by Mike Stavlund
Gospel Reading: Luke 4:21-30
For Sunday, February 3, 2013: Year B—Epiphany 4
There has been some debate recently over the holiday that honors Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and whether such recognition of Dr. King tends to minimize and domesticate his powerful prophetic message. When our President lays his hand on Dr. King’s Bible to take the oath of office, are we in a way imagining that the wide-reaching social and ethical agenda of Dr. King has somehow been completed?
Are we using his (truncated) message to endorse widely-accepted government agendas? Instead, should our truth-tellers—ancient, modern, and in-between—be kept in a distinct category of “prophet”, such that we can always feel the heat and fury of their insights? Instead of venerating their relics, should we burn them so that their fiery message will remain pure?
Domesticating Jesus?
In this week’s gospel reading, the religious powers-that-be gather around Jesus to listen to his teachings in the Temple. And yea, verily, they are impressed. They speak well of him, for his words are “gracious” (CEB). Too, they are surprised at his elocution and insight, since it comes from the son of a common man. We imagine them with their metaphorical arm around Jesus’ shoulders, ready to confer upon him some honorary degree and welcome him into the Establishment.
The assembly might be trying to domesticate Jesus’ message and actions, but he will have none of it. He leans in and puts a real edge on his words as he gives a little history lesson that resonates uncomfortably for his hearers, pushing them back on their heels.
Blessings for Who?
The painful part of Jesus’ words come in geography and the socio-politico-religio presuppositions of the day. Jesus highlights Yahweh’s regular preference for the people of Sidon and Syria over Israel. The implication being that, lo these many years later, prophets like Jesus might just be passing through Israel, right in their midst. But even more pointedly, the blessings of God might be passing over Israel.
Rather than blessing the folks who see themselves as maintaining fidelity, Yahweh has instead historically poured out good things on those who are seen as contravening God’s preferred practices, who are living in the wrong place, and who are generally unconcerned with Yahweh. The ancient Hebrew prophets were preoccupied with preaching to Israel about proper beliefs and practice, but they were at the same time delivering God’s blessings to those outside both the covenant and the comfortable social circles of Israel.
The moniker “God’s Chosen People” was turning out to be a lot less discrete than first thought.
Uncomfortable Implication
We might most naturally find ourselves in this text standing next to the religious leaders, wondering in what ways we might be ignoring the prophets right in our midst. Who are we dragging out of town, or hoping will just go on their way? We find ourselves wondering with a chill on our spine, what kind of hearing would we give Jesus in our day and age? Would we execute him, just as before?
But Luke doesn’t leave us there. Through a tricky bit of rhetorical sleight-of-hand, he distracts us into watching Jesus’ remarkable escape, leaving the understatedly powerful point to the very end: Jesus leaves the synagogue leaders and townie mob. Leaving us to wonder how a prophet conjures up the temerity to actually withhold the blessings of God from an obviously needy, but entitled, people. How does Jesus have the clear insight and strength of conviction to simply walk away from these people who so desperately need to align themselves with Jesus and his message?
The Hardest Question
Harder, still—though we naturally put ourselves in the place of the religious professionals, we might also stand next to Jesus the Prophet and ask ourselves, when is it acceptable to withhold blessings from the entitled people all around us? When is it okay to just leave?
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