Preaching Paths 26 January 2025

Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary

Jesus announces the scope and purpose of his mission in today’s reading (Luke 4:14-21). “Filled with the power of the Spirit” and “praised by everyone” (vv 14-15), he arrives in Nazareth with his Galilean teaching tour already well under way. On the Sabbath, Jesus goes to the synagogue. He is appointed to read the day’s text and preach; he chooses to read from the scroll of Isaiah, selecting Isaiah 61:1-2: “[H]e has sent me to bring good news to the poor . . . to proclaim release to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, . . . to let the oppressed go free, and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Lk 4:18-19). The phrase, “recovery of sight for the blind,” is taken from Is 35:5. Then, taking a seat, as was customary for teaching, he announces, “Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (v 21).

Jesus’ choice of text is notable from a theological standpoint. In announcing his God-given mission, he does not choose to read from Isaiah 53, where the prophet describes one who “was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities” and on whom the Lord “has laid the iniquities of us all” (53:5-6). This suggests that Jesus did not regard “dying for the sins of the world” as the defining motif of his God-given mission. Yet, since the late 19^th century, and particularly in the US, many Christians regard Jesus’ death as the sole purpose of the incarnation. A preacher might ponder Jesus’ choice of Isaiah 61, rather than Isaiah 53, to characterize his mission, and how this might bring more balance to our understanding of Jesus’ mission, as well as our own mission in his name today. 

We shall discover as Luke’s narrative unfolds that Jesus’ pursuit of the mission he announces in Nazareth shall indeed prove so socially and religiously disruptive that it will, in fact, lead to his death. Good news for the poor is not good news to those who benefit from their poverty. Jesus’ mission in the power of the Spirit will entail exposing abuses of power, both economic and religious. And thus exposed, powerful elites will join forces, conspire against Jesus, and preside over his crucifixion.

The death of Jesus indeed came to be interpreted by his followers as efficacious to release humanity from its captivity to sin and death. Yet, we cannot lose sight of the fact that Jesus’ death did not come about arbitrarily; it came about precisely because of his fidelity to the mission of God described in Is 61 and elsewhere. Jesus’ interpretation of God’s mission is vindicated; God raises him, firstborn of a new creation. And as Luke will show us, God’s Spirit-driven mission to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, and sight to blind eyes will continue through the Church.

Next week’s lection takes a turn: Jesus’ listeners will rise in outrage when he suggests that God’s liberating mission includes persons whom they regard as undeserving. But for this week, it is enough to marvel at God’s commitment to the vulnerable of the world: victims of exploitation and abuse, and anyone held in the grip of forces beyond their control. As I write, that includes thousands of victims of the Los Angeles fires—people of every ethnicity, religion, and economic stratum. The losses are staggering: homes and neighborhoods, schools and businesses, churches and synagogues. Loved ones are dead or missing. In the power of the Spirit, people of faith must follow Jesus into the ashes, focusing especially on those with resources to rebuild. Material help is essential. Equally essential will be hearing out the stories of heartbreak—not only in the short term, but on the long, uneven road to recovery, with its inevitable frustrations. In our time and place, this is what God’s mission looks like.