This morning, I
would like to reflect upon the message of our children’s story, the little red
hen, for a moment. The purpose of the story of course, it to help children
connect the value of work and of the fruits they provide for those who work.
And when I look at the gospel lesson this morning, I think maybe that’s what
part of Jesus sermon to his hometown congregation is about, it’s about having a
faith that engages us in God’s work, through which God’s kingdom might come
into being among us. That would be the Good News part of the message, but
somehow that’s not the message the people of Jesus hometown heard. Let me
explain.
Last week, we read
the passage where Jesus gets up and reads that wonderful passage from Isaiah,
about preaching good news to the poor, releasing the captives, letting the
oppressed go free, opening the eyes of the blind, and proclaiming the “Year of
the Lord’s favor”. Which all sounds great to us! For Luke this is the central
message of his gospel, and Jesus has done remarkable things in towns where he
has preached this message.
People have
responded by forgiving one another’s sins, and debts! People have banded
together to feed the hungry, and care for those who are sick. People have
opened their eyes to the suffering and oppressed among them, and shown them
compassion and mercy. They have believed in the gospel message and turned that
faith in the works of God!
But not so in Jesus hometown.
I can imagine them
saying, “what wonderful words he speaks…., he has such high ideals, ……what a
naïve young man,…… isn’t this the carpenter’s son, why should we listen to
him?.... and … let him work those miracles here, and then we will believe in
him.” I can also imagine that Jesus heard these comments, and that’s what that
“Doubtless, you will quote to me this proverb, Physician heal thyself..” means, he knows they are saying – you first
Jesus, then maybe we will go along for the ride” So in the face of this lack of
faith, Jesus tells them about Elijah and Elisha, and how in times of trouble,
the only people of faith they could find, was a foreign widow, and a Syrian
army officer.
This would be like
a preacher today, telling a congregation, that compared to them, the only
people that have faith are some woman in the dreaded caravan, or some soldier
in the Taliban. I don’t suppose a preacher today would last long in a church
with that message. And Jesus didn’t last long either, they grabbed him and
rushed him to a cliff to throw him off. But somehow, in their confusion and
rush to judgement, they misplace him, and he simply passes out of their midst.
So, back to the
story about the little red hen. The little red hen, like Jesus, calls the dog,
the cat, the pig, and the goat, to do the work to harvest, grind, and bake, so
that we might share the bread. And Jesus calls us to have the faith to do the
work God calls us to do, so that we may also share the bread, the bread of
life. But it’s not easy.
I often talk about
Bob Scheiler, the former minister of Evangelism for the Illinois Conference,
who said once in an Evangelism sermon, that if we want a wonderful worship
service, we have to show up, if we want a strong choir, we have to volunteer,
if we want our church to function smoothly, we have to volunteer to lead it,
and to follow those who lead, if we want a financially healthy church, we need
to be healthy givers, and support it’s fundraising activities. If we want new
members, we have to be on the lookout for strangers, for people in trouble, for
people we can help and invite them to come and join us. If we believe in Jesus
Christ, we have to do the hard work of the church, otherwise, like Capernum,
there will be no miracles here, and we won’t get to share in the bread of life,
Jesus Christ.
But the good news
is, we can be like all those other communities that Jesus worked miracles in
and were transformed by his preaching and ministry among them. Which comes
through a willingness to put our faith into action with love. Then we can all
share in the bread of life Jesus Christ.
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