READINGS:
1 Cor 12: 12-31
Luke 4: 14-21
 

A Lightbulb Moment in a Nazareth Synagogue 

Are your Christmas decorations safely packed away now? In some churches and homes, the crib traditionally stays on display until Candlemas on 2nd February.  So, with the kings firmly placed at the stable, the themes of Epiphany—looking deeply at where God is at work—continue. Sometimes, we experience a “eureka”  moment, a lightbulb moment when something becomes incredibly clear, or we see it in a completely different light. 

It might have been something like that for the people in the synagogue in Nazareth, where this Gospel reading is set. Jesus took the bold step of speaking uncomfortable truths to his own hometown, identifying with society’s outcasts and challenging their deeply ingrained traditions. Among the people he had grown up with, Jesus used the familiar act of reading sacred scripture to highlight something radical and far outside their comfort zone. We might say he brought the scriptures to life—they might have said something very different, reacting with confusion or even anger at his challenge to sacred traditions. 

So much of Jesus’ life is unrecorded. There are snippets about his birth, a brief glimpse of his childhood, and then a significant leap to his public ministry. We can assume that around 90% of his life was spent simply being with the people of Nazareth: watching, listening, and sharing their hopes and struggles. He was rooted and grounded in their everyday lives—”being with” them, without agenda or function. 

But it was here, in the Nazareth synagogue, that the tone of Jesus’ ministry was set: one of liberation and restoration for all people. 

In his book, The Nazareth Manifesto, Sam Wells reflects on this pivotal reading from Luke 4:14-21, where Jesus proclaims his mission in the synagogue. Wells describes this as a theological and ethical foundation, not just for Jesus’ ministry but for the mission of the church today. He suggests Jesus’ proclamation reflects a commitment to “being with” people, rather than simply doing things “for” them or “to” them. 

When Jesus reads from Isaiah and declares, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… to bring good news to the poor,” he emphasises a ministry of presence and relationship over outcomes or interventions. This challenges us the church of today to prioritise relationships over programmes and projects. 

Inclusion Over Exclusion  

The passage explicitly mentions marginalised groups—the poor, captives, the blind, and the oppressed. This is a call for us to identify with and accompany those on the margins, not as a one-off mission project, but as a sustained commitment to solidarity. It challenges us, individually and collectively, not merely to address issues but to stay with people in their struggles. 

If you were handed a Bible, what passage would you choose to illustrate the mission of your church or the values at the heart of your life? 

A Deliberate Choice 

Jesus’ proclamation in Luke 4 is not about initiating something new but about participating in what God is already doing in the world. He reads from Isaiah to show continuity with God’s ongoing work of liberation, healing, and restoration. Our mission, too, should be about joining in God’s activity rather than imposing our own agenda. 

Interestingly, Jesus stopped reading Isaiah 61:1-2 just before the phrase “and the day of vengeance of our God.” By doing so, he emphasised grace, healing, and restoration over judgment and vengeance. This omission revealed something essential about his mission: bringing salvation, healing, and inclusion for all, not condemnation. 

For the people in the synagogue, this was startling. Many were expecting a Messiah who would bring vengeance against their enemies and political liberation. By omitting these words, Jesus reframed their expectations, focusing on deeper spiritual and social liberation. 

A Modern Example 

This radical inclusivity still challenges us today. We often behave as if people must encounter God in the same way we do, worship as we worship, and respond as we would. A lightbulb moment for us might be realising that God comes alongside people in many ways, loving and valuing all equally. 

In the film Hidden Figures, directed by Theodore Melfi, there’s a powerful example of inclusion over exclusion. The story highlights three African American women who made critical contributions to NASA during the Space Race. A pivotal moment occurs when the director of the Space Task Group rips down the sign for the “Coloured Ladies Room.” He has a lightbulb moment, realising the indignity of forcing the women to walk half a mile to use segregated bathrooms and turns this realisation into action. This epiphany reflects the same spirit of equality and inclusion that Jesus proclaimed in the synagogue of Nazareth. 

As we approach Martin Luther King Jr. Day , it’s a fitting time to reflect on these lightbulb moments that challenge us to change our beliefs and actions. 

Our Call Today 

Before the Christmas crib is carefully boxed away for another year, perhaps we can have our own Epiphany moment. We re read the Corinthians reading set for today and reflect of all different but still being part of the one body. What might that say to each of us ?  And we remember that we  are called to be alongside all people—those on the edges, those who are different from ourselves—realising that God loves and values everyone equally. Let’s not miss the opportunity to embrace and embody this profound truth.  Our lightbulb moment that helps to lights up any darkness and injustice in our world.