(STUDY NOTES)
Trinity Church
Newport, RI 02840
“Discovering the Divine Magic in Our Lives” ; January 10-February 7
January 31 #4 “Close Friends We Neglect” – ‘Dangers of Familiarity’
“Epiphany” is a word of Greek origin, related to such English words as “theophany,” “phenotype,” (*) and “phenomenon.” It means an appearance, a displaying, a showing forth, a making clear or public or obvious.
At Epiphany (January 6) Christians have traditionally celebrated the making known of Jesus Christ to the world. “They followed a star” but that was their business; the “miracle” was not the star but its significance/meaning.
It is in theological terms… TA-DA!
When we feel we are being ignored… “Alan, Alan… Alan…” click –When Alan doesn’t listen
Why is the dynamic of “visitor wisdom” so much more powerful than “local lore”?
Why is travel equated with profundity?
Luke 4:21-30 The Message (MSG)
Then he started in, “You’ve just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place.”
22 All who were there, watching and listening, were surprised at how well he spoke. But they also said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son, the one we’ve known since he was a youngster?”
23-27 He answered, “I suppose you’re going to quote the proverb, ‘Doctor, go heal yourself. Do here in your hometown what we heard you did in Capernaum.’ Well, let me tell you something: No prophet is ever welcomed in his hometown. Isn’t it a fact that there were many widows in Israel at the time of Elijah during that three and a half years of drought when famine devastated the land, but the only widow to whom Elijah was sent was in Sarepta in Sidon? And there were many lepers in Israel at the time of the prophet Elisha but the only one cleansed was Naaman the Syrian.”
28-30 That set everyone in the meeting place seething with anger. They threw him out, banishing him from the village, then took him to a mountain cliff at the edge of the village to throw him to his doom, but he gave them the slip and was on his way.
Luke 4:21-30New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” 24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers[a] in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Notes on Luke 4
• v.22 “Is not this Joseph’s son?” – the tendency to define by the past, an indication of control?
• v.24 “No prophet accepted in hometown” – why? Familiarity blinds the eye and closes the heart, it seems.
• v.29 “seething with anger” – why are we challenged by “local wisdom”, “neighborhood prophet”. Maybe reflection on one’s own life?
• v.30 “he gave them the slip…” – sometimes over-familiarity allows us to live “under the radar”?
Re-cap from #2 (important notes about “glory/doxa”)
“This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him” -John 2:11
Sign – incarnate/enfleshed in action, real time and real place
given at divine initiative
substantial glory, partial revelation
given usually in context of relationship/discipleship
requiring faith, trust, openness