The Big Story: Jesus' Sermon at Nazareth


One of the prominent themes of the gospel of Luke is that Jesus came to bless the poor and marginalized.  The Virgin Mary is a poor, unknown woman in Nazareth.  God announces Jesus' birth to a group of shepherds out in the field.  

Luke continues that theme in his account of Jesus' sermon at Nazareth in 4:14-30.  It's Jesus' first sermon in the gospel, giving it prominence.  It sets the theme of Jesus' public ministry.  The fact that it takes place in Jesus' hometown of Nazareth gives it particular importance.

Jesus is in a synagogue at Nazareth on the Sabbath.  They hand the scroll of Isaiah to him, and he turns to what we know as 61:1-2.  This is one of the "Servant Songs" of Isaiah, which tell about a special servant of the Lord.  Many in Jesus' time connected them to the Messiah, the Anointed One, who would establish God's kingdom on earth.  

Jesus reads the passage, in which the servant says that he came to proclaim good news to the poor.  As he did that, he would proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, release for the oppressed, and the coming of the year of the Lord's favor.  All these flowed from the idea of good news for the poor.

After Jesus read from this scroll, he sat down.  All eyes were fastened on him!  After a moment, he said, "Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  That must have shocked the congregation!  Jesus was saying that an event from the end times was happening at that moment.  All these things meant God's kingdom was coming to the world!

Initially, the people were pleased with what Jesus said.  But initially, they didn't understand what Jesus was saying.  He was saying that God was going to use him to upend the world.  He would bring both spiritual and material salvation.  Once they understood what Jesus was saying, they tried to kill him!

Too many times, we Christ followers divide spiritual work from material work.  We believe God called us to proclaim a spiritual gospel that has no connection with meeting material needs. But Jesus connected both.  We proclaim salvation through faith in Christ, but we also work to meet physical needs.

God wants us to identify with the poor and marginalized, to proclaim and be good news for them.  When we do that in the power of the Holy Spirit, we fulfill the mission Jesus gave us, and God’s kingdom comes to the world!

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