Sunday TGBC reading and thoughts
The Good Book Club
SUNDAY, February 18 1st Sunday in (not of) Lent. LUKE 4:14-44
Welcome to week two of The Good Book Club, continuing our Lenten fun of reading the Gospel according to Luke. Written anonymously perhaps about 85 to 95 AD, Luke (just like Mark, Matthew and John) is an anonymous gospel; scholars do not know who wrote Luke and its sequel The Acts of the Apostles. There are traditions and rumors, including the tradition about “Luke the Beloved Physician who Traveled with Paul,” but the author is unknown. For this instance, I’m going to define a “tradition” somewhat lightly as a rumor that has continued over time because people like it and keep repeating it until it becomes a “true fact” perhaps in the same way that today we have “fake news.” Nevertheless, when we mention the storyteller, we call him “Luke” for easy identification. Anyway, here we go with today’s reading. Enjoy!!
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Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
‘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.’
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’
‘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.’
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’
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?’
He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.” ’ And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’
When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 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.
But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
He went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and was teaching them on the sabbath. They were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Let us alone! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’
When the demon had thrown him down before them, he came out of him without having done him any harm. They were all amazed and kept saying to one another, ‘What kind of utterance is this? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and out they come!’ And a report about him began to reach every place in the region.
After leaving the synagogue he entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them.
As the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them. Demons also came out of many, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.
At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.’ So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.
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Thought for Sunday. Some of this story may be Luke’s alone, but don’t be surprised that Luke heard a good bit of it from Mark when he, Luke, was doing his research to make sure he assembled the full story for Theophilus. BTW, we have no idea who Theophilus was, the word, or name, means God-lover, and it may be a symbolic name or title, but many scholars think Theophilus was likely a Roman official or other person of means who was Luke’s benefactor, paying him and covering his expenses to put “Luke” and “Acts” together. If so, we truly are indebted to Theophilus for this beautiful literary work of art.
It seems to have been a synagogue courtesy to honor a guest by inviting him to read from the scroll and comment on the reading, homily of sorts. Everyone there knows Jesus, who though he now lives in Capernaum, grew up in Nazareth as friend and neighbor, even a playmate with some of the men who were there in synagogue that day. He reads from Isaiah and then comments as though the scripture is talking about he himself (not far off from part of Luke’s showing Jesus among the great prophets of Israel), and they are - - I don’t think “amazed” quite gets it - - they are astonished, astounded, Stunned. As if to ask themselves and each other, “Did he say what I think he said? Yes, he did! Is he actually taking an ego trip by making that reading about himself? Who the hell does he think he is! He’s no “expert from out of town,” we knew him when, he’s only that carpenter’s son!”
Sensing their rising animosity, Jesus actually fans it by challenging them, even doubly identifying himself as a prophet (“no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town”). And as his old friends and playmates look round for stones to throw and a rope to lynch him, he makes it worse, enflames their ethnic hatred by talking about how the great prophets Elijah and Elisha saved Gentiles instead when there were plenty of Jews who needed saving, healing. Why does Jesus do this when he might well have made it a warm, friendly reunion with old friends and neighbors. For one thing, that wouldn’t have been news, a story to tell. For another thing, you have to look at Luke, it’s Luke’s story and Luke’s agenda, and Luke here uses the material he’s gathered further to make his points.
So Jesus goes on home to Capernaum, and teaches in their synagogue, and they also are amazed at his teaching but give him a positive, quite different reception; why?! Maybe because they didn't know Jesus until he was an adult, and, unlike those in Nazareth, don't think of him as a mere child. Maybe Jesus treats them better, sensing a friendly welcome here? Probably we need to ask Luke, whose story it is.
And, ah, here’s a man with a demon. In the gospels, the demons always seem to know who Jesus is, they recognize him when the humans around him do not. Indeed, this is a central theme in Mark’s gospel, and here again, as in Mark, Jesus tells the demons to keep quiet about who he is, it's Mark’s so-called "messianic secret", what’s going on?
Down at the end of today’s story, Jesus makes clear why it is that he has come into the world: to proclaim the kingdom of God, and he needs to get on with that. Of course, he’s not purposely leaving behind unhealed people, because no matter where he goes, there will always be people who need healing.
Oh. We do not say "Sundays OF Lent" because Sundays are excluded from the forty penitential days of Lent. Sundays are feasts of the Lord Jesus Christ and we say "Sundays IN Lent." BTW, if you are giving up anything for Lent, chocolate, bacon, coffee, butter, alcohol, tobacco, movies, browsing the internet, sloth, reading my blog, cursing, a glass of wine or a couple of martinis - - on Sundays IN Lent not OF Lent, you are excused and may imbibe.