Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Jason Schafer

Epiphany • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

Jeremiah 1:4–10

Psalm 71:1–6

1 Corinthians 13:1–13

Luke 4:21–30

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Welcome Statement

Good morning everyone,

last week we celebrated, albeit lately, the Baptism of the Lord. We now turn to Jeremiah today, where he proclaims that the lord has made him a prophet. These words feel very resonating for any of us that evangelize, or spread the good news, anyone who finds themselves in the pulpit I think would feel inspired by these words.

Old Testament Reading - Jeremiah 1:4-10

Jeremiah 1:4–10 NRSV

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.” 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. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

Stop Deprecating Yourself

The first thing that hit me in the face, was that I need to curb my own self-criticism. You see here, Jeremiah is using the same lines of excuse as Moses did when he said “I’m not fit for this role, Im not prepared, I have no experience”. Think of how job requirements are, if we only ever hired people who had the years of experience to begin with, how can we possibly ever get people to learn?

Old Testament Point #2

words

Old Testament Point #3

words

New Testament Reading - Luke 4:21-30

Luke 4:21–30 NRSV

Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’ ” And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.