Preaching to the Home Team

Luke 4:14-21

I am a frequent user of Facebook, but it has one major drawback (Same is true of blogging!). The message is generic to all your 'friends' at once. Let's face it, we wear many different hats. I am a mom, a wife, a volunteer, an associate pastor, a friend, ... the list goes on. In telling the same story, we would use different words depending upon which of these hats we were wearing at any given time.On Facebook, we only get one shot at phrasing things, and if our peers and our parents, our co-workers and our boss, our children and ... well you get the idea. If the different audiences see it.

There is always that awkward moment when we realize we have said things in a way that we wish we could rephrase for the current listener. The internet doesn't give us that capability. Each person will read something and pickup a different nuance. Yet the same is true when we hear things taught, spoken and preached.

In this Luke text, Jesus has begun his ministries, although Luke doesn't give us detail before now. Luke just says Jesus had been preaching and was praised by everyone. Jesus gets up and cooperatively reads the Isaiah text, but then he sits down. All eyes turn expectantly for more. They get a one-liner. "Today this scripture has been fulfilled."

Ummm, we have heard great things, but we are a 'show me' people. Today's text ends with this line at a point that seems like an awkward break midway through the story. Yet, perhaps this will help us with the emphasis that this was Jesus' message. It didn't need more. He is here in our midst now. He doesn't need more. The expected has been fulfilled.

We too often try to grandstand or fill with words the simple that can't be described. We try to glorify God with big mysterious words. We try to be a better self for an audience we want to impress. We don't have to be someone different to fill the bill. We don't have to do better for one audience versus another. And, Jesus was human in our midst without any grandstanding. The simple truth of this is fulfilled - the Spirit of the Lord annointed Jesus who came in our midst. The Holy Spirit remains in our midst.

When we pray, study and talk, we shouldn't have to find special words to talk about God. God knows our thoughts and hearts. God is with us in our homes and home towns. We don't have to go into a church and invite God into our midst - God is already there! Here! Now! Our lives and everyday words don't have to be dressed up.

Too many of us spend way too much time trying to measure up, to be good enough - not just for the Jones or the expectations of our friends, but for God too. Even when our words mess up, God is working through us. God's message will get out! We hear in Corinthians more about the many gifts. We all have them, and even if we aren't intentionally directing them to God's service, the Holy Spirit can and does use each of us.

We speak to one another every day. Think less of the audience and how you want to be perceived and more of the message and what you want to spread in the world and at home. Respect, gentleness, service - these are the things that Jesus taught us to spread rather than the messages one might expect of kingliness, grandeur at a remove from the dirt of the everyday. Take care with words and actions to serve and further the kingdom in our everyday together but not to try to clear a bar or fill a scorecard of needed actions.

The message is fulfilled, take heart, God is with us today.