Dearest e-votees,
On this cusp of this New Year (calendar, liturgical began in early December) may you and yours have a blessed and joyous 2016.
Peace,
Karl
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21 Then [Jesus] began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” 24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Luke 4:21-30, NRSV
Jesus has just astounded the home town crowd by reading from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and telling them that he is the fulfillment of those deep and salvific promises. The crowd goes from amazed to questioning to rage within the space of 7 verses. Those joining in a house of worship end up taking Jesus to the cusp of the hill, where their town was located, threatening to throw him off.
Jesus wasn't thrown off but the people were. Why do you suppose that someone they knew and cared for drove them to such fury? Were they put off by the sheer arrogance of claiming that a scripture, a potent one at that, spoke directly of him? Were they put off by him claiming to be a prophet? Were they put off by Jesus saying God often seems to forgo the obvious and worthy recipients of blessing and grace and rather bestow honor and healing on those on the fringes?
What about us? Are there people we know who seem to think they are to us a gift from God? Do they, or others, attribute statements and accolades to them that just make our blood boil? Do people seem to neglect our needs and concerns in order to care for others much more likely to be found on the fringes? Were Jesus to come into our midst would we be likely to want to throw him off a cliff? Or discount and deride him? Or nail him to the cross?
The truth is the truth confronts us. It cuts us to the core. Look at the prophets and how they were treated. Consider John the Baptist and what became of him and his truth telling. Consider Jesus and what was done in order to attempt to suppress his truth telling. But the truth persists. And when the mainstream rejects the truth it goes to the edges. The truth slips right through the midst of our injurious hands and goes to one from Zarephath or a Syrian or a Samaritan woman at the well or shepherds tending their flocks by night or to ... If we want to know the truth, which will set us free, we need to let the truth speak to us--no matter how unlikely the speaker seems to be to us. If we want to find the truth we should consider stepping away from the center to seek Jesus on the fringes in the "least of these". When we speak truth, as God directs us, we may find ourselves being manhandled by an unruly mob--we're in good company.
God, bring your truth to bear to and through our lives. Help us seek after your will and, as John the Baptist said, decrease in order that you might increase. Amen.
On this cusp of this New Year (calendar, liturgical began in early December) may you and yours have a blessed and joyous 2016.
Peace,
Karl
------------
21 Then [Jesus] began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” 24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Jesus has just astounded the home town crowd by reading from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and telling them that he is the fulfillment of those deep and salvific promises. The crowd goes from amazed to questioning to rage within the space of 7 verses. Those joining in a house of worship end up taking Jesus to the cusp of the hill, where their town was located, threatening to throw him off.
Jesus wasn't thrown off but the people were. Why do you suppose that someone they knew and cared for drove them to such fury? Were they put off by the sheer arrogance of claiming that a scripture, a potent one at that, spoke directly of him? Were they put off by him claiming to be a prophet? Were they put off by Jesus saying God often seems to forgo the obvious and worthy recipients of blessing and grace and rather bestow honor and healing on those on the fringes?
What about us? Are there people we know who seem to think they are to us a gift from God? Do they, or others, attribute statements and accolades to them that just make our blood boil? Do people seem to neglect our needs and concerns in order to care for others much more likely to be found on the fringes? Were Jesus to come into our midst would we be likely to want to throw him off a cliff? Or discount and deride him? Or nail him to the cross?
The truth is the truth confronts us. It cuts us to the core. Look at the prophets and how they were treated. Consider John the Baptist and what became of him and his truth telling. Consider Jesus and what was done in order to attempt to suppress his truth telling. But the truth persists. And when the mainstream rejects the truth it goes to the edges. The truth slips right through the midst of our injurious hands and goes to one from Zarephath or a Syrian or a Samaritan woman at the well or shepherds tending their flocks by night or to ... If we want to know the truth, which will set us free, we need to let the truth speak to us--no matter how unlikely the speaker seems to be to us. If we want to find the truth we should consider stepping away from the center to seek Jesus on the fringes in the "least of these". When we speak truth, as God directs us, we may find ourselves being manhandled by an unruly mob--we're in good company.
God, bring your truth to bear to and through our lives. Help us seek after your will and, as John the Baptist said, decrease in order that you might increase. Amen.
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