Good News, Bad News, Who Can Say?

Luke 4:14-21

There is a Taoist parable that goes something like this: A Chinese farmer works hard to get a horse but the horse runs away. The farmer’s neighbor comes by and says, “That’s bad news.” The farmer replies, “Good news, bad news, who can say?” After a couple of days, the horse comes back and brings another horse along with him. Good news, you might say. The farmer gives the second horse to his son, who rides it and is thrown off the horse so badly he breaks his leg. The concerned neighbor comes by again and says, “Sorry for your bad news,” to which the farmer replies, “Good news, bad news, who can say?” After a couple of weeks, the emperor’s men come and take every able-bodied young man to fight in a war. The farmer’s son is spared. Good news, you might say.

I’m sure this parable could go on and on - such is life - but I think the truth that lies within the story is that good news and bad news are dependant upon perspective. What is good news for some, may be bad news for others. And vise versa - what is bad news for some, may be good news for others.

In seminary, preaching professors, especially Lutheran ones, are insistent that good news should be explicit in each and every sermon. Last week, as we were wrapping up our sermon discussion, Pastor Rob even said - “Did you hear good news?” That was so very Lutheran of him! Good news is what we are all about! … And yet, we often fail to consider that this good news we seek to proclaim isn’t always immediately perceived as good news by all. Many times, the good news presents challenge and conviction -sometimes it’s hard to hear and we don’t like it. But even good news, that seems like bad news, can become good news when we embrace the challenge and allow it lead to action and transformation.

In our Gospel lesson for today, we learn exactly what kind of Good News Jesus brings to the world. Jesus enters the familiar synagogue of his childhood in Nazareth, likely surrounded by people he has known all of his life - neighbors, teachers, aunts, uncles and cousins. It was a small village and what is true for small towns today was surely true for Nazareth. In those days, the synagogue served as a sort of community gathering place. People would take their sacrifices and worship at the Temple, but they would gather for continued study in community synagogues on Shabbat. The people would gather together to recite the Shema - “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” They would pray and collectively say “Amen.” They would read from a scroll a portion of Torah - one of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible - and then they would read a portion of Nevi’im - one of the Prophets.

On that day in Nazareth, after a reading from Torah, Jesus is handed the Isaiah scroll. We don’t know if his reading was predetermined for the day, or if he scanned through to find the words he wanted. Either way - Jesus lands on Isaiah 61 and reads: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And there he stops. He rolls up the scroll and hands it back to the attendant. Next, the people would expect to hear a sermon or an interpretation of the text that had been read. Instead of standing behind a pulpit or standing in front of the people, teachers in ancient times would sit in front of those gathered. Some synagogues had a special seat for the teacher to sit upon called a Moses Seat. Perhaps Jesus sat on a Moses Seat or perhaps he sat on the floor. We don’t know. But Luke does tell us what he said as he sat down to begin his teaching. All eyes were on him, the room was silent in eager anticipation of what their hometown hero would say. And he said: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Jesus declares his mission that day for all to hear. Jesus proclaims his mission of good news for the poor, for the captives, for the blind and the oppressed. Jesus offers freedom and forgiveness for all of humanity. Those who lived in poverty and oppression would hear good news of joy and hope. When we hear the words of Jesus, we hear good news! And yet, those same words might have sounded like a different kind of news to those whose wealth, status and power had afforded them a certain kind of privilege. Jesus claims that his ministry will be like the year of the Lord’s favor - also known as the Jubilee year! The people would have understood exactly what Jesus was referring to. In Leviticus Chapter 25, the law states that every 50 years the people would celebrate a Jubilee year in which the fields would rest (nothing was to be planted or harvested), debts would be forgiven, land acquired through debt would be given back to the original owner, and slaves would be set free. He was offering forgiveness for all. This sounds like good news, right? Jubilee years were awesome …. unless you were the one who was owed a debt, or you were the one who had acquired land or whose fortune relied on the work of slaves. The elite didn’t much like the idea of a Jubilee year, which is probably why the practice was never really followed. Good news, bad news, who can say?

Jesus does a funny thing as finishes the reading from Isaiah. He reads Isaiah 61:1 and then starts to read the second verse - but does not finish it. He reads the first part of the verse about the freedom of the Jubilee year but doesn’t finish the rest. What words does he choose not to read from the scroll? The completed verse would read: “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God.” He completely leaves out the part about vengeance! In what he doesn’t say, Jesus clearly makes it known that the vengeance of God is not what he has come to fulfill. Revenge and retaliation are not his gig. Good news, bad news - who is to say. I guess it depends on if you are a person who has been waiting for the Messiah to come and bring vengeance on the enemies of Israel.

Now, the rest of the story is our Gospel lesson for next Sunday, so I can’t completely steal all of Pastor Rob’s thunder … but perhaps you remember how the day in Nazareth ends for Jesus. They don’t throw a party and eat cake in his honor after the famous teacher concludes his teaching. What begins with praise and amazement, soon turns to rage, and they try to throw him off of a cliff. What starts as good news, becomes bad news - or who can say?

Here is what I will say: Good news is not always easy. Good news can be hard - but that doesn’t always make it bad. Good news most certainly holds challenge.

A couple of Sundays ago, we heard God proclaim Jesus’ identity as the Beloved Son of God, after he was baptised in the Jordan River. Today, when Jesus unrolls the scroll of Isaiah, to read and proclaim the scripture fulfilled - Jesus claimed his mission of good news. From the beginning of his ministry, he very clearly knows who he is and what God has called him to do. Everything he says and does going forward can be viewed through his interpretation of this scripture which he claims as his mission.

His good news - is first and foremost - for the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed - and forgiveness is for the whole of humanity. Jesus doesn’t lay out doctrine to believe or rules to follow - his missional target is a moral agenda that fulfills God’s good purposes for all people. And he lives it. The Gospels are full of stories of Jesus living out his mission. Remember the blind man who receives his sight after Jesus spits in the mud? Remember the Gerasene man who is held captive by demons outside of the city walls who is released? Remember the woman who is caught in adultery who set free from condemnation? Jesus knew his identity and mission, it shaped his actions, and transformed the world around him. It wasn’t easy. The Good News Jesus proclaimed and lived led to his death on the cross. Good news, bad news, who can say.

Often times, the church can forget that we too have an identity and mission. We get caught up in trying to believe the right things and follow the right rules. We get tradition-focused tunnel vision and have a hard time seeing beyond things as they were or have always been and moving forward. And yet, it is just as important for us as the church to know our identity and mission - to understand what it is God is calling us to do - as it was for Jesus. Jesus’ identity was revealed in his baptism and his mission was stated in Nazareth - both serving as the foundation of his ministry. The same is true for the church. In baptism, our identity is given to us individually and collectively as we are claimed and united as the church. Letting our identity and mission shape our actions is how the church transforms the world.

Just last Sunday at our congregational town hall meeting, First Lutheran discussed a new working mission statement. For those who weren’t here - or for those who have already forgotten it - here it is: “First Lutheran Church strives to inspire hope for a wounded world, gather in worship that both uplifts and challenges, and build blessed relationships inside and outside the walls of our building.” It’s a clear statement that lines up with the mission of Jesus. And yet it leaves room for challenge. Actually, it recognizes and celebrates that in the midst of good news there is always challenge. A congregation who strives to inspire hope for the wounded is going to face some challenge. Wounded people bring with them their wounds, which can be messy. The church sign right now ((No Body is Illegal. Protect Transx Rights!)) inspires hope for our wounded world - speaking a word of dignity and support to our transgender friends - and yet it’s challenging. Not everyone who drives by will agree. But it is there to inspire hope to the wounded. First strives to be a congregation who gathers for worship that both uplifts and challenges, well the challenge is built right into that one. The words that you hear from this pulpit might not always bring comfort, changes in worship might not always be comfortable - but you have committed to gather together despite the challenge, recognizing that challenge helps us to grow. First strives to be a congregation who builds relationships both inside and outside of this building - that’s challenge! Building relationships with people in here is hard enough - but with those people out there? Talk about having to leave our comfort zone and get out of our box! Those people out there - they aren’t going to look like us, think like us, act like us - they might not even like us! But this mission reflects the mission of Jesus and it’s what we have been called to do. 

This mission is good news, yet let’s not kid ourselves. It’s not an easy task. And it is no good if it just words on a page. We can print it in the bulletin and put in on the website - but if we aren’t continually confronting challenges, taking action, and putting it into practice - it’s nothing more than good intentions. Bold action will call for willing hearts and hard work; and I am certain it will require big risks.

But it’s a mission that is good news for others - not just those in here, but those out there! Good news that is good, not because it’s easy but because it’s right, it’s just, and it brings us closer to the world as God have it to be. What a privilege it is to partner with God in this work! A new mission is an opportunity for new action. So, how will First Lutheran let it’s identity and mission shape its actions to transform their part of the world? Who can say - but I believe it can be good!