1/07/16 Reflection - Fulfillment

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010716.cfm

1 John 4:19-5:4
Luke 4:14-22

He said to them: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

The Scripture which Jesus says is fulfilled is, as Luke tells us, from the book of Isaiah. Let's hear it again.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me.
He has sent me with the commission to announce good news to the poor
To proclaim release to captives
Recovery of sight to the blind
To send off the oppressed with liberty
To proclaim an acceptable year of the Lord.

So, what was the original context of these words. To whom was Isaiah speaking? What was his message? And why did Jesus open the scroll to these lines?

In the portion of the book of Isaiah where these verses originate, the prophet presumes that many of those exiled to Babylon have now returned to Judea and that they, along with those who remained in Judea, are busy rebuilding the community. It must have been a heart-breaking endeavor. In earlier chapters of Isaiah we read that the prophet had seen that his task was to announce that a new stage in the unfolding of the divine plan had been decreed --- a stage of restoration rather than destruction --- and that they, the people, should respond by returning to their homeland. Yet, how were the people to rebuild once they were there? What must they do to become a new people and avoid former mistakes? These are the questions that the prophet addresses in the quoted part of his text. His concern is for the rebuilding the community --- but in a twofold sense: both building a city and forming a people. Isaiah was speaking to a people who had lost hope. Their homes . . . their cities . . . the Temple of the Lord had all been reduced to rubble. Yes, they were returning from exile, but to what were they returning and to what end.

The prophet comes to them, claiming to be anointed by God. He comes, he says,

. . . to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he [the Lord] has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; (Isaiah 61:1) Such a message was sorely needed by a people whose recent years had been spent in exile and oppression. But the prophet goes further:
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. (Isaiah 58:8)

Isaiah's message is one of God's presence, God's compassion, and God's faithfulness. It is a message of hope and promise. The Lord, Isaiah says, will no longer separate himself from his people.

. . . the LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach . . . (Isaiah 58:11-12)

Isaiah saw that God's plan was unfolding in a new direction. His people were to be a beacon in the darkness of the world; and his light would set free those enslaved by sin. It would be a light so brilliant that even the blind would see their way. 

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall walk by your light, and kings in the brightness of your rising. (Isaiah 60:1-3)
And the result, says Isaiah, will draw even the kings of earth to bow before the Lord and offer tribute.

Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Mid'ian and E'phah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD. (Isaiah 60:5-6)

When Jesus stands up in the synagogue to read from the text, Luke tells us that: He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written. . . He found the passage! He didn't just open the Isaiah scroll to the bookmark that indicated the verses next in line to be read. He didn't haphazardly open the scroll to whatever portion might, by chance, show up. He found the passage! Luke's words imply that Jesus was actively seeking these words of the prophet. Why? 

In the gospels Jesus frequently quotes parts of the Old Testament with the intent of calling to mind the whole. The people knew the sacred writings; and Isaiah was a favorite. It may only be a verse which was quoted, but it was the chapter which the people remembered. Jesus stood before the men in his hometown synagogue and deliberately reminded them of the vision of Isaiah. And then He said to them: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” He may well have read aloud the entire passage or just a small portion. But there is no doubting his intent:

The Lord is here to guide you.
Your healing shall spring up speedily.
Your light has come.
The Lord's glory shall be seen upon you.
Nation's will walk by your light.
Your heart shall thrill and rejoice.
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Jesus' message, like that of Isaiah, is one of God's presence, God's compassion, and God's faithfulness. It is a message of hope. Jesus too is speaking of God's plan taking a new direction as it unfolds before them. But Jesus goes beyond Isaiah; he speaks of fulfillment, not promise.

“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

I don't really know how the Jews responded to Isaiah. I know that they struggled as a nation during those turbulent centuries between the days of Isaiah and the coming of Rome. Still, it's hard not to imagine that Isaiah's words were taken 'with a grain of salt,' that many thought his words were comforting, but still, an exaggeration. 'Pie in the sky is not a new concept. Yet, I also know that during those years they held fast to their faith and the promises of God even though there didn't seem to be much light and they never escaped oppression.

When Jesus came with his message of fulfillment the response of the people was a mixed one. His coming aroused both enthusiasm and resentment, love and hate, faith and fear. With many there may have been a heavy dose of skepticism or a 'wait and see' attitude. It's hard to swallow such promises in a single gulp. They, like ourselves, would have had a difficult time simultaneously grasping two truths which appear so at odds with one another. The truth that I am a sinner. The truth that God loves me completely. 

For those of us living as Christians today, the reality of living in mystery becomes even more starkly evident when combined with the teaching that God loved us so much that he sent his only Son. It's a struggle to peacefully accept these truths as part of the divine mystery in which I live out my life. But there is no place in Scripture where Jesus teaching can be relegated to the realms of hyperbole. His teaching is always exactly on the mark even when he says such outrageous things as "This is my body. This is my blood."

His message to those who sat in that synagogue two thousand years ago is the same message he speaks to me today.