just read out; but it was a
confirmation of all that they had heard about
him.
The prophecy from Isaiah wasn’t only what
would happen in Jesus’ ministry from that point
onwards but what had already happened since
He left the desert after his time of testing.
7
We are told that reports about Jesus had
spread throughout the surrounding country;
Jesus must have been bringing life
transforming change into the lives of the
people.
Everyone wanted to hear and see this itinerant
radical Rabbi…Jesus we are told taught in
their synagogues (plural)..He was the one to
try and get to. It’s fairly certain that every
synagogue would have been packed to the
doors…the only times when there wasn’t a
crowd was when Jesus was alone with His
disciples or when he was in prayer.
8
Jesus was proclaiming Good News to the poor
and a large part of the population would have
been poor…this Good News didn’t relate to the
minority but the majority.
The Good News that they can receive their
Salvation – all they needed to do was ask God.
This was counter cultural as the Jewish
thinking was that material wealth meant you
were right with God and receiving his blessing.
Jesus’ Good News was and is that everyone
regardless of life circumstance is able to have
their Eternal Salvation and Life.
9
Jesus was already telling people and continued
to tell everyone that He has come to
set the captives free;
Jesus tell them that He comes with healing and
his ministry proved this – free those imprisoned
by any physical or mental illness or spiritual
captivity.
Freedom from any oppression; political,
religious and financial – freedom into every
area of their lives – all radical teaching for a
nation under occupation!
Jesus tells them that he year of the Lord’s
favour, Jubilee Year was NOW – it has
happened, is happening and will happen!!
10
The text that Jesus read was well known and it
was one of the lynchpins of the prophecies
concerning the Messiah.
Then comes the punchline: Jesus pulls
together what they have heard about him and
his ministry and the passage he has just read
with the words ‘Today this scripture has
been fulfilled in your hearing’.
This caused a storm of protest and indignation
– Jesus has just declared the Messianic Age.
The time of liberty; the time when the
prophecies are fulfilled – which is exactly what
they have been hearing about but listening.
11
What does this mean?
‘God is disclosed in the historical
‘’praxis’’(practice) of liberation. It is the
situation, and our passionate and reflective
involvement in it, which mediates the Word
of God.
Today that Word is mediated (is heard)
through the cries of the poor and the
oppressed.’ McBrien, R.P. ‘’Catholicism’’
(Harper Collins, 1995), pp. 249–250.
12
What does this mean here in the UK and more
specifically in our community?
It has been said that you will never freeze
anyone into the Kingdom (in a cold church)
But I would ad that neither will you starve
anyone into the Kingdom who needs food; or
needs clothes and has none or not enough; or
needs liberation from an oppressive life and
they are passed by. It is about faith in action.
It is about a lot of what we do as a parish;
facilitate Help for the Homeless; work with
families suffering food and clothing deprivation;
supporting those in any kind of need.
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Bringing the practical outworking of the Good
News does bring liberty and freedom to those
receiving it.
It gives them Hope, in a society which can
seem so devoid of Hope.
The Bible contains over 3,000 verses that
speak of justice and poverty.
Jesus’s speaking out those 7 verses in Luke
was only glimpse of God’s heart for the
oppressed, fearful, hungry and homeless.
Where is Jesus now to bring this release form
captivity – He’s here in each of every one of
us.
14
Jesus spoke the words on the slide for all His
disciples including us.
James phrased it this way in James 2: 14 – 18 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if
you say you have faith but don’t show it by
your actions? Can that kind of faith save
anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister
who has no food or clothing, and you say,
“Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm
and eat well”—but then you don’t give that
person any food or clothing. What good does
that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t
enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is
dead and useless. (NLT)
15
We are called to daily follow in His steps, so the
words Jesus read for himself and His ministry are
true for us and always will be; (Luke 4: 18 &19)
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the
prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour”
And for each of us, we have to work this out as
best we are able with the time and resources
given to us. It is our calling, our invitation to join
in the Lord’s work with Him and for Him.
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