So the hometown expectations were rather high-and there's nothing wrong with that, really. I think it's completely natural to wish the best for someone in what they choose to do with their life. And we were proud of him, and of how well he spoke, for we had heard of the wonderful things that he had done during his internship in a nearby town. Actually, we'd heard of some pretty unbelievable things that he had done. So, in hindsight, I guess some of our expectations were unusually high.

For his text he had selected that bit from Isaiah, "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, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor," you know the text; we hear it come up regularly in the lectionary.

I guess it's what he DID with that text that got us all riled up. I mean, you know how it goes: When people attend worship, they want to come away feeling good about themselves and their relationship with God. Since this preacher was once one of us, we expected that (because he knew us so well) he would speak to that need deep inside each of us -- the need to feel as one of God's children, chosen and beloved, as taught us by the scriptures.

The problem wasn't that he said we weren't beloved by God, he didn't say anything like that at all; the trouble came when he said that others were beloved by God, others whom we knew couldn't possibly be.

I mean its one thing for a preacher to claim the power of the Spirit and proclaim good news, salvation and release and all that, but quite another thing for that preacher to expand the field of just who can be eligible to receive that good news, that release from blindness or captivity, that acceptability of the Lord's favor.

He was suggesting that we expand the circle of God's grace to include people who were not like us, people so different from us that it wasn't socially or ritually acceptable to sit down at the same table for a meal with them. Now where would that lead us if we were to do that? Doesn't he know about how dangerous accepting foreigners can be to a peace loving society? All that time spent furthering his education studying the scriptures, all that time spent in prayer and contemplation, and he comes up with this? Who does he think he is? You would think he took that Isaiah passage personally, as if it had become his own individual mission.

I guess that's how we understood what he said. Yes, I know it was only his first sermon, in his hometown, but we had heard enough. He had stepped over a line that tradition and scripture had drawn in the sand long before he ever came around, one that we could point to and say, "Enough!" Looking back on it, I guess that is what we did.

He hadn't even finished his sermon when some of the elders stood up and began to physically escort him out. Then others stood up, shouting, and it began to get pretty ugly, right there in the synagogue. The crowd poured out into the street and became almost like a mob.

Someone shouted that we ought to push him out to the edge of town and shove him off a cliff; another voice suggested stoning him. There were cheers of assent for these ideas, but there was no reason for any of that. This boy's family was too well known and respected to have such a disgrace come to them. So in the confusion, as best as we can determine now after the fact, some of the elders apparently let him slip away and leave town. Honestly, I don't recall that he ever came back.

We continued to hear about him from time to time. Reports, mostly, about things he had done; stories of people he had supposedly healed of various diseases; much talk about his surging popularity. And, of course, lots of gossip about him including outsiders and Gentiles among his own followers. We knew that was coming. It was only a matter of time.

Then just a few weeks ago, shortly after Passover, almost three years after his infamous sermon in his hometown-our town-we heard that he got mixed up in a bit of trouble with some of the religious leaders in Jerusalem, and that he had been arrested and crucified by the Romans. Now, I may not have agreed with him, or his message, but nobody deserves to die like that. The news of his death got me to thinking about him again.

I suppose that in an ideal world, his idea and message of total acceptance of all people by God would be a good thing. But it's not realistic. It would require too much of his followers to expect them to embrace all humanity as equals in God's eyes, as he suggested.

He would expect all of us to take the prophet Isaiah's charge that he embraced that day as our own charge. I don't think people will do that; maybe some would, but most probably would not. I don't think I could do it. But it doesn't matter, because -- he's dead.

Now that he's been crucified, I doubt the name or message of Jesus of Nazareth is going to live on for long. Although, some say that he has been seen alive, that somehow, some way, he has risen from the dead. I don't know what to make of that; only time will tell to see if any of his teaching lasts or not. That's the best test of the truth of it, really, whether any of his words or message continues on and still makes a difference in people's lives.

Maybe, someday, a world like the one he spoke about will come to pass, but it will take an act of God to bring it about. You see, the problem with his approach is this: Each generation of his followers would have to see his charge of reaching out to include those excluded by that particular generation's beliefs, or by its societal norms, as their own charge, their own cause to live and die for. And, personally, I don't see many people being willing to do that. People are too willing to keep the status quo, to not rock the boat or cause trouble, than to stand up for what they believe in, especially in the face of vocal opposition or death.

However, I suppose that since Jesus himself stood up to that kind of pressure, others might be inspired to try to do it, as well -- and God bless them if they do. For it seems to me that without God's grace and blessing in such an endeavor, one could do nothing by oneself to bring about such a peaceable kingdom.

The Rev'd Timothy M. Dombek
ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH
301 Piney Mountain Road
Greenville, SC 29609-3035
(864) 244-6358
stjamesrector@mindspring.com

Copyright © 2002 Timothy M. Dombek All Rights Reserved.