Things Will Never Be the Same
Too Little, Too Late? • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsWillard's take on the Beatitudes makes more sense if we look first at Jesus' Nazareth Sermon.
Notes
Transcript
Jeweleen insisted her Christmas tree be put up on Halloween. She was out of step with most, but now just seems to have been ahead of her time. But even the most cynical would seem to be okay with the commencement of the Christmas season the day after Thanksgiving.
For the next month, we will be besieged with Black Friday and extended Black Friday, carols from every quarter, Cyber Monday and extended Cyber Monday, Hallmark moment after Hallmark moment, sad ASPCA commercials (with Silent Night in the background) and heart-wrenching St. Jude commercials. Churches that haven’t already begun preparations for cantatas, Living Christmas Trees, Live Nativities and Christmas dramas are behind the Eight Ball. And I love it.
But the message is getting harder to find. Already people are being treated for stress owing to 2024 being an election year. Trump promises to weaponize the military, the Justice Department and anything else he can think of to get revenge on his enemies. Biden just quietly goes about being Trump 2, every bit as destructive in many ways, just sneakier.
As I’ve already told you, the Sermon on the Mount has fallen out of favor with evangelicals because it’s too weak. We need a strong Aryan Jesus. These folks would really have trouble with the Beatitudes as interpreted by Dallas Willard.
But before, we go any deeper there, we need to look at Jesus’ inaugural sermon according to Luke. We should have gotten the idea already. An unwed mother, a scandalized father, a baby messiah, unclean shepherds, pagan priests, a lunatic king, a bunch of dead babies. If there was any doubt before, Jesus’ sermon makes it clear: Things will never be the same.
So, we will hear that first sermon again in the hopes it will make Willard’s take on the Beatitudes easier to grasp.
The Sermon: Introduction
The Sermon: Introduction
The Setting: The city of Nazareth, Jesus’ home town.
The Setting: The city of Nazareth, Jesus’ home town.
The Occasion: The sabbath service in the synagogue.
The Occasion: The sabbath service in the synagogue.
The Process
The Process
The “ruler” of the synagogue asks Jesus to be the guest speaker and hands him the scroll of Isaiah.
The “ruler” of the synagogue asks Jesus to be the guest speaker and hands him the scroll of Isaiah.
Jesus unrolls it nearly to the end to find the verses he wants to read and stands to read.
Jesus unrolls it nearly to the end to find the verses he wants to read and stands to read.
Luke’s version
Luke’s version
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because of which he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me
to proclaim release to the captives,
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to send out in freedom those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
Which is his paraphrase of Isaiah.
Which is his paraphrase of Isaiah.
The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is upon me,
because Yahweh has anointed me,
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim release to the captives
and liberation to those who are bound,
to proclaim the year of Yahweh’s favor,
and our God’s day of vengeance,
to comfort all those in mourning,
Just the reading was powerful because of the expectations contained in it.
Just the reading was powerful because of the expectations contained in it.
The prophet speaks of the one who will inaugurate the Age to Come.
The prophet speaks of the one who will inaugurate the Age to Come.
The promises can be understood both literally and metaphorically.
The promises can be understood both literally and metaphorically.
Luke left out Isaiah’s reference to God’s vengeance, perhaps preferring to emphasize opportunity over judgement.
Luke left out Isaiah’s reference to God’s vengeance, perhaps preferring to emphasize opportunity over judgement.
The sermon proper and reactions to it.
The sermon proper and reactions to it.
Sitting to teach, as was the custom, Jesus waited until he had full attention.
Sitting to teach, as was the custom, Jesus waited until he had full attention.
Jesus declares himself to be the Promised One.
Jesus declares himself to be the Promised One.
He is declaring the Age to Come, the Kingdom of the Heavens, has broken into human history in him.
He is declaring the Age to Come, the Kingdom of the Heavens, has broken into human history in him.
He isn’t just a herald like the Baptizer; he is the Bringer.
He isn’t just a herald like the Baptizer; he is the Bringer.
Early reactions are mild.
Early reactions are mild.
“They reacted positively in that they were impressed because his words had power.”
“They reacted positively in that they were impressed because his words had power.”
“But they could not get over they knew him so well…which meant his whole story.”
“But they could not get over they knew him so well…which meant his whole story.”
Jesus resumed his lesson.
Jesus resumed his lesson.
“You will be thinking that proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself first,’ applies to me.”
“You will be thinking that proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself first,’ applies to me.”
“You think I sure don’t look like one who has benefitted from what I claim to bring.”
“You think I sure don’t look like one who has benefitted from what I claim to bring.”
“You want me to dazzle you with a few exorcisms, to restore some sight and make some lame folks walk like you have heard I did elsewhere.”
“You want me to dazzle you with a few exorcisms, to restore some sight and make some lame folks walk like you have heard I did elsewhere.”
“It’s hard for a prophet to be accepted by people who know him, or think they know him, well.”
“It’s hard for a prophet to be accepted by people who know him, or think they know him, well.”
Strangely, it wasn’t his sermon, but his illustrations, that sealed the deal.
Strangely, it wasn’t his sermon, but his illustrations, that sealed the deal.
“There was much suffering in Israel due to the famine in Ahab’s time, but it was to a Gentile woman Elijah was sent to deliver himself from starvation by delivering her and her son.”
“There was much suffering in Israel due to the famine in Ahab’s time, but it was to a Gentile woman Elijah was sent to deliver himself from starvation by delivering her and her son.”
“There were plenty of people with leprosy in Israel in the time of Elisha, but it was only a Syrian general (a Gentile and an enemy of Israel) who was healed by the prophet.”
“There were plenty of people with leprosy in Israel in the time of Elisha, but it was only a Syrian general (a Gentile and an enemy of Israel) who was healed by the prophet.”
These two illustrations expanded the kingdom beyond “me and mine,” which did not fit the paradigm.
These two illustrations expanded the kingdom beyond “me and mine,” which did not fit the paradigm.
“Things will never be the same again.”
“Things will never be the same again.”
And now we see the reaction when people realize it’s not all about them.
And now we see the reaction when people realize it’s not all about them.
They were filled with white-hot rage.
They were filled with white-hot rage.
The lynch-mob wanted him out of their synagogue and their city.
The lynch-mob wanted him out of their synagogue and their city.
Luke’s language recalls the method of throwing the condemned from a height to be better able to throw stones and roll rocks down on the condemned.
Luke’s language recalls the method of throwing the condemned from a height to be better able to throw stones and roll rocks down on the condemned.
The shadow of a manger has turned into the shadow of a cross but with the hope of an empty tomb.
The shadow of a manger has turned into the shadow of a cross but with the hope of an empty tomb.
Let’s put aside the reaction from us this season and embrace the lesson that things may never be the same again.