Luke 4:14-21

To be fully alive, we need a sense of purpose. If we know our why, we find the energy, courage, and drive to move through the challenges of the human condition. Our lives can be filled with to-do lists and busyness, but we feel spent and pointless if these are not linked to a deeper purpose. Sometimes, it is hard to identify our purpose because life is too overwhelming. Uncertainty makes us anxious. Injustice frightens us. Conflict paralyzes us. Only a compelling purpose can carry us to act and live fully alive.

Harry Emerson Fosdick, the great preacher at Riverside Church (and Mouse Island here in Boothbay), believed that purpose ignites us when something bigger than ourselves captures our imagination, and we are drawn to engage in something that betters the human spirit. In the 1943 book On Being a Real Person, he wrote:

"The person who does not know the thrill of being used for a purpose recognized as a mighty one, who does not know what it is to belong to a movement that is bigger than his own life, that person has not lived."

In the last two Gospel readings, we hear the first words of Jesus to define his purpose and invite us to join in. Last week, John revealed the first sign of Jesus' purpose in the biblical metaphor of new wine, which enlivens a wedding feast. He has come to fulfill and initiate the great banquet. This week, Luke introduces Jesus' purpose as he reads from the scrolls of Isaiah at his home in Nazareth. Jesus grounds his purpose on the words of the scripture and the direction of the Holy Spirit. He reached for words 500 years ago to express his ministry. Isaiah wrote to people in exile expressing God's blessing to a downtrodden people, and Jesus finds deep meaning in his context and says,

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
Because he has anointed me
To proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

When I went back to read these verses of Isaiah 61, I realized Jesus didn't quote them exactly. He added the freedom for captives from Isaiah 58, but he also dropped off the ending of 61:2, which reads, "to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God." Jesus dropped the vengeance. The prophets often announce blessings and restoration to oppressed and exiled people, with corresponding judgment to the perpetrators. Isaiah had ten chapters (13 to 23) of terrible woes that God will bring upon various nations who treated Israel harshly. Every decent prophet has a measure of wrathful lightning bolts smiting the wicked. What do we make of Jesus dropping the vengeance?

Vengeance can distort or even overtake our greater purpose. People can make vengeance a dark purpose for their lives. Our culture often celebrates vengeance as a sign of strength or justice. Films like John Wick, The Gladiator, The Revenant, or V is for Vendetta glorify revenge, but they rarely show the moral toll or lasting harm it causes. The movie ends before we learn that the avenger has no peace of mind or satisfaction from violence. Retribution blurs the line between justice and revenge, offering a false sense of purpose.

Ancient storytellers and philosophers recognized that taking out our anger on others distorts who we are, ruining our moral judgment. Homer's Iliad is a tragedy because Achilles was a great hero who is destroyed by his vengeance. He feels insulted by King Agamemnon and refuses to go to battle. When his best friend Patroclus takes his place and is killed in battle, Achilles' remorse is so deep that he kills Hector of Troy. In a venging rage, he desecrates the body and won't return Hector to his father for burial. This act is so terrible that it shocks his allies and the gods, and he sinks further into depression.

Psychologists describe moral injury as the harm we do to ourselves when our actions violate our values. This loss of meaning and self-worth reminds us that vengeance and unchecked anger damage not just others but our souls.

We can understand moral injury on a personal level. When we argue and say things we later know we shouldn't have said. In the moment of anger, we felt justified. We were hurt, the other person was wrong, so we laid into them, and both sides were shattered in the aftermath. When we cool down, we might still believe the other person was wrong, but we might also be appalled at who we were at that moment. We are stuck feeling both our grievance and being disgusted with ourselves. Letting loose our wrath does moral injury to ourselves as well as harming others.

To heal this kind of moral injury can only begin when we recognize and respond to the suffering of others. Achilles can't overcome his despair until Hector's grieving father comes to appeal for his son's body. The experience of suffering connects Achilles to his humanity. He shows mercy towards the father and begins the process of soul repair. We cannot connect to a greater purpose until the pain and suffering in our souls are addressed. We may need to show mercy, receive mercy, or overcome some fear that resists change and growth. And we need something more than ourselves, someone to announce that wholeness is possible, and now is the favorable time.

Jesus' words in Luke's Gospel address our human condition of fear and anxiety. Many people are poor and need the basics to survive, and almost all of us are economically anxious about the future. Oppression comes in many forms. It might be from political oppression, racism, or all the various ways people fear and hate differences. We may also feel the oppressive weight on our chest at 4 AM, uncertain about how fast the world changes and powerless to comprehend and do something about it. It feels like the blind are leading the blind; this is the year when God is abandoning us to our own devices.

To all these afflictions, Jesus says, I have come to proclaim good news. The good news is more than looking on the bright side and saying everything will be OK. The good news is the conditions that bring us anxiety, pain, and suffering are being addressed. God has taken notice and is working in the world. Now is the time for God's favor.

Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah not just to offer purpose and hope to people in Nazareth but to anyone who hears them in any time and place. Imagine being present for that moment. He sits in the chair to teach and says, "Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." What does that mean? This dusty old scroll has been lying around for 500 years. It's lovely poetry of a hopeful future, but the present moment in Galilee is still under the yoke of Rome. John the Baptist will soon be arrested and beheaded. There will soon be 5000 people to feed, so someone must stock the food pantry. Here we are 2000 years later, and we are still wondering when these hopes will be fulfilled. What does it mean that Jesus said now this scripture is fulfilled?

My best answer is that it is always the right time to do good. God is present whenever we welcome the Holy Spirit to be upon us, too. Every day presents opportunities to be a part of God’s work to heal and repair the world. Jesus said sometimes it is as simple as giving a cup of cold water to the thirsty, feeding the hungry, or giving a coat. For us, it might be listening to someone as a befriender, making and delivering soup, and creating beauty through music and art to feed our souls. If we pay attention, we will find 10 times a day to say a kind word, uplift people feeling overwhelmed, and help someone struggling. Never feel guilty because the act is slight. Do small things with great love.

Also, recognize that some things before us are hard. Some challenges before us demand not just prayer but courageous action. We are called to do more than hope for change; we must be the change. When we face the devastation of violence in schools or witness efforts to deny the dignity of others, such as our transgender siblings, we cannot remain silent. God's call to proclaim good news to the oppressed implores us to advocate for justice and inclusion in both word and deed. As bearers of light, how can we step into these spaces with courage and compassion?"

We often sing to always be the light. Only light can drive away the darkness. We are not alone in this calling. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, just as it was upon Jesus, equipping us to bring light and healing to the world. Trust that your acts of love are a light shining in the darkness. And the best time to shine your light is right now!