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<DIV><FONT size=4>What reaction would the newly-ordained minister of the gospel
get if he implied that the bank president who approved the loan that allowed him
to attend seminary was responsible for the foreclosures that are now putting his
friends and family on the street? “Biting the hand that feeds him” comes
to mind.<BR><BR>Jesus may well have said at some point that “The truth is, no
prophet is welcome on his home turf.” Indeed, prophets are seldom welcome
anywhere, as John the Baptist learned. In the 21st Century, Barack Obama
was forced to disassociate himself from Jeremiah Wright’s all-to-accurate
reading of systemic American social injustice. Otherwise, Obama would
likely not have been elected President.</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.gaiarising.org/2010/01/voice-in-wilderness.html">http://www.gaiarising.org/2010/01/voice-in-wilderness.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Sea Raven, 2010</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>He said, "Perhaps you are wondering why you got inspiring
words from me, but there hasn't been any corroborating evidence of healing here?
Well, you should wonder why this is all talk, the same old stuff, and no action.
When your wondering leads you to understanding the implications for you and all,
I'll move pretty quickly from being a favorite son to a meddling
prophet...."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007/01/fourth-sunday-after-epiphany-c4.html"><FONT
size=4>http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007/01/fourth-sunday-after-epiphany-c4.html</FONT></A> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Wesley White, 2007</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>From the perspective of the hometown people, God’s love should
be confined to the Jews. Nowadays, we play similar theological games when we
believe that God’s love should be confined to Christians, when we believe that
God should love Christians more than people of other religions like the Muslims
or Hindus. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_jesus_rejected_at_nazareth_GA.htm">http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_jesus_rejected_at_nazareth_GA.htm</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Edward F. Markquart</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>...the challenge to preachers to get beyond what people want
to hear us say & thoughtfully, prayerfully, pastorally try to get across
what we believe God is trying to tell us about this situation or that. It takes
all our communication skills as well as a broad over-arching grasp of what
Suzanne de Dietrich once called 'God's Unfolding Purpose' (Westminster, 1960)
What appeals to me about that is that God's purpose isn't a closed canon! No-one
can put a stopper to it or in it! It's still unfolding, & always will
be.</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/laterallyluke/LLK42130EPIPH4.html">http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/laterallyluke/LLK42130EPIPH4.html</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Brian McGowan</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>...succinctly stated by Joel Green in his commentary on Luke:
<STRONG>"It is as though at this juncture they (the townspeople) have filtered
his message through their restrictive presumptions about him"</STRONG> (<EM>The
Gospel of Luke</EM>, 216). And, of course, this begs the theological question
for us today. <STRONG>To what extent are our views of Jesus "filtered" to "match
our presumptions" about him? To what extent do we feel we <EM>know</EM> Jesus
already, that his words and deeds are so familiar to us that Jesus himself loses
his capacity to surprise and instruct us?</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.drbilllong.com/Lectionary/Luke4II.html">http://www.drbilllong.com/Lectionary/Luke4II.html</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=style1><FONT size=4>Bill Long, 2007</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>What Jesus will do in these verses is, as Joel Green says, to
address "the parochial vision of the townspeople directly, countering their
assumptions that, as Joseph's son, he will be especially for them a source of
God's favor" (<EM>The Gospel of Luke</EM>, 217). </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>...what is clear is that, in the later words of Luke, Jesus
will find his home not in Nazareth but among the "poor, the crippled, the lame,
and the blind" (14:13).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.drbilllong.com/Lectionary/Luke4III.html">http://www.drbilllong.com/Lectionary/Luke4III.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=style1><FONT size=4>Bill Long, 2007</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV></FONT><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>A friend of mine returned from an audience with His Holiness
the Dali Lama. "When his Holiness speaks," my friend said, "everyone in the room
becomes quiet, serene and peaceful." Not so with Jesus. Things were fine in
Nazareth until Jesus opened his mouth and all hell broke lose.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2955">http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2955</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>William Willimon, 2004</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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