WHY I'M HERE

Dr. Richard J. Henderson January 21, 2007

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Psalm 19 (responsively)
Luke 4:14-21

Introduction

Sometimes a statement summarizes a whole life or event. The Declaration of Independence says in capsule form what America is about. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, the pursuit of Happiness..." It is the foundational statement of what we as a nation are about.

The speech that we heard so much about last Monday summarized the goals of Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream..." Those words summarized what he was all about. Often we see defining statements of what a movement or person or event means.

I

In our scripture today Jesus makes his defining statement. He says, in essence, "This is why I'm here. Here is what I have been anointed to do." It's a statement that summarizes his mission.

What do you think that statement would be? You've been in church for a while. You've heard sermons, scripture and prayers. You've read about your faith, watched TV, and talked about it with other people. What would Jesus' defining statement of his mission say?

Surely there would be something about saving people from their sins. You would think it would include teaching us how to live better, more faithful lives, or maybe something about how to get into heaven. Things like that.

II

Jesus goes into the synagogue in Nazareth, his home town. He is handed the scroll of scripture and opens it to the prophet Isaiah. He says God has anointed me the Messiah (or Christ) to bring good news to poor people, to announce release to captives, to bring sight to those who can't see, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

There isn't anything (at least directly) about saving us from sins and nothing about getting into heaven. He talks about poor people, captives, blind people, and the oppressed. This doesn't sound as much like a religious savior as an activist - an advocate for the poor, put down, and oppressed. What can Jesus mean by this?

III

On one level he means it all literally. The poor, common people are getting good news. Jesus didn't spend much of his time with high powered politicians or the big wheels of his day. He spoke to the ordinary people, often in small towns and villages. Those common people were poor - barely eking out a living.

Jesus wanted oppressed people to be free. Those who were mistreated, suffered prejudice, or were abused were the people Jesus brought words of hope to. Those who were imprisoned unjustly and oppressed are to be made free. Jesus sounds here like a Desmond Tutu or a Martin Luther King.

And the astounding thing is that this is why Jesus says he has been anointed the Christ. I find it strange that he doesn't say anything about calling us into a personal relationship with him. When he is defining why he has come, he doesn't say anything about being "born again," at least not in the evangelical crusade sense.

Can Jesus be serious that the reason he came to us was to give good news to poor people, announce release to those held captive, and bring sight to the blind and freedom to people oppressed?

That's what he says. Why don't we ever hear this from the televangelists who seem to know every thought God has ever had?

IV

On another level these words of Jesus apply to all of our lives too. Those who are poor include the wealthy man who has it all but realizes he doesn't really have much. The executive who has made it to the top and now wonders whether it was worth it all. Money can only buy so much. It can't buy what really matters. It won't buy the genuine love of other people. It might stand in the way. It won't buy meaning in your life.

The captive is not just the person in jail, but the person captive to an addiction. The alcoholic who isn't getting help is as much a prisoner as the man behind bars. The woman who has to gulp pills to keep going is in a cushioned prison, but no more free. We are captive to our sin. It limits our lives. It keeps us from being free. It separates us from God. Jesus says he came to help.

The blind aren't just those who have lost their vision. They are also those who fail to see what is valuable, or what is right, or what is most loving. All of us are blind when we are so wrapped up in our scheduled activities that we miss the more important experiences of life.

Just a week ago we were in a restaurant, and a young dad was there with his 4th grade daughter. They had a private table along a wall. I nudged Sheila - as I often do - and said, "Look at that guy out with his daughter; he's been talking on his cell phone the whole time!" Here was a Dad who had a chance to spend some quality time with his daughter, and he was talking on the phone. She looked absolutely bored. What could have been a wonderful, important experience was lost. I thought to myself, the day will come - in the not-to-distant-future - when you would give anything to have lunch with your little girl, and it will be too late. I don't know the details of what was going on, but it certainly appeared to me that that father was blind as a bat.

Not all the poor lack money; not all the prisoners are in jail; not all the blind use a white cane; not all the captives are fenced in with barbed wire. Some of them are us.

Conclusion

As we hear - really hear - what Jesus says in this passage, it's important for us to apply them literally. As Jesus was concerned about the poor, the prisoners, the blind, and the oppressed; so must we be. We can also apply his words to our own lives when we fail to see, when we're held captive, when are oppressed, and when we miss the real richness of life.

Amen

© Richard J. Henderson 2007