The Campaign of Jesus

January 24, 2016
The Third Sunday after Epiphany

GOSPEL LESSON: Luke 4:16-32 Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”
24 “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

In today’s Gospel reading Jesus begins his public ministry at the synagogue in his home town of Nazareth. He reads from the 61st chapter of the book of Isaiah and then says, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” This passage describes the work that Jesus will do.

This year in America is the political campaign to elect the next president of the United States, and there will be many similar campaigns all across the country for governors, senators, congressmen, mayors, sheriffs, and even dogcatchers. All these candidates give speeches about what they will do if elected. They make great promises to make things better.

To help us understand the work of Jesus, I want to compare it to a political campaign. Jesus did not come as a political leader, but in those days, religion and politics were very closely connected. People did not think about a separation of church and state, the state often thought it as their duty or obligation to support or to establish a religion for all its citizens. This was so even at the time of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is so in some countries in the Middle East, and it is a big reason for wars in that region.

Jesus was not running for any office because he already was the Christ, the Messiah, and the King of Israel in the line of David when he was born. But Jesus had to tell people about that and they had to accept him. There was not election, they did not vote for Jesus, but they believed that he was the Savior and believed his gospel message.

His inauguration ceremony was his Baptism in the Jordan River. His oath of office was taken in the wilderness when he was tempted by the devil and Jesus proclaimed his allegiance, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall your serve” (Luke 4:9).

A political candidate gives speeches. He or she speaks about their hopes and ideas and plans to make things better for their constituents. In America they speak about the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. They talk about freedom and justice and equality.

Jesus, too, talked about freedom and justice and equality. This is what the Prophet Isaiah had proclaimed. (Luke 4:18-19),

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

This is the mission work of Jesus. His death on the cross forgave the sins of slavery and injustice and inequality. The Gospel does not set new standards for society; rather the Gospel gives the power to do what the Law had always demanded.

To believe in the Gospel means to put it to work in your life. To believe something means that you live according to that ideal. For example, if you think a bridge is sturdy and strong, then you go across it. If a child thinks that Daddy will catch them, then they will jump into his arms. That is what belief is. If you believe in the rule of law, then you keep the law. If you believe the words of a T.V. commercial, then you buy the product. If you believe in freedom, then you live freely and help others to be free also. If you believe in the Gospel, then you live in the power of that Gospel. The Gospel is the Good News of God’s love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. When you believe in the Gospel, you make that love and forgiveness a part of your life, it becomes the way you live. The Gospel becomes the power to love and forgive.

We need to constantly pray for our elected officials. They are seldom elected with 100% of the vote. When their margin of victory is slim, it can mean that 47% of the population will continue to attack them and try to block their agenda. Why? Often it is simply because they want power and control, but often it is because they fear that they will lose those things they hold precious.

There were those also who opposed Jesus. They feared for those things they held precious. They feared that they would lose control of the Nation of Israel. But Jesus did not make the Nation of Israel the same as the Kingdom of God. It was different, much bigger. The true reign of God is the whole world. Jesus said, "My Kingdom is not of this world." It makes you wonder about what the kingdom of God really is. Hasn’t God been ruling the earth since creation? Has God been gone all that time? But hasn’t it been rather, that people have not accepted the rule of God in their lives? People have rejected their creator. They have rejected the true King of this world and have followed other things that rule their lives. Things other than the Lord God which rule the lives of people are called “idols.” There are idols of metal and stone. There are idols of money and power and pleasure. There are idols that are dynamic people who control the lives of the people who believe in them and follow them. There are idols of ideas and philosophies. And then there is the idol of your own self, when we feel that we are the center of the universe and want everything to be as we want it to be. All these idols and all of these kingdoms really have only one king, the devil. Satan’s kingdom is called Hell.

Jesus proclaimed the freedom from sin. That is to say, he proclaimed freedom from Hell. He proclaimed freedom and justice and equality. He proclaimed what his cross would bring us.

However, there was a vote taken. When Jesus was arrested and tried, the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin, voted to kill him. They were a religious group so they condemned him on religious grounds, of blasphemy against God because he said he was the Christ of God. But before the Roman political governor, Pilate, they had to bring a political charge, that he was the King of the Jews. Of course he really was, but Rome could not accept that, and so Jesus was crucified as a rebel against Caesar, the Emperor of Rome. He was crowned with thorns. He was raised on the throne of the cross. Luke 23:38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And on the cross there was the famous dialogue between Jesus and the repentant thief. He said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

In faith, we vote for Jesus. Our voting booth is our baptism, confirmation, and confession of faith. Perhaps we can say that when we put our offering in the basket, it is like putting a ballot in the ballot box. We support Christ’s mission work. And so today we proclaim the same message that Jesus did. We too proclaim freedom and justice and equality. We proclaim it in word and deed. We follow our eternal leader and Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church


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