Now

JESUS
FILLED WITH THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT
WAS PREACHING IN GALILEE
GOING FROM VILLAGE TO VILLAGE
AND THE PEOPLE FELT HOPE
AND JOY
IN HIS MESSAGE

BUT THE RULERS OF THE SYNAGOGUE
THE WEALTHY
THE IMPORTANT
FELT THREATENED

HE WAS NOW IN NAZARETH
AND HE AND HIS MOTHER
WERE WALKING TO THE SYNAGOGUE

AT THE DOOR THEY PARTED.
MARY WENT TO SIT WITH THE WOMEN
BECAUSE THE SYNAGOGUE WAS SEGREGATED

AT THE CENTER OF THE SYNAGOGUE SAT
ALL THE IMPORTANT MEN OF THE VILLAGE

AROUND THEM SAT
THE OTHER MEN OF THE VILLAGE

THE WOMEN WERE IGNORED
THEY WERE NOT IMPORTANT.

IN FACT THE JEWISH LEADERS SAID
THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER
FOR THE BIBLE TO BE BURNED
RATHER THAN BE TAUGHT TO A WOMAN.

THIS WAS THE WORLD JESUS LIVED IN
AND HE DID NOT LIKE IT.

HE ALSO DID NOT LIKE THE PRAYER
THAT JEWISH MEN SAID DAILY
.
THEY SAID

BLESSED BE GOD
THAT HE HAS NOT MADE ME
A GENTILE

BLESSED BE GOD
THAT HE HAS NOT MADE ME
A WOMAN

BLESSED BE GOD
THAT HE HAS NOT MADE ME
A SLAVE

THIS ALSO BOTHERED JESUS.
IT WAS NOT THE WORLD
THAT HE
OR HIS FATHER WANTED.

LATER PAUL
WOULD ANSWER THAT PRAYER
WITH A NEW ONE
THAT REFLECTED WHAT JESUS THOUGHT
WHEN HE WROTE

AS MANY OF YOU
AS WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST
HAVE CLOTHED YOURSELVES
WITH CHRIST

THEREFORE
THERE IS NO LONGER
JEW OR GREEK,

THERE IS NO LONGER
SLAVE OR FREE,

THERE IS NO LONGER
MALE AND FEMALE;

FOR ALL OF YOU
ARE ONE IN CHRIST JESUS.

BUT THAT PRAYER WAS WRITTEN
AFTER JESUS HAD LIVED AND DIED.



BUT TODAY IN OUR STORY
JESUS IS BEGINNING HIS JOURNEY
.
AS HE LOOKS AT THE ASSEMBLY
HE IS SADDENED

THAT THEY HAVE WANDERED
SO FAR FROM HIS FATHER'S DREAM
.
HE OPENS THE SCRIPTURES
AND READING FROM ISAIAH
DECLARES IN A STRONG VOICE
THE NEW/OLD VISION OF THE FATHER
FOR HIS PEOPLE

TODAY HE SAYS
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME
.
HE HAS APPOINTED ME
.
HE HAS APPOINTED ME
TO BRING GOOD NEWS
TO THE POOR

HE HAS APPOINTED ME
TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO CAPTIVES

HE HAS APPOINTED ME
TO TELL THE BLIND
THAT THEY SHALL SEE.

TO TELL THE DOWNTRODDEN
THEIR BURDEN IS LIFTED

AND TO TELL
ALL PEOPLE
THAT THE TIME FOR GOD'S BLESSINGS
IS NOW

JESUS CLOSES THE BOOK.
LOOKS AT ALL THE IMPORTANT PEOPLE,
LOOKS AT ALL THE NOT SO IMPORTANT PEOPLE
LOOKS AT HIS MOTHER
AND ALL THE OTHER WOMEN
WHO DID NOT COUNT
AND SAYS
TODAY
THIS SCRIPTURE HAS BEEN FULFILLED
IN YOUR HEARING

MEANING THAT THE TIME FOR CHANGE
WAS NOW
AND FOR THAT REASON
JESUS WAS PREACHING.
.

BUT THE RICH MEN
AND THE IMPORTANT MEN
AND THE LEADERS
OF THE SYNAGOGUE
THOUGHT

WHY WORRY ABOUT THOSE
WHO ARE WITHOUT
ABOUT THOSE
WHO COUNT FOR NOTHING

THE OTHER MEN WONDERED
WHY THE FUSS,
LIFE IS GOING ON OK FOR ME.

IT TOOK PAUL
TO PUT WORDS TO JESUS' DREAM
WHEN HE WRITES
THAT THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
IS LIKE A BODY,

MANY PARTS
ONE BODY

AND THAT THAT
BODY IS THE BODY OF CHRIST.

AS PAUL WRITES

FOR IN ONE SPIRIT
WE WERE ALL BAPTIZED

INTO ONE BODY
NO MORE JEW OR GREEK,

SLAVE OR FREE
BUT ONE BODY

AND IN THAT BODY
IF ONE PART SUFFERS
THE WHOLE BODY SUFFERS.
JUST AS
IF ONE PART OF THE BODY IS HONORED
THE WHOLE BODY IS HONORED.

WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR NEIGHBOR.

THIS IS JESUS' DREAM
THAT WE CARE FOR OUR NEIGHBOR
AS IF HE WERE CHRIST.

THAT WE CARE FOR OUR NEIGHBOR
BECAUSE HE IS ONE WITH US
IN CHRIST'S BODY

SO JESUS LOOKING AT THE WORLD
THROUGH OUR EYES
AND SEEING
THAT IT IS NOT THE WORLD
THAT HIS FATHER
OR HE WANTS.
ASKS US TO SAY WITH HIM
AS HE SAID IN NAZARETH ON THAT DAY

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON US.
HE HAS APPOINTED US.

HE HAS APPOINTED US
TO BRING GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR

HE HAS APPOINTED US
TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY
TO CAPTIVES

HE HAS APPOINTED US
TO TELL THE BLIND
THAT THEY SHALL SEE.

TO TELL THE DOWNTRODDEN
THEIR BURDEN IS LIFTED


TO TELL ALL PEOPLE
THAT THE TIME
FOR GOD'S BLESSINGS
IS NOW

FOR THE RIGHT TIME IS NOW
THE DAY OF SALVATION IS NOW


FRANK A VOLLMER