Devotionals by Dr. M. Craig Barnes
All in the synagogue were filled with rage. --
We don't often leave worship "filled with rage." Sometimes we get a little upset, like when it's hard to find parking. But rage is rare. And yet that's exactly what emerged when Jesus led worship in his hometown.
When he stood to read the scripture, he unrolled the scroll and began to speak the words of Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor...to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. So far so good. Reading the text is pretty safe; if rage is going to emerge it's usually up to the sermon to create it. When Jesus began to preach he started by promising the fulfillment of this prophecy. Even at this point everyone was impressed by his "gracious words," assuming he meant they would receive a year of the Lord's favor. But when Jesus got to his second paragraph all hell broke loose - from the hearts of his congregation.
Jesus made it clear that the Lord's favors, or grace, were going to outsiders. That was when the service came to an abrupt end. At times, the Word of God should sound outrageous, like when we hear that all of our religious effort doesn't oblige God to give us a good year. But only then are we starting to understand grace. We come to church not to pry a better life out of God's hands, but in order to worship a God who is not filled with rage at us. Or our enemies. It's a greater favor than we realize.
-- Craig Barnes