‘Jesus said: ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing’.’ Luke 4:21
Friends, today was our All-Age service and we started by remembering a time a parent or teacher had said: "Are you listening to me?” Or maybe they were a little bit upset and so they said: ”What did I just tell you?” But if they really want you to listen and they think they don’t have your attention, they then say your first, middle, and last name: ‘Amelie Grace Print’! Ever have any of those things happen?
Those questions remind us that sometimes, just sometimes, we don’t always listen. Other times—though we might hear what a person is saying—we don't always act on what those people are telling us; even if they are telling us something very good or very important. And guess what… adults do the exactly same thing.
Which is why—in today's Bible story—Jesus is telling the people that the good news that He's reading in the Bible will be fulfilled in their hearing. What Jesus’ means when he says “fulfilled in their hearing” is this: now He has come, now God is on earth, now Jesus has arrived there is good news, the best news, that the Bible is being fulfilled. Jesus reads the Bible where it says:
‘God has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
Jesus fulfils, Jesus completes, Jesus makes real, this part of the Bible when He goes and tells those who are imprisoned by bad habits, those who can’t see the way forward, those who are weighed down by this world, that God is coming to save them. Jesus fulfils this part, and every part, of the Bible as He comes to save the world. But you know what, loads of people don’t know that! Loads of people haven’t been listening, the Bible has passed them by.
However, God didn’t want that to be the end of the story… so God caused St Luke to write his Gospel—the Gospel of Luke—so that everyone might know the Good News! The good news that we hear in today's Scripture story is this: People would be able to see clearly! The not-free would be free! Everyone would know and remind each other of God's favour and love! Sounds pretty good, doesn't it!? And Jesus goes on in His life and death to make these things true. However, so many people aren’t really listening.
How do we know if we are really listening? If your Mum or Dad asks you to tidy your room how would they know if you were listening? Surely it is if you tidy your room… you do it! If you ask your Mum or Dad to help you tie your laces, how would you know they’re listening? They help tie your laces… they do it! If we are really listening to what Jesus says we will respond, we will do it! Which is why Jesus is telling the people that they need to follow Him by listening to the Bible and then doing it.
That’s not all! Jesus invites us to follow Him to listen to Him and learn from Him in order that we can be like Him. Because, when we follow Jesus, we learn from Him… how to live as God wants us to, just like He does… we learn how to better share God's healing, love, and forgiveness with each other.
How might we show God’s love, healing and forgiveness in our parish? Spend sometime thinking about how you might share God’s love to those you know.
When we do that, and the Good News is being spread in our community, when people are being helped in our community then people will be encouraged to listen to Jesus more and more, and start to do what He says. Now that is worth praying about:
Dear God, thank you for Jesus who encourages us and then shows us how to live as God would want just like he did. Help us to listen and then to do. Amen (from Fr Mike).