There’s
something rather special about some fly on the wall documentaries as they give
you an insight into what goes on behind the scenes. That was definitely the case recently in a fly
on the wall documentary about Canterbury Cathedral. The actual fly on the wall who spent a year
with camera and microphone in hand was our own David Waters. Then someone else did the editing of all the hours of recording David had done to order it into four hour-long documentaries.
After
spending a year with us as a Time for God Volunteer David went on to study
Theology at Durham University and then on to work at the BBC where he has
worked on such programmes as Songs of Praise, Blue Peter. One of the first programmes he worked on as a
researcher was a series on the Miracles of Jesus.
It
was fascinating talking to David as the programmes were being made and then to
see the finished product – not only in its British version for the BBC, but
also in its American version for an American Audience.
Each
programme was the same on both sides of the Atlantic except for the voice-over
… and more than that for the approach the ‘link-person’ made.
For
the American audience the links through each episode involved a street magician
and the question the voice-over came back to repeatedly was ‘are the miracles’
just a magic stunt, or is there something more going on?
You
might have thought as a fully paid up member of the Cotswold Magical Society
that I would have loved that approach. I
didn’t. I cringed. It seemed to me to miss the point entirely of
the Gospel miracles.
I
was much more drawn to the BBC’s more staid approach for the British
audience. They employed a BBC journalist
who had done a lot of reporting in the Middle East to give a much more sober
and reflective link to the each of the episodes. As an investigative journalist his quest was
to find out what was really going on behind the miracles of the Gospels.
That
approach resonates with the approach Luke takes in the writing of his Gospel.
At
the very outset he explains what he is doing.
Since
many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have
been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from
the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after
investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly
account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth
concerning the things about which you have been instructed.
Luke
draws on other sources, many of whom are eye-witnesses, and then he organises
all he has researched and give it an order – and the whole process has a
purpose. It's rather as if Luke is the editor working on the all the footage shot by those eye-witnesses and others who had put the story together before.
It
is so that the Gentile Theophilus, or any ‘Theo – philos, Friend of God’ may
know the truth concerning the things about which they have been instructed.
What
is meant by ‘the truth’ in that sentence, I wonder?
Does
Luke want to make sure that his readers know the exact actuality of everything
that happened? There’s an element of
that, it seems to me.
But
there’s something more going on in that introduction too.
He
wants his readers to know the truth, the significance, the meaning of
everything that he is recording.
It’s
the same enterprise as that documentary series on the Miracles in its British
version.
There’s
a very real sense in which Luke works as the maker of a fly-on-the-wall
documentary maker. He draws on the work
of a number of people who had been there – those were the David Waters’s with
microphone and camera in hand, as it were.
Luke
follows his source Mark, and shares common ground with Matthew, in making a very
strong link between John the Baptist and the message he shares and the message
Jesus takes up once John the Baptist has been imprisoned.
As
Jesus takes up the mantle from John and begins his ministry in Luke 4 Luke
tells us that ‘he began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by
everyone.
That’s
not enough for Luke, however, he gives us the opportunity to be a fly on the
wall in one of those synagoguegs and to hear what Jesus had to say.
And
so in Luke 4:16-30 we join Jesus in the synagogue at Nazareth. It is as if for Luke this occasion
encapsulates the mission Jesus had begun to undertake, it summed up his
message.
‘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 let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s
favour.’
The
people are ‘amazed at the words of grace that come from his mouth’ … but their
amazement turns to rage when Jesus tells two stories to throw light on exactly
who the poor, the blind, the captives are who are to receive this good news.
The
expectation of the people was that it would be for us and our poor, for us and
our captives, for us and our blind. And definitely
not ‘for them’ – the Gentiles, the Roman powers that with the Herodians were
oppressing the people.
Jesus
told the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, the Gentile from Sidon,,
and the story of Elisha and Naaman the Syrian, the Gentile leprosy suffer who
was healed.
When
they heard this all in the synagogue were filled with rage and got up and drove
him out of the town.
But
of course Jesus passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
He
heals hurting people and proclaims the good news of the Kingdom of God
throughout the land – for this, says, Jesus is what he had come to do.
He
draws others into the enterprise – it’s something worth passing on, fishermen,
Levi one of the hated Publicani caught up in the Roman state’s oppressive ways,
and then from all those disciples he appoints twelve to be sent out and pass
the message on.
And
what is the message they are to pass on?
Again, it’s as if Luke draws on a fly-on-the-wall documentary maker and
he gives us a glimpse of Jesus the teacher at work in the wonderful Sermon on
the Plain, Luke’s condensed version of the Sermon on the Mount.
It’s
hard hitting stuff … exactly in keeping with the original message in Luke 4.
‘Blessed
are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21
‘Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
‘Blessed
are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
24
‘But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
25
‘Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
‘Woe
to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
It’s
about loving your neighbour … and it’s about loving your enemy too.
It’s
powerful stuff – worth passing on.
How
can you be sure?
How
can we know the truth of the matter?
What’s
going on?
The
thing is in the way Luke is unfolding this story what’s interesting in chapter
7 is not so much whether what Jesus does involved magical healings. What’s interesting is the significance of
what’s going on.
This
is what interested the makers of David’s documentary series on the
Miracles. It’s what interested Luke in
telling his Gospel story.
From
the sermon on the plain Luke moves straight on to tell at similar length two
Miracle Stories.
But
notice what’s going on here.
Back
in Nazareth in Chapter 4 Jesus told two stories – one was about Elijah and the
widow of Zarephath, the Gentile woman, and the other was about Naaman the
Commander of the Syrian army who was suffering from leprosy.
After Jesus had finished all his sayings
in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2A centurion there had a
slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. 3When he heard
about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his
slave. 4When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, ‘He is
worthy of having you do this for him, 5for he loves our people, and it is he
who built our synagogue for us.’ 6And Jesus went with them, but when he was not
far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, ‘Lord, do not
trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof;
7therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let
my servant be healed. 8For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers
under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he
comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ 9When Jesus heard
this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said,
‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ 10When those who had
been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
The
whole point of this story is the way Jesus does exactly as Elisha had done with
Naaman, the Gentile, Syrian army commander.
Jesus brings healing to the household of this army commander, this Roman
centurion.
Jesus
is amazed to such an extent that he says, ‘I tell you not even in Israel have I
found such faith.
Jesus
is doing exactly as Elisha had done.
Soon
afterwards he went to a town called Nain and his disciples and a large crowd
went with him.
11 Soon afterwards he went to a town
called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. 12As he
approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He
was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd
from the town. 13When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to
her, ‘Do not weep.’ 14Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the
bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, rise!’ 15The dead
man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16Fear seized
all of them; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’
and ‘God has looked favourably on his people!’ 17This word about him spread
throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.
You
can track through the story of the raising of the widow’s son at Nain and it
runs parallel with the raising of the widow’s son in Zarephath. Something that’s explored in David’s
documentary marvellously.
It’s
as if Jesus is putting into action that sermon in Nazareth and bringing healing
to the Gentile world in exactly the way Elisha and Elijah before him had done.
What’s
fascinating is the reaction of the crowd.
Such an event doesn’t prove the divinity of Jesus – that was not at
stake.
By
Luke 7:16 the crowds recognise exactly what’s going on. Jesus has taken up the mantle of that
wonderful line of prophets stretching back through John the Baptist, through
Isaiah to Elisha and to Elijah
they
glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’
What’s
more – this really is the breaking in on of the year of God’s favour for they
went on to say,
‘God
has looked favourably on his people!’
It’s
at this point that we cut back to John the Baptist.
Messengers
come from John the Baptist. John is in
prison and he wants to know whether it’s happening.
18 The disciples of John reported all
these things to him.
John’s
disciples report what’s going on.
And
John wants to know what really is going on.
So John summoned two of his disciples
19and sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we
to wait for another?’
That’s
the burning question for John the Baptist.
20When the men had come to him, they said,
‘John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, “Are you the one who is to come,
or are we to wait for another?” ’
Luke
builds up the tension by repeating the question in full.
21Jesus had just then cured many people of
diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were
blind. 22And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard:
the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf
hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. 23And
blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’
That’s
the measure.
This
is the program.
This
is what it takes to be that one, the one who ushers in the kingdom.
This is what it is about.
This
is what’s worth passing on.
It’s
no flash in the pan.
As
Luke’s gospel unfolds this is the heart of the message.
24 When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus
began to speak to the crowds about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness
to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 25What then did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in
luxury are in royal palaces. 26What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes,
I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27This is the one about whom it is
written,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of
you,
who will prepare your way before you.”
28I tell you, among those born of women no
one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than
he.’
There’s
a choice here.
This
is the crux of the matter.
It
is all about the justice of God.
29(And all the people who heard this,
including the tax-collectors, acknowledged the justice of God, because they had
been baptized with John’s baptism. 30But by refusing to be baptized by him, the
Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves.)
31 ‘To what then will I compare the people
of this generation, and what are they like? 32They are like children sitting in
the market-place and calling to one another,
“We played the flute for you, and you did
not dance;
we wailed, and you did not weep.”
33For John the Baptist has come eating no
bread and drinking no wine, and you say, “He has a demon”; 34the Son of Man has
come eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a
friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” 35Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by
all her children.’
This
is the way of the kingdom.
These are the values of the kingdom.
This
is what it’s all about.
This
is for John the clincher.
This
is ‘the truth concerning the things about which we have been instructed’.
These
are the values of the kingdom – this is what it takes when God’s rule is made
real in the world, when God’s kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven, when
God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
This
is what we need to be on the look out for among those who would exercise rule
over us as an election approaches. That's what the House of Bishops were seeking to do in their letter to electors that really is worth reading in the original and not in the press summaries. That's what Vincent Nichols was saying on the Radio this morning the Roman Catholics are doing as they put together questions to ask of candidates at the election. That's what The Methodists, the URC and the Baptists are doing as they prepare their pack for churches. That's what we will be doing at the Hustings meeting we shall be holding on 25th April when we get the opportunity from the churches to question our candidates.
This is the measure of what we should look for from those who would seek to govern in our country ...
God’s
justice.
Healing
for hurting people who are at their worst.
Acceptance
of the outsider.
Good
news for the poor.
No comments:
Post a Comment