Sunday, January 30, 2022
4th Sunday after Epiphany
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Revised Common Lectionary passages for the Lord’s Day are:
– First Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10
– Psalm: 71:1-6
– Second Reading: I Corinthians 13:1-13
– Gospel Reading: Luke 4:21-30

The liturgical color for the day is: Green

Limits and boundaries.  Jesus pushed those.  Jesus invited them to see that day that God was using people beyond the boundary of how they understood their world to be.  They understood this God of theirs to be for Israel.  Their God was too small.

Jesus showed them that in the widow of Zeraphath and in Naaman.  They were outside Israel.  God used them.  They were part of the circle.  But for the town’s people that was beyond their boundary. It was past their limit.  They could not conceive of a God that big—they demanded a smaller God who was just for them.  And so, they wanted to toss him off the cliff.  Jesus emerges from them.  No limitations.  No boundaries. 

We have drawn the limitations.  We live within the lines.  We love the boundaries.  We have drawn them about who is in and who is out.  We have drawn those limitations and boundaries about what our capabilities are.  We have drawn those limitations and boundaries about what we are willing to do and what we are not willing to do.

We have drawn those limitations and boundaries even to our God in order to keep God small enough to not challenge our own sacred limitations and boundaries.

Listen disciples, no limits.  No boundaries.  No fear.  This is a big, holy God who calls us to live beyond the limits and beyond the boundaries.

—

Rev. Dr. Daris Bultena
General Presbyter and Stated Clerk