Fourth Sunday after Epiphany | February 2, 2025 | A Sermon on Luke 4:21-30 | by Luther H. Thoresen |

Luke 4:21-30                      

(Text New Revised Standard Version copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.)

Luke 4:21-30

²¹Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ ²²All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ ²³He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.” ’ ²⁴And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. ²⁵But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; ²⁶yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. ²⁷There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’ ²⁸When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. ²⁹They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. ³⁰But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

Note #1: The initial paragraphs in italics of this sermon might be used as the basis for a Children’s message. If not used that way, one might adapt it as the beginning of the “usual” sermon, or insert part of it later in the sermon…or earlier in the service.

Note #2:  One or two pair of shoes could be visible on the edge of the chancel or in/near the pulpit so that the preacher might gesture towards them (or pick one up occasionally). One might also, begin in the aisle with the shoes and go to the pulpit after the first couple of paragraphs. If the Children’s portion is used, the shoes could be.

Good morning. Shoes. What are they good for? (accept answers…and add as needed…things like “They keep our feet warm” and “They protect our feet from rocks or thorns on the ground and from Legos on the floor” and “They protect our toes when we are walking among sticks or might stub our toes on the furniture” and more). Also, why is it important for shoes to fit correctly? (accept answers…and add as needed…things like “If they are too tight, our toes will be pinched, or our joints will be jammed” and “If they are too loose our feet will slide and we can get blisters on our heel or toes” and “If they are just right they feel good and support our walking”).

You might know that it is likely that Jesus walked nearly everywhere he went. He needed good sandals that fit well. At the end of today’s Gospel, Jesus went on his way – he walked away from the trouble he seemed to be in. I’ll talk more about shoes and the trouble Jesus was in during the rest of the sermon. But for now, would you pray with me? God, thank you for shoes! My feet would often be hurt without them. Thank you for my parents who provide my shoes, and thanks for the people who make my shoes. Thank you for the great love you have given us in your Son, Jesus. As I walk this week, help me to walk my way with others, and may I share your great love with them. Amen.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Have you ever heard the phrase “If the shoe fits, wear it”? Once a man we will call “Bob” told his friend, “My athletic trainer says that because I’ve missed 2 or 3 sessions I am not making much progress. He says that I have a lack of motivation.” How did the friend reply? “If the shoe fits, wear it.” I think the friend meant, “Listen to the trainer. He’s right, you lack motivation.” How many of us would agree with the friend?

Did you know that the phrase, “If the shoe fits” began to be used in the 1800’s? This was an adaptation of an earlier British saying from the 1700’s. What was that? “If the cap fits.” And even earlier there was a saying, “If the coat fits.” You get the idea. Similar sayings have been around for a while. We will leave the shoes for now…and maybe come back to them later.

In the Gospel reading today there is a huge shift…from “all spoke well of him” to “all in the synagogue were filled with rage”…from “[they] were amazed at his gracious words” to “they got up, drove him out of town”…from people saying “Is not this Joseph’s son?” to they “led him to the brow of the hill…so that they might hurl him off the cliff.” Wow!

It is like the hometown crowd is delighted with the hometown boy. But then, it becomes, the hometown crowd is running the hometown boy out of town…or worse. The hometown crowd becomes a lynch mob. What is going on??

We know crowds can be fickle. We have heard that a person or crowds can “turn on a dime.” The image behind that is usually someone thinking of a car or truck or semi which a good driver has “turned around” in a small space. Yes, crowds can be fickle. Crowds can “turn on a dime.” Crowds can turn from approval to rejection; from joy to rage…quickly. If you don’t believe me, all you need to do is watch some sports fans when the home team is winning…and then starts to lose. The fans “turn on a dime”…against their team.

There are lots of tales about the “hometown boy or girl that makes good.” I recall in my first call in the 1980’s with a congregation in Wheaton, IL, one of the suburbs of Chicago. Chuck Long became the quarterback of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team. His parents lived down the street from our home. They were not members of our congregation, but they were good friends with a couple families that were members. Lots of people were proud of Chuck as a “hometown boy” who made good.

I also recall moving to Ruthven, IA in 1987. There was a freshman on the local basketball team. He was a tall, lanky kid who played as a freshman on the varsity team. His name is Loren Meyer, and we watched him play 4 years for the local high school team. There was excitement when coach Johnny Orr from Iowa State University came to town to watch Loren play. Loren went to play for Johnny, and we watched him play as a Cyclone for 4 more years (usually on TV)…and then he played 4 or 5 years in the NBA. The town was proud of the hometown boy. If I am correct, his high school jersey and his Cyclone jersey hang in the hallway of the local school.

Yes, there are lot of stories of a woman or man from some place who does well in business, sports, music, the arts…whatever. The hometown crowd is usually proud of the hometown boy or girl that makes good. I’m from Iowa, so, I think of these…Winterset is the hometown of John Wayne, Cedar Rapids is the hometown of Ashton Kutcher, Denison is the hometown of Donna Reed…and there are more. (Preachers could substitute people from their state/province/country/etc.)

Jesus is the hometown boy from Nazareth. In last week’s Gospel, Luke 4:14-21), we heard that “Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and the report spread through all the surrounding country”. Last week Jesus read the scripture in the synagogue at Nazareth on the Sabbath. After he sat down, all eyes were fixed on him. Jesus said only nine words, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” This Sunday’s reading begins with those nine words, and we hear, “All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.”

Then, it is almost as if Jesus picks a fight. In response to their amazement, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” Jesus retorts, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.” ’ And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town…’ Then, to make matters worse, Jesus reminds the hometown folks about two stories in the Hebrew scriptures. He reminds them of two stories of prophets that did NOT help their hometown. In both stories, the prophet helps someone in someplace else…someone from beyond the borders of Israel. One that was helped was in Sidon, the other in Syria.

It is almost as if Jesus says that the message, the good news that he read from Isaiah, is not just for you. The message belongs to you. I’m part of this town, but you do not own me or my message. With the story in the Gospel last week, the scripture promises were for the hometown crowd. There was good news for the poor, release for the captives, recovery of sight, the oppressed were to go free, and the year of the Lord’s favor was announced. In this week’s text, Jesus emphasizes “for others” and his words become offensive.

Have you ever heard something like, “We are to take care of our own first”? That is sometimes OK, but it often becomes, “We will take care of our own and let others fend for themselves.”

So, what if the church does not exist to meet your needs? What if the church does not exist to meet my needs? What if the church exists for the sake of others? What if the church exists for the sake of those who are not a part of the congregation? Yes, along the way, God gifts us with life, salvation, community and more in the church. Yet, the gifts of God are given to us for the sake of others. You know this, right? Some of the ministries of this congregation are for the sake of others, they are to benefit others.

I once read¹ about something that happened near the end of the life of William Booth. Booth was the founder of the Salvation Army. As Booth was dying, he pulled one of his associates close to his mouth and whispered. What did he whisper? One word – “Others.” St Augustine was a bishop in northern Africa in the 4^th century. He put it this way once, “The Church is the only club in the world that exists for people who are not yet members of it.”

So, back to the shoes. Put yourself in Jesus’ shoes for a moment. At the end of today’s reading, Jesus goes on his way. He has been driven out, led up the hill so that they might cast him off a cliff, and he has experienced the rage of the crowd. Yet, Jesus goes through their midst, and simply goes on his way – no getting even, no retribution, no fire from heaven, no “I’ll show you!” Jesus, without violence goes on is way.

A quick aside – no one knows “how” Jesus went through their midst. Did he stare them down? Did angels push back the crowd? Did Jesus simply call their bluff and walk through their midst? We don’t know how it happened, but it is clear – Jesus went on his way without violence. Jesus went on his way to help others. Yes, Jesus’ way will lead to a cross on top of another hill. But for now, he goes to other towns and villages and peoples.

Can you put on Jesus’ shoes and respond to anger with non-violence? Can you put on Jesus’ shoes and focus your ministry, your serving on others? “If the shoe fits, wear it!” But first, can you put on the shoes of the crowd? Can you ask yourself, “What triggers me? What moves me from joy to anger? Am I offended when I don’t get my way? Am I offended when I hear that the church is NOT here to meet my needs?

I invite you to take a piece of paper – a piece of the bulletin will do. With your finger or with a pen or pencil, I invite you to write the first name of someone with whom you are at odds. I invite you to pray for that person specifically each day this week. You know who that is. I also invite you to put the piece of paper in this basket as you come forward for communion. After we have distributed the bread and wine, the body and blood of Jesus, I will pray for all of us, and all of the people you have named. NO, I will not read any names aloud, and NO, I will not even read them to myself later…I’ll burn all of them after the service. But maybe, just maybe, you could share some good news with the person you named for yourself. This person may or may not know that you think the relationship is at odds. All the people we have named to ourselves are “others.” Maybe you could write a card or drop off some cookies. Maybe you could write something simple like, “I’m praying for you. Will you pray for me?”

If the shoe fits…wear it. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

©Pr. Luther H. Thoresen, ELCA, STS, retired; thoresenluther54@gmail.com; Grundy Center, IA, USA

¹ My source for the William Booth anecdote and the quote from Augustine, was a sermon on this text by Pr Steven Molin on the website, www.lectionary.org .