Scrolling

We scroll so often these days. It seems that every device we have we can now scroll to find out more facts, things to discover, hopefully not to purchase yet another bargain… Scrolling and checking all the facts. Scrolling was also something we might perceive was done way back as well.

Playing at Home at last

In this week’s passage from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 4: 14-21) we find Jesus in his home synagogue. Surely he will get a good reception in Nazareth, as everyone will know him?

For some context, Luke has Jesus over in the River Jordan for his baptism, with more than a metaphorical dove, and then off into the Wilderness. We do’t hear about that until next year in the Lectionary cycle. Jesu has returned from his trip down south to Galilee, and the news about him is already spreading fast. People are scrolling and checking all the facts. It is important that it is noted that Jesus does teach in a number of synagogues – he is very much the Methodist preacher, not sticking with just one place of worship! 🙂 But soon he is in Nazareth.

Scroll or Codex

The scroll would have measured something close to 7 metres in length so for Jesus to select that passage would have required some preparation, or some good book or scroll marks, or was he telling them what it said? Some scholars say that the scroll wouldn’t have been read at such a time but a codex, a book in some form. Luke was writing this Gospel (c80AD) some time after the actual event.

Septuagint

What he reads is from both Isaiah 58:6 and 61:1-2, from the Septuagint or LXX, so it is the Greek form of the Hebrew Scriptures. Their context is from post-exile. All is well and he seems to be well received. Even when we says “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” he is affirming the Judaism belief. As we will hear next week, the audience change their minds fairly sharply after this.

What is he actually saying?

We may all have heard the sermon and wondered what they were talking about. The audience at this synagogue would have heard those familiar verses but what of the consequences?

“To preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind”

This links in well with what Jesus has been doing as recorded in Mark 6:1-6 and Matthew 13:54-58; albeit there is some debate whether it was sight to the blind or freedom to prisoners.

What might it mean to us today?

Jesus has gone to his hometown and told them that they need to overthrow the system they have got used to. He is asking that they liberate the oppressed. If we speak of liberation now, setting people free, there is much intake of breathe, and shaking of heads.

What of Shamima Begum, the teenager who went to Syria as part of Daesh but since has claimed that she has changed her mind?

What of the corruption scandals, also known as sleaze, that have rocked many a government but seemingly they brush it off and move on?

If Jesus was to “die on the cross”, he certainly isn’t suggesting anything of the kind here: he is advocating saving, freeing, liberating those who have been ravaged by society, persecuted by authorities – did he really die for our sins?

The Methodist Church (in the US) states that their mission statement is “to make disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world”. It seems that Jesus is imploring such a radical transformation from the outset.

What might our churches do about this today? We can’t keep scrolling past this…