Sermon Seeds: Through the Midst

Sunday, February 2, 2025
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany| Year C
(Liturgical Color: Green)

Lectionary Citations
Jeremiah 1:4-10 • Psalm 71:1-6 • 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 • Luke 4:21-30
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts/?z=e&d=16&y=384

Focus Scripture: Luke 4:21-30
Focus Theme: Through the Midst
Series: Posted Sentinels (Click here for the series overview.)

Reflection
By Cheryl A. Lindsay

Being in a mist provides a glimpse of the experience of being in clouds while being planted on the earth. The formation is similar. Evaporated water, or vapor, encounters a temperature change. The warmer vapor condenses when the cooling atmosphere interacts with it causing tiny droplets to form in the air. The result we observe is the mist.

My early memory of this text came through hearing, not reading, the story. In my mind, I envisioned Jesus going through the m-i-s-t, rather than the m-i-d-s-t of them. It even makes sense given they attempted to throw him off a cliff, which would be more likely to be a cloudlike environment with its elevation. It’s an imagining that would please a cinematographer with its symbolism and complexity. At the same time, the text contains layers of meaning and significance even without my dramatic imagination adding to the narrative.

This passage continues from last week with verse 21 serving as the bridge.

Jesus’ public ministry begins in Galilee at his hometown synagogue, an inaugural event that in microcosm presents his entire career. He proclaims the reign of God, enacted with grace and liberation (healing, exorcism, acceptance, forgiveness). Empowered by the Spirit, in fulfillment of divine purpose announced in Scripture, Jesus’ ministry brings release to God’s people and begins to press beyond Israel’s boundaries. Jesus ratifies Mary’s prophetic vision of God’s overturning of relations of power and privilege. This activity repeatedly raises the question of identity: speaking and acting with such authority—who is Jesus? At the same time, divergent responses to that activity place another question before Luke’s audience. How will God’s people respond to the Spirit-directed prophet and Messiah whom God has sent? As the story proceeds, a division within Israel emerges: some embrace the mission of Jesus and his disciples; others reject it.
John T. Carroll

In the earlier portion of this story, examined last week, the narrator begins by suggesting universal appeal and accolades as public response to Jesus’ public ministry. The full text reveals a divided response, a reminder that good news for some is inevitably received as unwelcomed by others. Of course, Jesus never promises good news for all. His concern and priority is the poor and others with similar social status. Liberation for the oppressed always encounters resistance by those who benefit from those systems, in tangible and intangible ways.

The rejection comes in his hometown, and that suggests that proximity may be the culprit. The community is suspicious of Jesus acting in ways they do not recognize or understand as predictable behavior. Jesus emphasizes the point as he evokes comparisons to the prophetic ministries of Elijah and Elisha. Those references take the crowd over the edge as their rage propels them to pursue Jesus to the edge of town and to his death. His public ministry has just begun, and an adoring crowd has already turned on him…once they have understood his message.

Jesus has begun an itinerant teaching ministry in the synagogues of Galilee, and (with narrator’s exaggeration) won universal praise. Not until Jesus comes to his hometown, however, does Luke give an indication of the content of his teaching. Once at Nazareth, Jesus announces the focus, purpose, and direction of his ministry—claiming the authorizing power of God’s own Spirit and marking the present as an era in which prophetic promise within the Scriptures comes to fulfillment. After an initially appreciative though somewhat bewildered response, the people of Jesus’ hometown forcefully reject the prophet and his message. Since this scene inaugurates the public ministry—it comes much later in Mark (6:1–6) and Matthew (13:54–58)—it both indicates the character of Jesus’ mission and prefigures the rejection with which it will ultimately be greeted.
John T. Carroll

Not every message emphasizes prophetic content. Perhaps Jesus began his teaching with a different emphasis before shifting to Isaiah’s prophecy and its fulfillment. That shift confused them until Jesus began to apply it to them. The power of preaching is that it takes a distant story and makes it real for the people receiving it anew. That power may comfort, challenge, and confront the audience. The response reflects the recipient as much as the message itself. Jesus models preaching prophetically with boldness, clarity, relevance, and truth. The people did not react with anger until they realized they did not associate with the sympathetic characters in the old stories.

In our exploration of the sacred texts, we often situate our audience and ourselves with the marginalized, vulnerable, and oppressed in the narrative even when the current condition of our congregations more closely resemble Pharoah, Babylon, the Roman Empire, and the hypocritical, religious elite. It seems a deliberate choice for Jesus to demonstrate particularly convicting preaching among those who knew him. He risked the loss of friendship and community for the truth with only a brief note of concern, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.”

Recently, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde gained new fame as she spoke truth to power as part of the United States presidential inauguration activities. In a worship service, she preached the gospel and applied it to those in her hearing. The reaction was swift, and excerpts of her sermon went viral on social media. While the response was divided by accolades and critique, there did seem to be one point of common ground: these moments of prophetic courage in public spaces are so rare. The risks remain apparent: public backlash, private threats, rescinded invitations, job insecurity…just to name a few possibilities. Bishop Edgar Budde affirmed she would not apologize just as Jesus went on his way when faced with an offended crowd. This is the call, charge, and challenge of prophetic ministry.

Courageous ministry may reveal enemies in circles of neighbors and perceived friends. Loving them requires truth telling even when it proves costly and jeopardizes power, privilege, and position. The body of Christ must reclaim its collective prophetic voice, agency, and actions so that when one of us speaks truth to power it does not seem as improbable as Jesus passing through a murderous mob.

Sometimes the prophet illustrates the oracle with a parable, a story that tricks its listeners into condemning themselves by inviting them to judge among its characters. At other times, the situation calls for a prophetic action, a stunt that drives home the prophet’s point. Prophets often demonstrate their supernatural power by performing miracles, reading minds, and predicting the future.[2] Luke lavishes these prophetic characteristics on Jesus…. When Mark’s Jesus gives offense in his hometown synagogue, for example, he compares himself to a dishonored prophet (Mark 6:4). Many believe that he is Elijah or one of the ancient prophets (Mark 6:15; 8:28). Like a prophet, he knows people’s thoughts (Mark 2:8)….Luke, too, reports a version of the dishonored prophet saying (Luke 4:24). In addition, he includes the two Elijah sayings plus the mind-reading scenes and most of the other predictions found in Matthew and Mark. This is consistent with the theory that Luke bases his narrative on Mark’s story, interpolating sayings from Q. As he edits Mark and Q, he retains most material that depicts Jesus as a prophet.
Jocelyn McWhirter

The prophetic examples Jesus shares include Elijah and his protege Elisha, whose commissioning was cemented as Elisha witnessed Elijah ascend through the clouds. Sometimes, we have to witness prophetic actions. A contemporary colloquialism describes it like this, “I can show you better than I can tell you.” After Jesus delivered his message in ways that alternatively amazed, confounded, and offended his audience, he displayed his power through the midst of those who suddenly doubted, demeaned, and despised him. They revealed who they were, and in response, Jesus revealed who he was.

When we embrace the prophetic call as followers of Christ, we reclaim the gospel from those who would distort, diminish, and demonize it. Our call is to follow Jesus in word and deed. His example invites us to be firm when confronting powers and principalities at odds with the will and kindom of God. His ministry demonstrates a path for us to pursue justice, truth, righteousness, and abiding peace in the midst of despair, distraction, and division. Even when that means speaking the truth and then going on our way.

Reflection from Voices of People of African Descent
The 33rd General Synod adopted a Resolution to Recognize the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024). As part of its implementation, Sermon and Weekly Seeds offers Reflection from Voices of People of African Descent related to the season or overall theme for additional consideration in sermon preparation and for individual and congregational study.
Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to “jump at de sun.” We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground. Papa did not feel so hopeful. Let well enough alone. It did not do well for Negroes to have too much spirit. He was always threatening to break mine or kill me in the attempt. My mother was always standing between us. She conceded that I was impudent and given to talking back, but she didn’t want to “squinch my spirit” too much for fear that I would turn out to be a mealy-mouthed rag doll by the time I got grown. Papa always flew hot when Mama said that. I do not know whether he feared for my future, with the tendency I had to stand and give battle, or that he felt a personal reference in Mama’s observation. He predicted dire things for me. The white folks were not going to stand for it. I was going to be hung before I got grown. Somebody was going to blow me down for my sassy tongue. Mama was going to suck sorrow for not beating my temper out of me before it was too late. Posses with ropes and guns were going to drag me out sooner or later on account of that stiff neck I toted. I was going to tote a hungry belly by reason of my forward ways. My older sister was meek and mild. She would always get along. Why couldn’t I be like her? Mama would keep right on with whatever she was doing and remark, “Zora is my young’un, and Sarah is yours. I’ll be bound mine will come out more than conquer. You leave her alone. I’ll tend to her when I figger she needs it.” She meant by that that Sarah had a disposition like Papa’s, while mine was like hers.
Zora Neale Hurston, I Love Myself When I Am Laughing… And Then Again When I Am Looking Mean and Impressive: A Zora Neale Hurston Reader

For Further Reflection
“Learning how to think in the midst of fear is a lesson that everyone needs to learn.” — Veronica Roth
“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” — Sun Tzu
“My dear,
In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love.
In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile.
In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm.
I realized, through it all, that…
In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.
And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.” ― Albert Camus”

Works Cited
Carroll, John T. Luke. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012.
McWhirter, Jocelyn. Rejected Prophets: Jesus and His Witnesses in Luke-Acts. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2013.

Suggested Congregational Response to the Reflection
Consider your community and what prophetic actions your ministry may offer in solidarity to the vulnerable in your midst.

Worship Ways Liturgical Resources
https://www.ucc.org/worship-way/after-epiphany-4c-february-2/

The Rev. Dr. Cheryl A. Lindsay, Minister for Worship and Theology (lindsayc@ucc.org), also serves a local church pastor, public theologian, and worship scholar-practitioner with a particular interest in the proclamation of the word in gathered communities. You’re invited to share your reflections on this text in the comments on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SermonSeeds.

A Bible study version of this reflection is at Weekly Seeds.