Luke 4:14-30

Luke 4:14-30

God’s Spirit Can Be On Us!

January 24, 2010

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,   because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4:18-19)

“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing!” (Luke 4:21)

What exciting words these must have been to the worshippers in Nazareth that day!  These words were words filled with promise for the worshippers in Nazareth that day.  They were hearing that the promises of God — the kingdom of peace and healing that Isaiah and so many others had promised — were finally coming true — and it was going to be one of their own who would bring it into fruition!

Exciting words indeed!

But — for us to really understand what they might have meant for them to hear these words — and to hear them from Jesus, who had grown up in their own town — maybe we need to imagine that we are in that Synagogue that day — hearing those words.

Imagine with me that you are one of the townspeople worshipping on that Sabbath.

You hear Jesus say:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,   because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  – and

“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing!”

– and you wonder if these words will ever mean the same to you again.

What power Jesus seems to have as He speaks them!

It seems as if these words from Isaiah are taking on a whole new meaning for you and the others listening to Jesus — Joseph and Mary’s boy — speak these words.

He seems to have such authority.

Maybe you aren’t sure of what all His words mean — but it seems to you that He is saying that He is going to be doing the things Isaiah had written of centuries before.  Maybe He is going to be the one to bring the good news to the poor — proclaim release to the captives — proclaim recovery of sight to the blind — let the oppressed go free – and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Maybe He was especially chosen — even anointed by God — to fulfill these promises God had made so many years before.

He seemed to be saying that His mission in life was going to be fulfilling the promises of God.

You believe Him when He says that the Spirit of God was upon Him.

But – still – you wonder.

You wonder why this particular person – why Jesus – is the one with God’s Spirit on Him – and how Jesus  will do all these things He seems to be saying that it’s Him mission to do.

You see — you’ve known Jesus all his life.

His father — Joseph — was a good friend of yours.  You are a brick mason — and you and Joseph worked together on many a house in Nazareth.  You had been in and out of his shop many times — and he yours.  Like everyone else in Nazareth, you rejoiced when Joseph and Mary became engaged and married.  You remember when they returned from the census with their son — Jesus.  You had watched Jesus grow.  You watched Him learn to be a carpenter like Joseph.   You watched Him attend school in the Synagogue like the other boys His age.  You watched Him play with other children his age in the streets of Nazareth.  You watched Him on the Sabbath as a young adult as He participated in the worship in the Synagogue.

He seemed to be a normal boy — but then — all that changed.

He left town one day.

Some said He had joined with the followers of John the Baptist.

Others said — no — He was baptized by John — but He had begun His own ministry — traveling around the countryside — performing miracles — and teaching about God.

He had stirred up a great deal of attention — the reports of what He was doing had reached Nazareth long before He did.

But then — one day — He came to town.

How happy you and all His friends were to see Him!

How excited everyone was!

Maybe He would do some of those great things here in Nazareth that you had heard He had done in other places!

Sure enough — on the Sabbath He entered the Synagogue — and was invited to take part in the service. He stood to read the Scripture — and turned to Isaiah.

Everyone beamed with pride as Jesus stood to read:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,   because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Then — all eyes were on Him as He sat in the special chair reserved for the one who was to interpret the Scripture.  You and everyone else sit in anticipation to hear what Jesus would say about this Scripture — and He looked up and said:

“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing!”

“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing!”

It becomes so silent in the Synagogue that you could hear a pin drop. For a moment — no one says a word.  Everyone is in shock.  But — you were rejoicing!

Finally — you think to yourself — God’s promise is going to be fulfilled.

Finally — someone has God’s Spirit on them to bring good news to the poor  – proclaim release to the captives — proclaim recovery of sight to the blind — let the oppressed go free – and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor!

You are not at all sure how Jesus — the son of Mary and Joseph — was going to do this — but you felt that — somehow — it would be done — and you even felt a strong desire to be a part of it.

At least that’s your initial reaction.

Somehow — God was in Jesus — and Jesus was going to make it His mission in life to fulfill the promises of God.

I hope this somewhat imaginative look at how someone in the Synagogue in Nazareth that day may have felt about and even initially reacted to what Jesus said makes you feel like you were there and listening to Jesus — because what Jesus said was not just for those people in that at that time and in that place — what Jesus said to those folks in that place and at that time Jesus says to us in this place and at this time, also.

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,   because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4:18-19)

“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing!” (Luke 4:21)

God’s Spirit was indeed upon Jesus.

God’s Spirit also can be upon us.

Jesus used the passage from Isaiah to describe how His ministry was going to be.  He was going to be the one who would bring good news to the poor  – proclaim release to the captives — proclaim recovery of sight to the blind — let the oppressed go free – and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor!

God’s word through Isaiah would indeed finally be fulfilled.

God’s promise to the people would finally be fulfilled.

God’s will for healing — justice — and peace was coming into the world — through Jesus Christ.

But – here’s the thing — just as the folks in Nazareth needed to hear that God’s promises were being fulfilled — we need to hear that, also. God’s promises of good news to the poor — release to the captives — recovery of sight to the blind – freedom for the oppressed — and the Lord’s favor was being fulfilled that day by Christ — but it can also needs to be fulfilled by us — here — and now.

Just as God’s Sprit was on Jesus – God’s Spirit can be on us!

Jesus said: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing!”

Today — Jesus still says — the Scripture is still being fulfilled.

Not just that day in Nazareth – but today!

Commenting on this passage Fred Craddock writs:

“By reading Isaiah 61:1-2 Jesus not only announced that prophecy was fulfilled (vs. 21) but was also defining His role in the world. The passage says that Christ is God’s servant who will bring to reality God’s fulfillment of the longings of the poor, oppressed, and imprisoned.  Jesus says “today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”.  The ministry of Jesus and the early Church showed that today God is active.  The Church today needs to show others that God is active in the world – not just in a vague “someday” and “sometimes” but today – here – and now!”

Indeed, God is active in the world – here and now!

The Spirit of God can be on us – here and now!

The Spirit of God can be on us as we take God’s message into the community and the world through words and actions that show God’s love and care to all who are in need.

It can be on us as we spread good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, proclaim recovery of sight to the blind and freedom for the oppressed and proclaim the Lord’s favor is available for all. It is on us as we reach out with power and bring God’s Good News into the world!

It can be on us as we support the work of the Lighthouse Ministries or Thornwell – or so many other ways we reach out those in need.

It can on us as we share a smile or a kind word with someone who may need to see that smile or hear that word at that time.

It can be on us as we make a phone call to someone just to let them know we are thinking about them – or stop by just to say “hello”.

It can be on us in so many ways — large and small.  There are so many ways we all can fulfill God’s promises of love and healing and peace in our world.

I don’t think Jesus was only referring to folks who were poor economically or physically captives or blind or actually oppressed by a government. While He was certainly talking about these things in the literal sense, He was also talking about those “poor in spirit” – captive to disease or addictions – blind to God’s love – or oppressed to financial situations such as job loss or abuse or any of the other situations in life that can torment us and keep us from realizing God’s love and favor that is available to us.  It’s up to the Church – up to us – to show God’s love and favor to all in need – regardless of the need.  It’s up to us to let them know that God is active – as Craddock writes – not just someday or sometimes or somewhere but today – here—and now!

But – here is something we need to pay attention to.

Jesus proclaimed that God’s Spirit was on Him as He did God’s will in the world – and it was. Jesus had a powerful ministry as He did the things that showed God’s will to others.

God’s Spirit can be on us also – but only as we do the things that show God’s will to others and live in God’s ways ourselves.

The wonderful reaction Jesus got from the folks in the Synagogue in Nazareth did not last long – did it?

No – when Jesus began telling them what it meant to have God’s Spirit on Him and on them they began to react violently.

It was going to mean doing things they did not want to do – reaching out to those they did not want to reach out to – and showing God’s love to those who they preferred to stay away from.

In other words, it was going to mean changing who they were – and becoming who God wanted them to be. It was going to mean changing their attitudes and getting the attitudes God wanted them to have. It was going to mean letting God change them so they could do God’s things in the world and not their own things.

God’s Spirit can be on us – truly on us – as we let God change us.

God’s Spirit is only on us as we begin to let God change who we are and make us who He wants us to be. God’s Spirit is only on us as we pray for God to change us – then share the change God is making in our lives with others. God’s Spirit is only on us as we get busy and do the things God is calling us to do.

When we met to celebrate our Prayer Groups two weeks ago and look at what God might be calling us to be doing, one topic that continued to be brought up was that we at Hopewell seemed to need to have a greater commitment to God and to letting God change us. Some suggested that we needed to pray for God’s Spirit to anoint us and build a fire of excitement in us.  I could not agree more. We need God’s Spirit with us here at Hopewell – and we need God’s Spirit with us in our personal lives.  It really doesn’t matter what the Session does or what I do – unless each of us are willing to pray for God’s Spirit to anoint and change us personally we will not be the Church or the people God is calling us to be.

Each of us have to pray for God’s Spirit to bless us – to come upon us – and change us – before we can truthfully say “God’s Spirit  is on us!”

God’s Spirit was at work in Jesus as He spread good news to the poor, proclaimed release to the captives, proclaimed recovery of sight to the blind and freedom for the oppressed and proclaimed that the Lord’s favor was available for all.  God’s Spirit can be at work in us – and upon us – as we pray for it and give ourselves to God and let Him change our lives and our Church and do the things that show God to the world.  If each of us would pray for God’s Spirit, God will send it – will changes us — and glorious things will happen.

Pray for God’s Spirit to truly be on us.

Pray for a changed attitude among us.

Pray for an attitude of being willing to get involved in the things of the Church and the things of God.

Pray that we will be – as Craddock writes – people who show to our community and the world that God is at work – not just someday or somewhere but here and now.

That’s the only way God can truly make a difference in our lives, our Church, our community, and our world.

But – here’s the promise God gives us – if we pray for His Spirit to change us and through us make a difference in our Church, our community, and our world – it will happen. God wants it to happen – if we want it to happen. God wants it to happen – if you want it to happen.

Pray.

Then it can be true that God’s Spirit is on us – and we can be God’s people showing others that God is active in our lives – our Church – and the world – as Craddock writes: “not just in a vague “someday” and “sometimes” but today – here – and now!”

Then it can be said that God’s Spirit is on us! Amen