Hearing, Worshipping, Crying, Rejoicing
(Free Version) Readings for the 3nd Sunday After Epiphany- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21
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Notice the emphases of these readings.
The Word of God is preached and we are told…
“Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
“God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another.” (1 Corinthians 12:24-25)
“…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.” (Luke 4:18)
Do you notice a theme here? The Word of the Lord always goes out. It always upends the systems of our world and looks for the one who has been cast aside. The gospel is water when we are parched, and in our participation, the gospel becomes wine for those who have not heard of the celebration.
The Word of the Lord should lead us to repentance, but also to rejoicing. This is good news! What if the church were a people who were the wine-sending people? What if Christians sent wine door-to-door instead of salvation tracts? What if our good news was as much a celebration as it was a warning? God has spoken to people! For this, we rejoice!
What if Christians were known as the ones who honored the hidden people more than the showy people? What if Christians were known as people who were constantly trying to divest our own power and lift others up? Even if that power kept coming back to us, we kept trying to jettison it for the sake of others? Who is the person on your team at work who just constantly gets overlooked? The student who is not popular? The sales rep who no one wants to work with? How might their life change if they were shown the good news of God’s love?
This starts with us who are called “Church.” It is important to remind ourselves of these realities because these are not the principles by which the world operates. Those in your congregations will hear this message on Sunday and go back into a world which seeks to form them as dominator, influence-grabber, and fighter. “That’s just what you have to do,” the world will tell them. Yet, we must always remind them that the way of Jesus is always a different and better story.