Is that Mary And Joseph's Son?

And so in Luke 4:21-39 the day arrives…the local boy who has been making quite a name for himself, is coming home. He goes to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He reads from Isaiah. He speaks a few words. The crowd whispers to each other how good he is, "Mary and Joseph certainly raised a good son." But wait, what happened? The crowd is beginning to get a little restless as he goes on. They’ve heard all about the great things he’s done before returning home. Many of the people had gathered to see some great event – a little razzle-dazzle for the home town folks. If Jesus would just do some healings or some other miracle, they would know that God's power was here and now, once and for all, and he would finally drive out the pagan Gentiles and their ungodly influences in the city.

But Jesus performs no miracles in Nazareth, and in fact goes out of his way to defy expected convention of the respected in Israel by reaching out to sinners, toll collectors and outcasts. So what started as an initially positive response among the Jews, leads to anger and hatred when his mission opens up to include the Gentiles. The essence of Jesus’ ministry is the love of God for all people. What is it that sparks this abrupt shift from awe to rage for the hearers of Jesus’ words?

As for Jesus, it’s hard enough to live up to anticipated expectations. It’s harder still, of course, to meet up with unexpected rejection. There is a very human dimension to this whole story. When the hometown boy makes good, there are usually more than a few who resent his success. Why? As for us, there are all sorts of people in our lives who call us to compassion and justice. Some of them are very ordinary. What is it about the ordinary that’s so hard to see?

Listen to Your Mother Part II

Last week’s text contained a narration of Jesus’ first public act according to the Gospel of John. (John 2:1-11) Now it’s Luke’s turn to describe Jesus’ first “act” as he began his ministry. It is not an act at all, but a sermon, (Luke 4:14-21).

In his sermon, Jesus attempts to describe his life’s purpose and his ministry. As such, this mission statement of sorts, is particularly important in the church year because of what it reveals about who Jesus is, what Jesus will do, and for whom Jesus has come. The promise and prophecy of Isaiah provides the basis for Jesus’ ministry and fulfills God’s covenant and promise from generation to generation, back to Abraham and Sarah. However, more importantly, this is more than just an historical account; these words remind us that God is present to us today.

If we were asked to choose the words that we believed might best describe who we are: our essence; our life, our life’s meanings and purpose, what would they be? How much are we willing to reveal about ourselves, to the world, or even to ourselves? As for Jesus, we want to know who he is and why he’s here.

The language of Jesus’ first sermon is reminiscent of his mother. Mary, like Isaiah, has implicit trust in God, and is the first to bear witness to her son’s ministry. Mary’s beautiful Magnificat acknowledges that God’s promise will be fulfilled by Jesus. She connects the dots, between the God that she knows, and has always known, and the God that is orienting her future, through her own son. She realizes that the world will now experience God’s love through Jesus.

I wonder what Jesus learned from his mother in those early years. Think about it, Luke’s gospel is the only one to include the story of the 12-year-old Jesus who sends his mother and father into a parental frenzy when he all but disappears. Luke obviously had a reason for including the story of the young Jesus preaching in the temple. At the risk of over-analyzing, what if Jesus first learned what it means to bring good news to the poor from the stories that his mother told him? And what did he learn about Elizabeth, the mother of his cousin John, and about his ancestors? What if he watched his mother and listened to her and saw in her one who not only knew the good news proclaimed to her, but embodied its presence as she lived her life? If so, this could be a most unique season of Epiphany. (Adapted from Karoline Lewis, Working Preacher 1/27/13)

 

Do Whatever He Tells You

The Wedding at Cana is unique to the Fourth Gospel and is the first of John’s seven signs. But, why water into wine? (John2: 1-11).

The scene conjures up beautiful images of Jesus as a young man and reminds us that the mystery of God’s incarnation in Jesus has more to do with Jesus’ humanity than his divinity. That God could do miraculous things is easily understood. After all he is God. But that he could live fully human sharing all our fears and joy, is for me the real mystery of the incarnation. He is one of us.

And so to me, the exchange between Jesus and his mother seems on a human level, to be so personally familiar and humorous. Mary, whom John never refers to by name, senses the embarrassment of the wedding hosts and tells Jesus that they have run out of wine. Jesus’ paraphrased response is that they should have hired a better wedding planner. But then, without paying him any mind, Mother Mary tells the servants to do whatever he says. 

I have this image of my mother encouraging me to get on the diving board for the first time: “Come on, you can do it! I know you can!” “But, Ma, I’m not ready yet, it’s too hard and I’m scared.” “Don’t be afraid, I’m here, you can do it, I know your can.”

And what about a time much later in life when I was in the throes of an interview process for a job I really wanted. One day my mother shows up with a telephone number of a “big shot” son of a friend who I should call. “Ma, that’s not how it’s done;” I said; “there is a process; this is not a job you get if you know someone.” “Never mind,” she says, “call him at 10:00 AM tomorrow; he’s expecting you.”

I wonder what my mother or Mary saw at that moment. What had been revealed to them that I could be able to dive off the high board, and I could get the job that I wanted? Mary had faith in her son and believed that such a miracle was possible. How did she know that this was Jesus’ time? How did my mother know that I was ready and just needed a little push? 

And what about the unspoken “dialogue” between Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. In many ways the exchange between Mary and Jesus is somewhat reminiscent of the prompting characterized by Rosa’s refusing to yield her seat. She likely provoked King into action, although he thought his time had not yet come. She declared his moment was at hand.

It is more than coincidence that Jesus’ mother surrounds his earthly ministry. She is there at the very beginning; there at the start of his “career” and she is there at the end… as she watches him die. She is the nurturing force when he, as the Word is made flesh, shares parenthood with God, the Father. What difference does this make in this season of the Epiphany? Perhaps it is a reminder that whenever Jesus reveals his divinity, he is simultaneously revealing something about his humanity. Perhaps, in the sign that it is water into wine, we might even experience something that we need to know about ourselves?

You…are my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased

I wonder how many of us celebrate our Baptism as we might our birthday or anniversary. I’m not sure I can even locate my baptismal certificate much less know the month or day it took place. This Sunday we will celebrate the baptism of Jesus according to Luke 3:15-16, 21-22. Despite the fact that this event in our church calendar was once considered an even more important feast than Christmas, the Baptism of Jesus is usually acknowledged with a Gospel reading and a sermon. Yet, along with the Epiphany, it is a celebration of the true nature of the incarnation of God. Perhaps we should wait a little while before we put away our manger scenes. 

I suspect that for many Christians the sacrament of Baptism is somewhat of a mystery. If you ask some why they want their children baptized they would be hard pressed to explain. Do we do it to please grandparents? Is it a cultural act? Is it some sort of “ticket to admission” to a particular church or is it a pre-qualification for communion? How many of us were raised believing that Baptism was intended to “wash away” our sins? 

Instead, the sacrament informs us that the presence of God is with us and in us and is essential to our very being. Baptism reminds us that in addition to being part of the Christian community, we were invested in God’s Kingdom long before any sprinkling of water or liturgical incantation took place. 

In this Gospel Luke seems to “be apologizing” for having to baptize Jesus, when he tells us that he is not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. Then he goes on to say that while I am baptizing you with water, the one mightier than I is coming and will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. How many times have we said “Oh Lord I am not worthy” when we really are worthy? We are worthy because of our birth rite but like Mary we are humbled.

Back to our Gospel…when all the people and Jesus had been baptized, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased. Th powerful affirmation of the Father made it clear to all just who Jesus was.

“In a very profound way we are in fact brothers and sisters to one another. Each of us has already received the first great gift of our spiritual inheritance: the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God resides in each of us as the source of the divine life and the source of all life…The life of God in us means that we are closely bonded to one another. We are more closely united by the living presence of the Spirit in us than we would be by family blood lines. The shared life in God, makes us family in a profoundly personal way. This is the faith vision of the reality which we call Church.” (John Powell, S.J. The Christian Vision, p131)