The Rev. Virginia W. Nagel
Episcopal Diocese of Central NY (Retired)
Many people prefer not to think for themselves. They find it easier to "go
along" with what others may be saying, or what their parents were fond of
quoting, or with the current "wisdom" that often is not wise or sensible at all.
Thinking is hard work, and it challenges many of our comfortable habits and
assumptions that we would rather not change. But if we really take the time to
think, we will often find ourselves feeling that we must get out of our
comfortable ruts and change the way we feel or think about things, and that is
scary. It threatens the whole set of ideas by which we live. So we find it is
easier not to think, just go along with he crowd.
The first reading is from the book of the prophet Jeremiah and it is about
how God called Jeremiah to be a prophet. Now a prophet doesn't have to do much
real thinking. A prophet's job is to tell the people what God says, and to bring
the people's questions and worries to God. At first glance, it sounds like a
fairly cushy job. But you have to remember that what the people were generally
doing wasn't what God had told them to do. Most of the people were doing what
most people in most times and places do anyway...pretty much what they wanted to
do, looking out for themselves and their families, and paying formal,
lip-service to God and the Temple rules. So that meant that when the prophets
passed on to the people God's words of scolding or criticism, the people often
took out their anger on the prophets. So, no, being a prophet wasn't an easy
business. You usually had both God and the people mad at you for one thing or
another.
Well, God wanted Jeremiah to be a prophet, and Jeremiah was very much aware
of the drawbacks that went with that special privilege. And so he dragged out
one of the bits of folk wisdom: No, Lord, not me. I'm too young, I
wouldn't know what to do, the people wouldn't trust me. And God
immediately set him straight: Come on, Jeremiah, I know you better than
you know yourself. After all, I made you. I've known you since before you were
even born! And I know that you are exactly the person I need for the job.
You see how folk wisdom and our own assumptions can get in the way of honest
thought? We all assume that young people don't know as much, or as well, as
older people. We all assume that we know our own self, our needs and abilities,
better than anybody else does, even God himself. And we're wrong on both counts.
In fact, in the Bible, there is a straight order: Listen to the youngest
among you, not just the older folks, for wisdom often is found in the young.
God will have none of our lazy thinking and assumptions. He makes Jeremiah think
it through. And Jeremiah winds up being a prophet.
Jesus' teaching and preaching in the synagogue in Nazareth, his home town,
has many things in common with the story from Jeremiah. You remember from last
week's Gospel that Jesus came back to Nazareth, and as was his custom...good Jew
that he was...went to synagogue on Saturday. And because he was a hometown boy
who'd been away, and who had become somewhat famous, they followed the custom of
inviting him to read from the Scripture and teach or preach about the reading.
We read last week that Jesus asked for the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and read
out what amounted to his own agenda for ministry...the same agenda Isaiah had
received from God centuries ago. After he read from the scroll, he sat down to
preach and teach, as the custom was. And while he was handing the scroll back to
the attendant, and sitting down, the people were whispering among themselves.
Their hometown boy had made a great impression. Didn't he read
beautifully? He reads as if he really understands the holy books! He sounds like
a real rabbi! They were so proud.
But, once he was seated, he began to teach. This day, the Scripture is
fulfilled right in front of you! And at once, they began whispering
again, and a few even started tearing their clothes, as good Jews do when they
hear blasphemy. What on earth does he mean? Is he saying that he himself
is the Messiah? But he can't be! We've known him from a boy. He's the son of
Joseph, after all. How can HE be the Messiah? How dare he say that he is the
fulfillment of Scripture? And they rose up, and rushed him out of the
synagogue, and were ready to throw him off a cliff.
And Jesus pointed out that the prophets had prophesied to foreigners when
Jews would not listen to them. Jesus pointed out that God cares for everyone,
not just the Jews. And, of course, this really infuriated the people. How
can he say that? We're all good Jews, descended from Father Abraham himself!
Didn't the Lord pick us to be his own special people? Doesn't Jesus care for his
own flesh and blood?
God opened a path through the crowd for Jesus to escape, just as he had
opened a path for the Jews through the Red Sea so they could escape from Egypt,
long ago. And the people were left looking at themselves, and discussing what
had happened, and how Jesus had the nerve to say what he had said, back in the
synagogue.
Of course, we all take the people we know well, the folks who grew up with
us, for granted. They are everyday people. They can't possibly be special. They
certainly cannot become governor or president. If they become "sort of" special,
like a professor or a teacher or a priest, we don't quite know how to deal with
that. We say, We knew him when he was small, but look at him now...
We don't quite know if we should treat them like big shots or like the
little kid that came by now and then for cookies. We don't feel that one of us
can become a person of import and influence. Our folk wisdom says it's not
possible. So even if we are proud of that individual, we also feel a bit cheated
or awkward about it. It's even worse if the person came from the wrong side of
the tracks, or was poor, or handicapped. We just cannot accept that.
And we cannot accept the idea that one of our own might find others equally
good as they find us. We say, Aren't we good enough for him any more?
We point out the things that we think make us better than that other group.
Our pride is hurt.
If we stop and really think about it, we would acknowledge that we should be
proud that we have had a part in raising up an important person who does
important work for God and for others. But...it goes against our folk wisdom. It
doesn't quite sit right with us that someone younger than we are might have a
better job or know more than we do. It does not seem right that a kid we helped
to raise, or at least watched grow up, can become important and influential.
I wonder how many of the crowd that later shouted Crucify him!
did so because of feelings like these? I wonder if any of the folks in that mob
in Jerusalem had also been in that congregation in Nazareth?
Amen.
