The ‘Nazareth manifesto’ in Luke 4: a conversation
The lectionary reading for Epiphany 3 in Year C is Luke 4.14–21. As is often the case with the lectionary, the reading is rather displaced and truncated; the previous episode is the temptation in the wilderness, which we will read at the beginning of Lent, and the following week we revert back to Luke 2 as we celebrate the presentation of Jesus in the temple. More serious, though, is the ending of the passage at verse 21, when the whole episode runs to verse 28, and we should take the lectionary here as ‘advisory’ and read through to the end of the story as Luke presents it to us.
You can find a detailed exploration of this passage in the previous post on grace (and judgement?) in Luke 4 here.
In this video, I have a conversation with my friend James Blandford-Baker, who is vicar of Histon and Impington, just north of Cambridge. We talk about the bridging from Jesus’ temptations to the start of his ministry, why Luke includes this episode at this point in the gospel, and what Jesus and Luke are doing with the OT texts from Isaiah—and reflect on what we take away from it personally, and how we might preach on this well-known passage.
I hope you find it useful in bringing the word to life.
