Sunday 30 January 2022 is the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany.

The main text today is Luke 4:21-30.

At an early stage in his public ministry, Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth. On the face of it, he is lucky to leave the place unscathed, or even alive.

Rev. Geoff McKee analyses the passage and challenges us with reference to three questions to which we might have a tendency to answer “Yes” –

• Is our faith centred on our own peace of mind – an inner peace – or is it centred in finding justice for the oppressed?
  
• Is our faith about protecting ourselves from other beliefs?
  
• Is our faith about resisting change?

Today’s main scripture reading

Luke 4:21-30 (New International Version)
21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”

24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Video Service from St James’

Here is a link to a previous sermon on this Bible passage (Luke 4:21-30) by Rev. Geoff McKee.

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