This is the Year of the Lord's Favor

In Luke 4:14-21 (NRSV), Jesus' reputation precedes him. When he visits his home synagogue in Nazareth, he is handed the scroll of Isaiah to read. He carefully opens it up, deliberately finds a passage and reads it out loud.

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.

When he is done reading Jesus carefully rolls the scroll back up, hands it to the attendant, and sits down.
Scripture tells us that all of the eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. "Today," he says, "this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

What is Jesus talking about? We know that in the very moment Jesus spoke his words that the world's problems didn't cease to exist. People are still homeless and hungry, they still get sick, they are imprisoned for their beliefs, and enslaved by their conditions. As far as the Year of the Lord's favor, referring to Jubilee, the practice of forgiving debts every seventh year, what creditors do you know who will forgive a debt owed?

Jesus' proclamation that the scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing came at a particular time. After being baptized in the Jordan, Jesus spent some time in the wilderness alone where he was tempted by the devil. In our gospel reading today, Jesus is emerging from the wilderness to start his ministry. Filled with the power of the Spirit, Jesus moves around the countryside, teaching in the synagogues, including the one in his own home town of Nazareth.

Jesus deliberately selects this passage to begin his ministry. He is announcing that these words, first spoken by the prophet Isaiah, best describe what he is about and where his ministry is heading. Wrapped up in the person of Jesus is a concern for others, a concern for justice. And what we know is that Jesus' very nature embodies this deep concern for the world, so much so that he sacrifices his own body on our behalf.

Throughout the Gospel we read about how people will travel long distances at great personal risk to fall at Christ's feet. Those who are desperate, lonely, and have nowhere left to turn, will turn to Jesus. All across the country, we stand in the pulpit and declare that we know the truth and his name is Jesus Christ and yet, where are the people? We know that when Jesus speaks - all eyes are fixed on him, all ears are intent to hear what he has to say. So why then are our churches struggling to reach people?

We struggle because we have forgotten that we are caught up in God's plan and not our own. We are not called to bring people into our church, instead we are called to bring people to the foot of the cross where healing and hope can take place.

I live in a neighborhood that gathers once a week all summer long. Our gatherings are hosted by all neighbors in-turn. The rest of us bring side dishes and salads to share. Everyone is involved; all are welcomed and supported. When a neighbor's house caught fire one winter, the neighborhood rallied to bring warm clothes for the owner and food for the Great Dane who saved his life. When neighbors are looking for work, they turn to each other for references. When a new neighbor moves in, we welcome them by bringing food. When a baby is born, we host a shower to celebrate. And when a neighbor dies, we are there to console the ones left behind. Those who disagree (and there are disagreements) politely discuss their differences over a beer.

The reason that people show up to our neighborhood gatherings (everyone shows up) is because that is where they are healed and made whole. That is where they encounter the Spirit which has no boundaries and cannot be contained by a building on Sunday mornings. In my small neighborhood, the poor are made rich, the rich are made poor, true sacrifice is made day-in and day-out. The Word is being proclaimed in the same way that Jesus proclaims this the Year of the Lord's Favor...by living it.
 
As communities of Christ, we must embody the truth of our claim that in Jesus there is new life. In Jesus there is a new way. In Jesus this is the year of the Lord's favor. We are released from bondage to sin. We are released from the need to be comfortable all of the time. We are released from the fear that our church is dying and start living as though its death should matter.