3rd Sunday after Epiphany

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21 

Luke 4:14-21

¹⁴ Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding region. ¹⁵ He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

  ¹⁶ When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷ and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
 ¹⁸ “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 set free those who are oppressed,
 ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
²⁰ And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. ²¹ Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

. . .

First Impressions, Part I

Grace to you, beloved of God, and peace from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Disclaimer: What you are about to hear is a well-known joke in the corporate world that may not have aged very well. My apologies in advance. 

A Human Resources director of a Fortune 500 company dies prematurely while at the top of her game, and she finds herself in line to enter the gates of heaven. Her time comes, and she extends her hand with a great smile in her best impersonation of how to present oneself to make an impactful and positive first impression. They matter, first impressions. 

Hi, I am so and so. It is so nice to meet you! The gentleman before her returns the cordial greeting, saying it is nice to meet you. I am Peter. Huh, I thought you would be older, with a white beard. Nice tan, by the way. No tanning, ma’am. Not such a thing here; I am actually from Palestine, and this olive skin tone you see has been with me since birth. Anyway, Peter continues, we seem to have a problem. Oh, I’m sure we can resolve it. It can’t be that bad. Actually, it is. You were not supposed to be here. What do you mean? Well, your practices among your co-workers tended to be less than great. It says you have demonstrated an overall lack of compassion and love towards your neighbor, especially after you climbed the ladder. She says, “You know how it is out there: eat or be eaten.” Yep, we are fully aware. Unfortunately, it is not what Jesus hopes for. I tell you what, since this was our mistake, and mercy and grace are a big part of what we do here in heaven, I am willing to allow you to spend some time here, then sometime down there, and you choose where you would like to go. Great, let’s try that, the savvy executive responds with an even bigger smile and enthusiasm. C’mom in then, invites St. Peter. 

What a beautiful and peaceful place. The river of life was fantastic as she followed the walking path parallel to the stream, and people looked so happy; they had this uplifting presence about them when they crossed paths.  As she arrived at what she thought could only be the divine throne, everybody was dancing and celebrating. But the music was strange to hear; it was a cacophony of non-harmonic different sounds. How could one dance to that, she thought? A strange creature then approached and handed her a multicolor necklace. Pretty, she thought. Thank you! Then the winged being kind of spoke with her telepathically, and she understood the necklace would filter the sounds and select something that was joyful to her. It worked. The creature placed thoughts on her head, explaining that it was the multitude of all the nations, from every tribe and language, each rejoicing their way. So off she went. It was irresistible. After dancing her off. It was then that she felt a touch on her shoulder and the words of St. Peter: “Time to spend some time in the place where the fire never quenches.”

She did not know what St. Peter meant by that. The place was glorious, nothing like she expected. It looked like a Bahamas resort. Emerald blue beaches and a gorgeous swimming pool with a bar in the middle of it. Perfect weather for her taste. Not a cloud in the sky and warm enough to make her feel like entering in a bathing suit. There was no humidity, no bugs, and, look, pickleball courts! As she moves around the perfect green lawn, she spots a … no way! Behind the hotel-like structure, there was a peak with snow, and people were skying, snowboarding, and riding their snowmobiles. Are you kidding me?! When you are sick of sunbathing, you can suit up and hit the slopes!? Then, a ridiculously handsome man in a suit approaches her and asks, what do you think? I am in awe. I can see that, says the man. I am satan, by the way. Oh, hi. Is this really the place? Yes, it is.  Come, let me show you around.

It is time now to choose, and our friend finds herself once more in the presence of St. Peter. Well, ma’am, where would you like to spend eternity? Look, Pete, can I call you Pete? Heaven was great, really great. Everybody was so nice and all. But that other place … oh, let me tell you! Fabulous, everybody was having a great time. You know, they were my kind of people, smart, sophisticated, and great conversations! And the food and the drinks. Let me tell you. I have been to the best places in the world, and none of them holds a candle to the quality there. Which by the way, some refreshments here, at least, could go a long way. And Frankly, I don’t know what you meant by never-ending fire unless it was because everyone was so fit and hot! I like you, Pete, I really do. You look rock solid, better than I expected. But that Satan guy! Oh my gosh! Just looking at that man alone would make for a jubilant eternity. So, no offense, but I think I will stay down there. Peter answered, Pete is OK, ma’am. About the food, you were not even hungry, were you? That is part of the promise: no one will hunger no more. Nobody asks for food; eternity with the beloved seems to be enough nourishment for them. I am sorry it was not sufficient for you. I will make immediate arrangements for your permanent stay over there. Thank you, Pete. I knew you would understand. No problem at all, ma’am, said Peter with a hint of sadness in his voice, she thought. Anyway, to an eternity of bliss! I deserved it!

The place was now not at all what it was. There were only screams of despair and suffering and fires everywhere. A beast in the form of a man, goat-faced, horns and everything, comes to meet her. Welcome back! Who are you? She asks. I am Satan. It’s nice to see you again. But, but, wait, she stuttered, this is not the place! What happened? Well, sweety, how many times have you said that yourself? On the first visit, we were hiring you. Now you are staff! Welcome to hell!

What can I say? First impression matters. I once heard someone say that is because past behavior predicts future behavior. I find that a little ungracious. St. Paul would like to differ from St. Peter. Nonetheless, a lot of us think strongly of it. So, for the sake of this exercise, let us assume that to be absolutely true. 

Here it is, Jesus from Nazareth, born homeless in Bethlehem, wrapped in bands of cloth and laid in a livestock feeder,  as a sign of good news of joy for all the people who became an immigrant, a refugee, fleeing the infanticide promoted by King Herod, after having received the Holy Spirit, been anointed God’s beloved son, and stood against Satan evil but foolish promises of riches, power, and safety. Here he is, still full of the power of the same Spirit. The same Spirit we receive as a gift of love and mercy we did not deserve. Here he is, back to the place where he came from. Standing to speak for the first time, he carefully chooses the passages from Isaiah to recite, a mix of chapters 58 (verse 6) and 61(verses 1 to 2). This will be his calling card for the ages. This is the first impression that will define his ministry and those willing to lift up the cross and follow him throughout eternity. Before he heals anyone, before he teaches anything,  before he saves humanity and releases us from the captivity of our sin, our Lord said:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

  because he has anointed me

   to bring good news to the poor, [that is, the low in status, the worthless, the ones whose lives do not matter].

 He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

  and recovery of sight to the blind,

   to set free those who are oppressed,

 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Oh, the first impressions mattered all right. But that is a sermon for next Sunday. Until then, thanks be to God. Amen.