Kahu's Manao

Third Sunday after Epiphany
Sunday, January 24, 2010

The Rev. Kealahou C. Alika

“We are the Body of Christ”
1 Corinthians 12:12-26 & Luke 4:14-21

One of the ways we learn scripture is to memorize passages from the biblical text. Those of us who have grown up in our Hawaiian churches or for that matter in many of churches, remember memorizing Bible passages in Sunday School.

After years of repetition we find ourselves as adults recalling those early lessons. One of the ways we sometimes learned to memorize scripture was through music. I know that is why the words of the prophet Isaiah that comes to us in our reading from The Gospel According to Luke is one that I will always remember.

The words that I recall come from another translation of the Bible but it essentially the same. And together with the music that we were taught, it went something like this:

“Oh, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind;

to set at liberty those who are oppressed;

to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

And then it would repeat itself. You will notice there’s a bit of a flourish in the lyrics when it comes to the word “oppressed.” For reasons the composer of the song may have felt had more to do with poetry and musicality, it was pronounced “oppress – ed.”

I can well imagine what it was like for those who heard Jesus read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Why would Jesus presume to say to those listening to him that day in the synagogue in Nazareth that “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me”? (Luke 4:18)

The Rev. Robert Brearley, pastor of St. Simons Presbyterian Church in St. Simons Island, Georgia, reminds us our reading this morning is “preceded by the brief story of Jesus’ baptism and the somewhat longer account of his temptations in the wilderness.” (Feasting on the Word, Year C, Volume 1, Bartlett & Taylor, Westminster/John Knox Press, Louisville, Kentucky, 2009, page 284) Brearley asserts that “for Luke, all three episodes are Holy Spirit stories as the Spirit claims, tests, and empowers Jesus for the ministry that lies ahead.” (Op. cit.)

We recall the Holy Spirit descending like a dove upon Jesus at his baptism while he is praying and hearing the voice of affirmation – “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22) We also recall that immediately after his baptism it is the Holy Spirit that fills and leads Jesus into the wilderness for a time of testing.

And it is at the synagogue that we come to realize that the Holy Spirit will fill him with power for the ministry that is set before him. When Jesus reads the words of the prophet Isaiah, we recognize that in order for Jesus to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and freedom for those who are oppressed, it will require the presence of the Spirit in his life to strengthen and sustain him.

It is this same Spirit that will strengthen and sustain the disciples after Jesus’ death. It is remarkable as others have noted that when we think about the early church, the Spirit was all they had. There were no buildings, no budgets, no boards or committees, no staff, and very, very few members.

What does that say about who we are as the church today? We have this building and our office and classroom building across the way. Our annual meeting was held last Sunday and we approved our operating budget for the year. We elected and confirmed over 60 members to serve on the various boards and committees of the church.

But do we have the power of the Spirit to strengthen and sustain us? These days some may ask, “How are we doing as a church?” The economy is bad. Our visitor count is down. Growing numbers of residents are without work and an increasing number of families are losing their homes.

Based on what we see and hear happening around us, we may be inclined to say, “Not very well.” But the question is not “How are we doing as a church?” The question is: “As a church, what are we doing for the poor, the blind, the captive, the downtrodden? What is our mission? What is our ministry?”

We say of ourselves that “we welcome all, love all and accept all.” Our mission and ministry is what gives life and purpose to who we are as the church - as the Body of Christ here in Mäkena. Our proclamation of the good news is that there is room for all.

Again, we know from the accounts written by Luke that Jesus’ ministry began when the Spirit of God claimed him in baptism; that it was the Spirit who strengthened and sustained him in the wilderness and that it was the Spirit who empowered him to accept his mission. That same Spirit is here right now and the urgency we feel of our own mission and ministry is no less than the urgency Jesus felt in his own day and time.

Pastor Brearley contends that the writer of The Gospel According to Luke is clear that Jesus was not self-sufficient. (Op. cit., page 284) As much as we may want to insist that as the Messiah or Savior, Jesus was all-powerful, we know that even he was dependent upon God’s Spirit. So it is that we are also dependent upon God’s Spirit to strengthen and sustain us.

The proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ to the poor, the blind, the captive, and the downtrodden is a proclamation to be made not only in a distant land or on the far side of town, but in our own neighborhoods, churches, schools and families - close to home and in our own homes.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

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