Epiphany 4 – 2025
Luke 4:22-30
Marian Free
In the name of God who challenges and disquiets us. Amen.
I often listen to the radio when I am driving. This means that there are many times when I join or leave a programme in the middle. As a result I can struggle to follow the discussion or to know what is going on. Thankfully programmes are now available as podcasts and if I am really interested can listen to the part that I have missed and fill in the details that were puzzling me.
Knowing the complete story prevents us from drawing the wrong conclusions or from making assumptions that are not warranted. If we know the story in its entirety we have a clearer idea of the context and therefore a better idea of what is going on. When we hear only the beginning, middle or end, or when an account is divided in to two as today’s gospel has been by our lectionary writers, the situation can easily be misrepresented.
A usual interpretation of this morning’s vignette is that the Nazarenes were distressed by Jesus’ claim that the words of the prophet Isaiah, the words that he had just read, applied to him. We are led to believe that Jesus’ fellow citizens were offended by his assertion that in his person, he was the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecy. It is assumed that it was Jesus challenge to their scepticism, and his failure to perform miracles for them that inspired their anger and led them to want to push him over the cliff.
A careful reading of the story in its entirety, suggests that this is not an accurate representation of what is happening in this scene. The people are far from angry when Jesus finishes speaking. “All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.”
All spoke well and were amazed. There is no suggestion here that the people were offended by or antagonistic towards Jesus or by his claim to be the one promised by Isaiah. Nor is there any hint that they are inclined to disregard Jesus’ claim simply because he is the son of Joseph.
No. It is Jesus’ further statement that enrages them. It is Jesus’ implication that they do not have confidence in him that draws their ire.
Of course, we only have the story in summary and it doesn’t provide any nuances in the comments of the crowd that might have caused offence to Jesus, but it does seem that Jesus is being deliberately provocative when he says: “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.” As the crowd remains silent, it seems that Jesus is imagining hostility when he states that a prophet is without honour in his own town. It is Jesus who is being sensitive here, not the crowd.
What are we to make of this? Is Jesus behaving like a petulant spoilt child? Had he expect his family and friends to be even more effusive in their praise? Is he looking for an excuse not to perform miracles or is he seeking to provoke the people so that he can gain sympathy from others when the story is retold? Or, as I think is more likely, does this account serve Luke’s purpose of making it clear to his patron and to his readers that the Gentiles not only have a place in this new expression of faith, but that their place in this faith is in some way a consequence of Jesus’ having been rejected by his own people?
According to Luke, Jesus continues his attack by reminding his listeners of two Old Testament stories in which Gentiles benefited from the healing powers of the prophets and that therefore he, Jesus, was justified in taking his message and his ministry to those who were not members of the Jewish faith. Certainly this is consistent with Luke’s agenda that the faith proclaimed by Jesus is universal in its reach, not limited by the faith from which it emerged.
Of course, we will never know either what was really behind the events recounted in the gospel, or the exact intention of the author. What is clear is that it is always important to read the gospels in their context, and to come to the text afresh every time we read it, because, as the hymn claims: “God has yet more things to break forth from his word.” Certainty and the clinging on to what we think to be true, blind us to what the text is saying and prevent the Holy Spirit from speaking to us anew.
May we retain an openness to our scriptures, develop a sense of expectation and a willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to show us something we had not seen before.
Swallowsrest 