Pastor Mike's Coffee Break
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"The Main Thing" 3/4/2010
Try to imagine the setting. It could have taken place early in the morning on any Sabbath day; bearded men in long robes taking their seats in the room.
At one end of the room sits an angled desk on top of a low platform. Backless benches are symmetrically arranged throughout the meeting hall. In the back is a small balcony filled with the wives and daughters of the men occupying the room below.
A heavy curtain serves as a backdrop behind the platform. In front is a row of dignified men sitting on two wooden benches; on one of them sits a young carpenter by the name of Jesus, a local boy who happens to be the scheduled speaker of the day.
As Jesus walks to center of the platform, the same place where at the age of thirteen he had celebrated his Bar Mitzvah, the room is packed, standing room only.
All eyes are riveted on Him. An air of expectation fills the air as he ascends the platform. People had been talking; sensational rumors have been circulating. In the crowd that day are familiar faces, extended family members and close friends, business associates that Jesus had done business with growing up.
As Jesus begins to speak, he starts off by reciting a series of prayers and recitations that His parents had taught him as a boy. And then, the lead Rabbi hands Him, “the Scroll.” As Jesus unrolls the scroll he finds the passage in the book of Isaiah that we know today as Isaiah, chapter 61. Of course they didn’t have chapters and verses then. And without looking at the words, he lifts his eyes to the congregation, and says...
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,” (He pauses.)
Immediately, people begin looking at each other in disbelief. “This isn’t the way the service is supposed to go. This son of the carpenter seems to be reading from a passage of his own choosing.”
Jesus continues, “Because…He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18)
At that moment it was as though you could have heard a pin drop. Quietly, Jesus rolls the scroll back up, hands it back to the lead rabbi, and as he’s preparing to take his seat, he stops and turns and faces the audience and says, “Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing,” and sits down.
If I were to ask you, why does your Church exist, what would you say? Or, if I were to ask you, why do you go to church every week, what would your response be?
“Well, I go to church because… we have a great youth group. Or, I go to church because it’s a nice church and I have a lot of friends there. Or, I go to Church because that’s what I’ve done all my life.”
I believe Jesus’ words provide the answer. I believe Jesus was giving his hometown crowd and us, his “purpose statement” for life.” He was stating, matter-of-factly: “THIS IS WHY I AM HERE. THIS IS MY MISSION.”
The truth of the matter is it’s so easy to lose sight of the main thing. Jesus is the main Thing. His work is the main thing. “Preaching the good news, providing release to the prisoner, offering a recovery of sight to the blind, and releasing the oppressed,” is what God has called us to be about.