Luke 4:21-30 Driven Out of Town

Luke 4: 21-30 Driven Out of Town

[21] Then he 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.

What is happening in this scripture? – Jesus has returned to his home town, full of the holy spirit. He enters the synagogue and reads from the Torah, from Isaiah:

[18] "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, [19] to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."

He then speaks to the congregation and tells them that today in their presence this scripture has been fulfilled. Some of the people ask among themselves, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son? (Implication: Who does he think he is!?”) Jesus either hears the murmuring or senses it and says, “No doubt you are thinking, physician, heal thyself!”
He tells them no prophet is accepted in their hometown, probably quoting a well known folk aphorism of the day. Then he gets them really angry, comparing himself to Elijah and reminding them that Elijah was sent by God to only one widow at Zarephath, and only one leper, Naaman. The congregation is highly insulted. They get the message: Jesus challenges their sense of entitlement. Just because he is a local boy, doesn’t mean they get preferential treatment from God.
Maybe Jesus remembers how he was treated as a child. Maybe he sees some really bad things in Nazareth. Whatever the reason, Jesus reminds his own villagers that justice and healing are God’s domain, and God alone will chose who he attends to. The message, again, no preferential treatment. In God’s kingdom there are not favorites. Justice, food and healing are to be egalitarian. It’s God’s world, and God’s will, not a favored few.

How is this happening in the world today? – How many of us have felt proud of our Christianity; so proud that we believe we have God’s inside ear. “At least I’m not like those people over there!” Or maybe its more like, “I’m saved, so I’ve got a right to criticize and perhaps even aggressively attack someone who believes differently or even not at all.” Most of the time this arrogance and pride is much more subtle and harder for us to even realize in ourselves. And therein lies the danger. Once we think we are in the chosen group, we polarize our relationships with others and they become the out group. Jesus reminds us that in God’s kingdom there is no out group. He draws a circle around all of us. Power either destroys those different from themselves or forcefully converts them. Justice loves people, all people and by that love includes them, warts and all. God’s justice is impossible for us to attain, and perhaps that is why we are always trying to water it down, with technicalities or exceptions. The hard thing for us to swallow about God’s justice is that there simply are NO exceptions to who is included in the kingdom. We humans struggle at how to make that a reality. Maybe we can’t. Maybe that’s why God has to be in charge of that.

How is this story my story? – I try not to be proud and exclusive, but I fail miserably. Lord forgive me for my tendency to judge, criticize, politely and by conscious omission. Lord help me remember that you do not reject me or anyone else, so how can I reject anyone and do your will? I don’t know how to do this Lord. Teach me to let your holy spirit come into my world. Help me to remember that when the world was confronted by you in human form, we hated you, and we killed you, because you showed us up for who we really are. If this doesn’t humble us there is no hope for us. Thank you for your grace Lord, that gives us another chance to participate with you in creation of your new world.