Dunbar United Church of Christ - January 31, 2010

I. Jesus knew his first sermon to people he’d known since childhood them crazy with anger. So why did he do it? If you were preaching, would you knowingly upset people? People probably came to Jesus and said, “Just tell us what we need to do to live a good life. Inspire us, so we’ll leave here feeling encouraged!”

II. What did he say to make them homicidal? And why did he do that? Isn’t good preaching what makes someone feel good? Not really,That’s like going to the doctor and saying, “Please, I don’t want to know if I have cancer or diabetes. Just tell me the good stuff!”

III. Paul said that when we become adults, we give up childish ways. Part of being an adult is wanting to know the truth, even if it’s a hard truth, because then we can decide what to do. I can’t treat my illness till I know what’s making me sick.

So that day Jesus looked over the people he grew up with in the synagogue and he saw a lot of sickness. Spiritually, these people were dying because they thought they were better than others. They thought God loved them more. This must have upset Jesus, to look across all these people and see so many spiritually dead, or dying.

So he had to pull out his knife, his scalpel, and start cutting away the tumors of hatred, and prejudice, and arrogance -- or the spirit would die in them.

IV. He said, “The truth is -- there were many widows in Israel during the famine, but God sent Elijah to a widow in Zerepath. And there were many lepers in Israel, but God sent Elisha to Naaman, the Syrian.”

That was it -- two simple sentences -- to turn a loving group of friends and admirers into sociopaths. Sometimes, we’re smiling and friendly -- but our rage and anger and hate are so close, just under the surface of our friendliness. The people of Nazareth probably read those passages many times and not given it a second thought. Now they finally hear -- and they cant stand it -- that God loves their enemies too! That they’re not “special” -- God loves even the worst of us.

That was the Good News Jesus told the people, and if they had a gun, they would have shot him right there.

V. It would be like me saying, “You know, we Americans think we’re good. But God’s not interested in us right now because God is helping a widow in Baghdad who’s family was killed by our bombs. God’s helping a Taliban family in Afghanistan whose child was killed by our military, and a family in Palestine killed by weapons we sold to Israel.”

Last Friday a woman went to bingo in North Haven and the discussion at the table she sat at was about mayor DeStefano and how he can’t be a “real” Italian -- he must be gay and Puerto Rican because he wants to give Mexicans and other immigrants in New Haven assistance. People at the bingo table said, “When my family came here from Italy, no body helped us -- we did it ourselves. Now they give handouts to Mexicans and all these foreigners that are everywhere!”

What she’s saying is that she’s better than latinos and people like DeStefano who want to help them. “I’m better than they are,” she said, indirectly. Maybe she thinks she’s special because she goes to church. Wouldn’t she be upset if someone at the bingo table said to her, “You know, God’s going to help the gays and Mexicans and all our terrorist enemies before he helps you.”

VI. Well, thank goodness the good people of Nazareth, good people just like us, failed in their first attempt to kill Jesus. Look at the great teachings we would have lost. Had they succeeded, I guess we wouldn’t be here. But Jesus passed through that mob and got away. And, really, I don’t want to upset anyone. We can keep thinking we’re the best -- and if we have to do bad things sometimes, like torture and kill people, well, it’s only to serve a higher good. Yes, let’s keep thinking that.

Let’s tell Jesus we don’t need him. “Thanks Jesus, but we don’t need anyone telling us we’re not as good as we think we are.”

And then he’ll do to us what he did to those good folks in his home town -- he’ll just walk away