In this age of immediacy, "reality shows," and the "in your face" media and way of "communicating" today, is there anything left for our imaginations - for mystery, and hopeful expectancy?
This third week of the Epiphany season, Jesus takes us into an exciting new enlightenment between tradition and revelation, as the Word made flesh launches his mission in his home town of Nazareth. Jesus came filled with the Holy Spirit, and had gained fame and praise throughout the surrounding country. He unrolled the scroll, stood and read from the prophet Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." What powerful, inspiring words to a poor, oppressed, occupied people! As he sat to teach, in the custom of rabbis, you probably could have heard a pin drop, as they waited with "all eyes fixed on him" in hopeful expectation of what their favorite son would have to say. And then something totally unexpected, something beyond awesome happened. Jesus said "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." What was the reaction of his fellow villagers? What were their expectations? What would our expectations have been? Now that we know the "rest of the story," what are our expectations for our church and our mission today?
The Rev. Rick Morley in "eyes fixed," asks us what do we expect from our church experience, and for our church? "But, how many of us go to church really expecting the Spirit of God to actually show up? Do we expect news so good that it might shatter the despair of the poor? Do we expect release, recovery, and the ending of oppression?... Do we go to church looking to fulfill our own (oftentimes paltry, self-centered) expectations? Or, do we come ready and open to see God’s expectations manifest themselves before our very eyes?"
Dr. W. Scott Dillard invites us to see who Jesus really is with wonderful anecdotes, acknowledging the heritage of tradition, while showing us the revelation of God, true God from true God, true light from true light in "The Nature of Revelation: Jesus' Sermon at Nazareth.
Once we see Jesus as he really is, what should, or do we do with him? What happens when we trust who Jesus is? See The Rev. Danae Ashley's "Trusting Jesus."
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