Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
MY WIFE GREW UP IN THE
SUBURBS OF WASHINGTON, D.C., AND I GREW UP IN MONTANA, WHICH YOU
PROBABLY KNOW ALREADY IF YOU'VE BEEN COMING TO MASS DURING THE PAST
SEVERAL YEARS. I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE FIRST BECOMING A COUPLE. IT
WAS THE END OF OUR COLLEGE YEAR AND I WENT HOME; SHE CAME TO VISIT A
FEW WEEKS LATER, AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME SHE HAD EVER BEEN OUT
WEST. THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS I WANTED TO SHOW HER – THINGS THAT
MEANT SOMETHING TO ME BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE I HAD SPENT MY CHILDHOOD.
I WANTED HER TO MEET MY RELATIVES. AND IN THE COURSE OF ALL THIS, I
SAW EVERYTHING IN A NEW LIGHT; I SAW THINGS, IN A SENSE, THE WAY I
WANTED HER TO SEE THEM. I HAD A DEEPER APPRECIATION FOR THE STRANGE
SENSE OF HUMOR THAT RAN ON MY MOTHER'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY. I ALSO
HAD A DEEPER SENSE OF EMBARRASSMENT WHEN ONE OF MY UNCLES WOULD TELL
AN OFF-COLOR STORY. I RE-APPRECIATED THE BEAUTY OF THE MOUNTAINS
THAT I HAD TAKEN FOR GRANTED. AND I THINK WE'VE ALL HAD THAT KIND OF
EXPERIENCE. SOMETIMES IT'S WITH AN OLD FRIEND WHO VISITS AFTER A
LONG ABSENCE; SOMETIMES IT'S WITH A LITTLE CHILD WHO JUST BEGINS TO
BECOME AN INDEPENDENT PERSON; AND SURELY IT HAPPENS WHEN A COUPLE
BEGINS TO FORM, AS IN OUR CASE. WHAT WAS COMMONPLACE AND ROUTINE
BECOMES SURPRISING AND NEW.
I BRING UP THAT MEMORY
BECAUSE IT SHOWS WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU ARE OPEN TO SURPRISE. AND
TODAY WHEN JESUS TELLS THE PEOPLE IN HIS HOME TOWN SYNAGOGUE THAT
“TODAY, THIS PROPHECY IS FULFILLED AMONG YOU” HE INVITES THEM TO
BE SURPRISED. AFTER ALL, THE PROPHECY TO WHICH HE REFERS IS SEVERAL
HUNDRED YEARS OLD. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW LONG THE JEWS HAD WAITED?
DID THEY WAIT EXPECTANTLY OR DID THEY JUST CHALK IT UP TO ANOTHER
OBSCURE WRITING THAT DIDN'T HAVE ANY IMPACT ON THEIR DAY TO DAY
LIVES? PROBABLY THE LATTER. LIFE GOES ON, AND THE BLIND STILL DID
NOT SEE, THE LAME STILL DID NOT WALK, AND THE POOR STILL DID NOT HAVE
THE GOOD NEWS PREACHED TO THEM. AND THE GOSPEL TELLS US THAT “ALL
EYES IN THE SYNAGOGUE LOOKED INTENTLY AT HIM.”
WHEN SOMEONE TELLS US
THAT SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN, OUR INITIAL REACTION IS
ANTICIPATION; AFTERWARD, THE ANTICIPATION DIES DOWN; AND IF THE
PERSON MAKING THE PREDICTION IS CONSIDERED BY US AS AN AUTHORITY, WE
MAY FIND OURSELVES MAKING EXCUSES. MAYBE THE PROPHECY WOULD HAVE
COME TRUE IF WE'D BEEN BETTER PEOPLE. MAYBE IT WILL COME TRUE AT THE
END OF TIME. MAYBE IT HAS ALREADY COME TRUE, BUT IN A SPIRITUAL
SENSE. AND ALL OF THESE ATTITUDES WERE PRESENT AT THE TIME OF JESUS.
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH ISAIAH AND THE OTHER GREAT PROPHETS, WHEN THEIR
PROPHECIES DON'T SEEM TO BE COMING TRUE? BUT JESUS IS SAYING, “THEY
HAVE COME TRUE, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.” LOOK AT THIS WITH FRESH
EYES. NO WONDER ALL EYES LOOKED INTENTLY AT HIM.
NEXT SUNDAY WE WILL HEAR
THE NEXT CHAPTER; THEY GO FROM BEING SPEAKING HIGHLY OF HIM, BEING
AMAZED, THEN WONDERING HOW A KID FROM NAZARETH COULD BE WHAT HE
CLAIMS TO BE – AND IN THE END THEY TRY TO TOSS HIM OFF A CLIFF.
AND THEY GO BACK TO THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES. SURPRISE IS TOO MUCH FOR
SOME PEOPLE.
I THINK OUR WEEKLY
LITURGY IS SOMETHING LIKE THIS. WE COME HERE WITH EXPECTATIONS.
SOME OF US WANT TO RECEIVE THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST; THAT'S THE
REASON WE COME. SOME WANT TO HEAR A SERMON, OR PERHAPS WALK OUT WITH
A THOUGHT TO CARRY THEM ALONG FOR THE WEEK. SOME LIKE THE MUSIC.
SOME COME OUT OF HABIT OR FEAR – WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I QUIT COMING?
PARENTS COME BECAUSE THEY WANT TO SET A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR THEIR
CHILDREN. AND SO ON. YOU GET THE IDEA. WE WALK IN THE DOOR WITH
EXPECTATIONS AND MEASURE OUR EXPERIENCE BY HOW WELL THOSE
EXPECTATIONS WERE MET.
THE PEOPLE IN JESUS'
SYNAGOGUE WERE LIKE US. IT WAS SATURDAY, TIME FOR THE WEEKLY WORSHIP
SERVICE. BUT THIS TIME JESUS WAS PRESENT, AND HE INVITED THEM TO BE
SURPRISED, TO BE OPEN TO SOMETHING ENTIRELY NEW. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT
HE WAS WHAT WAS NEW, HE WAS USHERING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. IN HIS
PERSON AND IN HIS ACTIONS, YOU COULD TELL THE WAY IT SHOULD BE, THE
WAY GOD INTENDED IT TO BE FROM THE BEGINNING. AND JESUS WAS MAKING A
PROMISE – THAT HIS OLD FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS COULD BE PART OF THE
KINGDOM. IF YOU DO WHAT JESUS DOES, YOU ARE IN THE KINGDOM. IF YOU
HELP THE BLIND SEE, THE DEAF HEAR; IF YOU LOOK AFTER WIDOWS AND
ORPHANS, IF YOU PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR BY YOUR ACTIONS AS WELL
AS YOUR WORDS, YOU ARE EXPANDING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE KINGDOM. ALL
THIS IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF THE KING.
WE SAY WE BELIEVE IN THE
REAL PRESENCE; THAT JESUS IS PRESENT TO US IN WHAT WAS THE BREAD AND
THE WINE. WE BELIEVE HE IS PRESENT IN THE WORD THAT YOU JUST HEARD.
AND HE IS PRESENT IN THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU AND IN FRONT OF YOU AND
BEHIND YOU. “WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED IN MY NAME, THERE I
AM.” HE IS PRESENT, JUST LIKE HE WAS PRESENT IN THAT SYNAGOGUE.
AND HE BRINGS THE KINGDOM, THE GREAT SURPRISE.
AND THEN THE QUESTION
COMES UP, HAVE YOU EVER COME TO MASS AND AFTER IT'S ALL OVER, WALKED
OUT THE DOORS A CHANGED PERSON? HAVE YOU EVER WENT AWAY WITH A NEW
THOUGHT – MAYBE SOMETHING YOU HEARD, OR MAYBE SOMETHING THE HOLY
SPIRIT PUT IN YOUR HEART? HAVE YOU EVER GONE OUT THE DOORS HAVING
MADE A RESOLUTION TO DO SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE WORLD,
SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW YOU COULD DO, OR AT LEAST BEGIN? THAT'S WHAT
MASS IS SUPPOSED TO DO. JESUS BECOMES PRESENT TO US, AND OFFERS TO
SURPRISE US, TO LIFT US UP OUT OF OUR ORDINARY LIVES INTO THE KINGDOM
OF GOD, TO HELP US SEE THE COMMONPLACE AND THE ROUTINE WITH FRESH
EYES.
AND WE HAVE A CHOICE. WE
CAN SAY, “I DON'T LIKE SURPRISES. THEY ARE SCARY. THEY MESS UP MY
PLANS. LET ME LISTEN TO THE MUSIC. LET ME RECEIVE COMMUNION. LET
ME HAVE MY HOUR OF PEACE BEFORE THE WEEK STARTS UP AGAIN. JUST DON'T
SURPRISE ME.”
OR WE CAN BE LIKE THE
PEOPLE IN THE SYNAGOGUE WERE FOR ONE BRIEF MOMENT; WE CAN GAZE
INTENTLY AT OUR SAVIOR AND BE OPEN TO THE SURPRISE. THE KINGDOM IS
HERE, AND WE CAN BE IN IT!
