For Such a Time as This

First reading Jeremiah 1:4-10 Psalm Psalm 71:1-6 Second reading 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Gospel Luke 4:21-30

One of the first teachings I received on sermons was to not incorporate all the readings into one sermon.  Preach on the Hebrew Scripture reading if you must, or the Epistle reading.  Rarely do we hear the Psalm preached on. And it is of course preferred that one preaches on the gospel. But whatever you preach on, do not try to include all them. 

On occasion, however, I just can’t resist. God has a way of coming through the texts that cannot be ignored. And for me today’s readings are just that. A proclamation I cannot ignore.

In fact, it is regarding God’s call to proclaim that my heart was drawn. We begin with Jeremiah. He is known as the weeping prophet. He often complains to God that the call of God is hard. And it is. The prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures had hard lives and often very harsh deaths. Jeremiah, according to tradition, was stoned to death in Egypt by fellow countrymen.

So Jeremiah begins by telling God he cannot proclaim the word of God because he is only a boy. He tells God is not a public speaker.  I always swore I would never be able to stand before a group and speak.

God doesn’t listen very well to our excuses. Moses complained he stuttered. Isaiah said he was too sinful. Gideon told God he was the least of the smallest of all the tribes. And God used them all anyway.

Jeremiah writes: “Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth.”

Perhaps you recall from last week that just prior to today's  gospel reading, Jesus reads this scripture from Isaiah:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

    because he has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

    and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

After reading it, Jesus declares that in him this scripture is fulfilled. Jesus has been sent by God to proclaim the Good News of God’s favor for all people.

If ever there was a good excuse to refuse to be a proclaimer, Jesus had one. His friends and neighbors, the community in which he had grown up, tried to throw him off a cliff. “But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.” On his way to proclaim all that God had given him to proclaim to the poor, the oppressed, the prisoners, the blind.

And, as we talked about last week, we too have been given, anointed by, this same spirit. We too are called to proclaim God’s favor to all people. To bless the poor, set the oppressed free, and offer sight to the blind.

You too are the beloved of God. To you God also says "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” And from each of us God does not accept excuses. As Paul has written, the Spirit gives us all gifts to be used for the good of God’s People.

Fortunately, we are not all called to the same type of proclamation! We are blessed that I am not called to be a musician. Don’t get me wrong. I love music and I love to sing. My gifts in that type of proclamation are, however, less than stellar. I do however believe that if I am called to such a task, God will provide. Perhaps by tuning my vocal chords or shielding your eardrums. 

But there is a kind of proclamation that we are all called to and that God gives us the strength to do if we will allow. And that brings me to the Corinthians reading.  The proclamation we can all make of God’s favor every day is in love. Loving our neighbor. Loving our enemy. And even loving ourselves. Remember the command is to love our neighbor as ourselves.

And this is not just a mushy, ambiguous command. Paul’s letter gives us some very solid ways of proclaiming God’s love.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

How can one proclaim God’s favor without words? Be patient, kind and civil. Forgive, believe in the person’s best. Speak truth and uphold right behavior.  

Or as another prophet puts it: God has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah)

We are all called to proclaim God’s favor to all people, and perhaps even to the gift of creation. And we have all been empowered and anointed in ways of doing it. We have no excuses. You are not too young, too old, too unimportant, too sinful. God can and does use all of us. Paul writes that God has created us for good works and empowered us  with the same power that raised Christ from the dead.

Are we afraid to proclaim the word of the Lord? Perhaps our culture tries to hurl us off a cliff of suppression. And in fact, throughout scripture, when the good news goes against the grain of those in power, it can get dangerous. In the book of Esther, Mordecai tells his niece Esther “And who knows but that you have come to your (royal) position for such a time as this?”

God speaks to Jeremiah:

“Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD."

And the Psalmist writes: 

For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth.

From my birth I have leaned upon you, my protector since my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you.

We are indeed anointed to proclaim good news to the poor.

freedom for the prisoners and oppressed,

recovery of sight for the blind,

the year of the Lord’s favor for all people. 

God leaves us no excuses.

Rise up in love and proclaim oh people of God, God’s favor! Fear not for God is with you.