Sermon 2019.01.27
See the People
(Luke 4:14-21; sermon 4 of 4 in series “We Would See Jesus”)

1. We would see Jesus.  This January, we’ve been following a series inspired by Epiphany – the visit of the wise men after Christmas. The three magii came from great distances to see a king or savior… and what a surprise it must have been instead to find the toddle Jesus, born to peasant parents. Yet the wise men were wise indeed and recognized this remarkable child for the king, and God, and sacrifice that he would become.

All this month, we’ve had the same goal as the wise men: we would see Jesus! We’ve had some sneak peeks at Jesus before he became famous… as a boy slipping away from his parents in Jerusalem, as a young man getting baptized by his cousin John, as a reluctant miracle-worker bringing joy to a wedding. 

Today’s scripture takes place at the announcement of Jesus’ ministry. He is 30 years old. He has just begun to travel and teach and do miracles. His name is just beginning to be famous. Jesus has returned to his hometown of Nazareth. He is the speaker for the day at synagogue, kind of like our lay readers. They hand him the bible passage for the day, Isaiah 61. 

Jesus reads it: “The spirit of the Lord is upon me… He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor… release to the captives … recovery of sight to the blind … and freedom for the oppressed… to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19; Isaiah 61:1-2a and 58:6).

And then Jesus gets to the interpretation of this text, which is where preachers always get into trouble. He gives the congregation a good hard look, and simply says: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).

2. The deity next door.  The crowd is amazed. At first, they say “Wow! This guy preaches with such confidence!” … and then they say, “Wait, isn’t this Joseph and Mary’s little boy? He’s just a carpenter. Stay in your lane, son!” (Luke 4:22)

I know how they feel. My daughter Anna was president of the Wisconsin United Methodist youth council in high school. She travelled to Madison and sat in on meetings with the bishop. Anna has been gone to college for four years now, but when I go to Annual Conference I still bump into people who say, “You’re Anna’s dad, aren’t you?” I can only imagine what embarrassing dad stories Anna told about me that have stuck in their minds. 

It’s easy to take someone for granted, especially if you’ve been around them all your life. It’s easy to think, “Oh that’s just my neighbor. That’s just Bob. I went to school with him. I know all about him.” Or, “Oh, that’s just Janet. I see her at the grocery store every week.”

But the amazing thing about Jesus is that he is both neighbor… and Messiah. He is both the carpenter’s son… and the Son of the Creator God. There’s a famous ancient Christian hymn that the Apostle Paul quotes in Philippians 2:6-8, “Jesus was in the form of God. But he didn’t cling to his divine privileges and power. He gave them up and became fully human, and was humbled fully, even to the point of death on a cross.” In other words, Jesus gave up heaven and moved into our neighborhood. He grew up next door. He is our neighbor. We may think we know all about Jesus… but we can never take him for granted.

3. Who is my neighbor?  One of the most famous questions in scripture is the one a lawyer asked Jesus: “Who is my neighbor?” This guy had just asked Jesus what he had to do to get into heaven. The answer is the great commandment, “Love God with all you’ve got, and love your neighbor as you love yourself.” So, typical lawyer, trying to find some wiggle room, he asks, “Yeah, but… Who is my neighbor?” … Who must I love? And, who can I ignore?

Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan. You know the story: a man is beaten and robbed and left for dead. A pastor and a social worker hurry by, trying not to make eye contact. Then a migrant worker, who isn’t even the same religion, stops to help. Jesus and the lawyer agree: the one who helps is the true neighbor to the man in need (Luke 10:25-37).

Who is my neighbor? The question and its implications continue to ring in our ears today. Who is my neighbor? Are my neighbors just the people I see each day at work, or at school; at the YMCA, or at the store? Or do my neighbors include those folks that don’t look like me or like the same foods as me? Do my neighbors include the poor, the sick, the oppressed? Is my neighbor Jesus? Am I called to be the hands and feet and face of Jesus to my neighbor, offering Good News and the love of God?

4. See the people.  If we would see Jesus, we need to look deep into the face of our neighbors, because each one carries the image of God. Don’t take the people you meet for granted. Remember, Jesus gave up heaven and moved into our neighborhood. He’s out there. 

Take the time to get to know the people around you – don’t just take them for granted. It’s amazing what you learn when you talk with folks. Did you know we have a man in our church who trained ponies to pull circus wagons? A woman who has been to all seven continents including Antarctica? A man who will run the Boston Marathon this year? A woman who just launched a rock band?

Don’t take your neighbors for granted. Lean across the pew, or across the backyard fence, and share stories with them. Don’t think you know our town just because you’ve always lived here. That person you see on the street? They may be a veteran, a mother, or a juggler. Whoever they are, they are your neighbor, and they need to see Jesus, to hear Good News. 

2019 is our year to connect with our community: to get to know the folks we go to church with, the folks next door in our neighborhood, the folks in Onalaska, or Holmen, or La Crosse, or West Salem. You live in a neighborhood – now move into it fully. Set aside what you think you know. Put aside your own preferences, open yourself up to new conversations, and let God put you where you need to be and with whom you need to know. 

This is the year of the Lord’s favor… See the people, and you will see Jesus.		- Amen.