Sermon for the Third Sunday of Epiphany

January 21, 2007

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Luke 4:14-21
Year C
I.N.I. (In the name of Jesus)


Last week's sermon was a success. Based on the biblical insight that an abundance of wine meant fulfillment of messianic promises, coupled with Jesus' miracle of water turned to water at the wedding at Cana, many people came through at the parsonage open house in a big way with the fruit of the vine. Alan Hallee brought a gift bag with six bottles of water labeled before, and a seventh bottle of cabernet labeled after!

Today we eat and drink again. Today I want to ask how do the scriptures taste? You may think it a bit odd, but gobbling up God's Word is every bit as venerable as imbibing in the bubbly.

Take Ezekiel, prophet to the exiles. The guy heard voices, including one showing him dry bones come to life, and another sending him to the rebellious house of Israel, and yet another saying to him,
Mortal, eat what is offered to you; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. He said to me, Mortal, eat this scroll that I give to you, and fill your stomach with it. Then I ate it; and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey. (Ezekiel 3:1-3)
Mmm! Good scriptures today!

I still have dear old dad's voice rattling around in my brain. I see my pastor father near the altar at the end of vespers, the evening service, with his resonant public voice using Thomas Cranmer's prose crafted for the 1549 Book of Common Prayer. Today this venerable collect becomes our Prayer of the Day, that prayer that gathers, or collects our way of preparing for the Word proclaimed in our midst. Did you hear this earlier?

Blessed Lord God,
You have caused the holy scriptures to be written for the nourishment of your people.
Grant that we may hear them,
read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that, comforted by your promises,
we may embrace and forever hold fast to the hope of eternal life,
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Even as a kid I loved it, and the rhythm of one phrase has become a chant in brain my whole life long: READ MARK LEARN AND INWARDLY DIGEST.

You hungry? Here, eat the Word of God.

Remember, you are what you eat.

The public reading of scripture is an essential part of Judeo-Christian identity. We, Jews and Christians alike, are a people of the book. There is something almost edible about the orality of the Bible, that it begs to be read aloud, heard given voice to, and which creates, evokes, and sustains faith.

Think of the people of God's sordid history, culminating in the event described in today's First Reading. The wandering people of Israel had been banished from their homeland, exiled to Babylon. Their ways of worship and devotion were shattered, from carrying the Ark of the Covenant to establishing the Temple in Jerusalem housing the Torah scroll, for a period of centuries, all that was gone! There was no central place to gather and tell the stories that molded identity. Keeping faithful, without the geography and architecture, had to be difficult. But they did keep telling the stories, wherever they could. Now, in the first reading, in the book of Nehemiah, the priest Ezra stands before the Israelites in front of the restored temple in the holy city, Jerusalem, at the Water Gate. And what does Ezra do? He reads the Torah-Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, in its entirety from beginning to end from early morning to midday. When he opened it, it says, the people stood up. They stood for the entire reading! And they stayed for the sermon! And it says "their ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law" (8:4). They ate it up, and wept! The leaders, Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites said, "don't get all bent out of shape. Because in the eating of God's Word God the Lord is made holy, and the joy of the Lord is your strength. Go on eat fatty comfort food and drink sweet wine (boy is there a lot of feasting in the Bible!)!

Fast forward to the little synagogue in Galilee, where God's people are still telling the story, this time not only from the Torah, but from the Haftorah or "other than" Torah. The young man from Nazareth who was the carpenter's son was the lector for the day. He had done well, that he could master public reading and line out the scroll. What passage did he read? Why, none other than the passage announcing Jubilee, the fifty-year Sabbath of Sabbaths, where everything is broken open, debts are cancelled, grudges are put aside, and finally, attention is given to those on the fringes. How does that taste? The eyes of the congregation are riveted on the returning hometown kid, who gave this one-sentence sermon: "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (4:21).

Today our eating of this Word fills us up. Today our ears are stuffed with Jubilee. Today we hear exactly what Jesus is going to do to fulfill Isaiah's prophecy in his own ministry, where everything is broken open, debts are cancelled, grudges are put aside, and attention is given to those on the fringes.

Fast forward to the little congregation in Nashua, where God's people are still telling the story, not only from the Torah, or from the Haftorah, but from the Gospel and the letters of the apostles. Did you stand expectantly? Did you open your ears to hear and your mouth to sing Alleluia? Did the chant rattle around your brain-- READ MARK LEARN AND INWARDLY DIGEST?

Did you hear that you are the body of Christ? In the Spirit, baptized men, women, and children, Paul says were all made to drink of one Spirit (all this drinking again!). Now, today, in the Spirit of Christ's resurrection, we are emboldened to announce Jubilee among the hometown crowd, to one another, and finally giving attention to those on the fringes.

We have been given a gift in this building and this community in which to do ministry. We have been given a gift in God's Word, that we call tell the story, and claim our identity as those who live by the Spirit. The gifts for ministry are for everyone, for you, and you, and you, and you. What is it that tastes best to you?

Would you take time for Bible Study?

Would you join in the joy of ministering with youth?

Would you like to learn about year-round stewardship?

Would you be part of a group that learns about how to grow our church spiritually?

Would you go on a retreat?

Would you learn about refugees and contribute to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal?

Would you engage in conversation about our spending?

Would you receive a recommendation to buy a new worship resource?

Would you begin a circle of caring for a group within our parish?

Would you consider a percentage increase in your worship offering?

Would you like to visit some of our elder members?

Allow those and other questions to fill you up. Eat and drink in the Word, allowing it to shape your life and your life's story. Commit yourself to one thing in 2007 that connects you to living the story and the Word.


Blessed Lord God,
You have caused the holy scriptures to be written for the nourishment of your people.
Grant that we may hear them,
read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that, comforted by your promises,
we may embrace and forever hold fast to the hope of eternal life,
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

I.N.I.


The Rev. Timothy J. Keyl, Pastor
Christ the King Lutheran Church
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