Dear All
Today we celebrated the Third Sunday of Epiphany. It was a small gathering, but it was lovely to be together.
Next week we plan to resume coffee – hoorah!
Notices for this week:
Tuesday 10am Prayer Group in the Garden Room.
Thursday Holy Communion 10am
Readings for next Sunday – Candlemas – The Presentation of Christ in the Temple
Malachi 3:1-5 Hebrews 2:14-end Luke 2:22-40
Further news from the diocese and church can be found on the St Andrews website. Click on the link below.
https://standrewsmilngavie.church.scot/
Nehemiah 8:1-3,5-6,8-10
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
Luke 4: 14-21
This year the lectionary readings are taken from Luke’s gospel. For many people Luke is their favourite gospel. The fact that Luke was a doctor I suspect has something to do with this – it immediately makes Luke as a person, interesting and relevant and as a result his gospel centres on humanity. Its factual in its presentation – its unfussy – it tells the story.
In the reading this morning, Luke sets the tone for his gospel in no uncertain terms. He begins at the start of Jesus’ ministry as Jesus goes into the synagogue to preach one of his first sermons. “The spirit of the Lord is on me…”, he reads from the book of Isaiah “To preach good news to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners And recovery of sight for the blind, To release the oppressed, To claim the year of the Lord’s favour” Luke 4:18-19
Luke makes it quite clear that Jesus’ ministry is a ministry for the poor, oppressed, marginalised and the sick. They were to be the nerve centre of his calling. Luke immediately dispelled any myth that the Christ, the awaited messiah would be in any way be a political and powerful figure as in the Old Testament Kings and rulers. He was not like king David seeking power and leadership. Not like Solomon seeking wealth and building temples and cities. Nor like the military leader of Joshua. He was different. He would bring the kingdom of God to people through teaching, conversation and healing. No power, no aggression, no money, no politics and his focus was on the poor.
And this contrasts with Mathew’s gospel as he speaks more spiritually. In the beatitudes Mathew talks about “Blessed are the poor in spirit” Luke simply says “Blessed are the poor”. Also, in Matthew we have the epiphany story, wise men educated wealthy bearing expensive gifts. In Luke the nativity stories centre around humbler people – the shepherds, Mary and Joseph. Elizabeth and Zachariah – all from relatively lowly backgrounds.
But it was Jesus’ narrative that must have really made people sit up – Blessed are the poor. This was the first time any one had ever said this, and this is what makes such a remarkable start to Jesus’ ministry. He was just the opposite of what people were expecting. Jesus did not start his ministry with the rulers and the elite – but with a normal ordinary family. And this fact sent a real message of good news for the sick, the oppressed, the prisoners and the blind.
And it was a special sort of good news. It wasn’t good news in the sense that now your troubles will all be over, it was more the sense of you matter, you are valued you are loved. I care about you, and I want others to care about you too. For the first time they had been recognised.
But this was good news not only to the financially poor, but also for the low in spirit, for the downtrodden, those who feel their life is not worthwhile, who see no value in themselves.
The freedom of prisoners wasn’t an amnesty to those who have committed crimes, but the offer of release for those imprisoned by guilt, anxiety, fear. Whilst Jesus did indeed heal the physical ailments of many, he was also speaking to those who have lost their spiritual direction, can’t see clearly the way forward or how their lives can gain greater purpose.
These last two years have proved if nothing else that we all can be impoverished and oppressed by certain situations and circumstances -even by our own attitudes, anxieties and emotions. We can all struggle to see the way forward.
And this is what is so wonderful and powerful about Jesus’ message of good news today – God’s love is for everyone – we are all needed and equal in the eyes of God.
In the epistle using the analogy of the body Paul takes up this theme as he emphasis the important of each church member. If a seemingly insignificant part is taken away the whole body becomes less effective. He is emphasising the point we are all needed, we are all valued, we are all part of the one body of Christ. Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians “As it is, there are many members yet one body….now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” 1 Corinthians 12:20&27