Hope: Proclaiming

Scripture Passage

Luke 4:14-21

¹⁴ Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. ³ Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. ¹⁵ He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him

¹⁶ He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷ and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
¹⁹     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹ He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Sermon Script

With anything in life, it is important to have a VISION. Having a vision is like having a “big picture”. Great leaders are often visionaries. It has to do with seeing what has NOT been realized yet. This was one of the definitions I found in the dictionary—

The act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be.

In that sense, vision is connected to our future. It is a picture of what will or may come to be. It is bigger than ourselves. It is bigger than our tasks. It sets us on a certain direction. It gives us a specific focus. It breathes energy into our life.

Without a vision, our life becomes dull. We are everywhere and nowhere. We just go through the motions, every single time. We feel tired, aimless, and lost.

Today is the Christmas concert. You will be presenting the Christmas medley. You’ve worked very hard over the past few weeks. I’m sure some of you are nervous about it. You will do well.

I remember at the first practice, there was a lot of confusion and chaos. Everyone looked like they were doing their own thing. Our Execs had a difficult time getting the Hi-C on the same page. So I pulled them aside and asked, “What is it that you want to see at this year’s concert?” I saw a light bulb go off in their head. Together, they envisioned something for the performance. I noticed a change in how they led the practices. That’s the difference.

Jesus, even as a young man, had a vision for his life. He lived with this vision and for this vision. His vision had to do with a NEW world. World that is much different from the world he was living in. World where the oppressed are freed; World where the blind can see; World where there is love, peace, justice, and harmony.

Jesus didn’t withhold this vision from others. Instead, he proclaimed his vision before them. He read out loud the words of the prophet Isaiah, who proclaimed a similar vision long time ago. Let’s hear it again—

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.

Luke 4:18, 19

There is a tremendous POWER in proclaiming our vision. The words draw a certain “picture” of a brighter future. It helps others see what they could not see before. It creates a sense of anticipation. It fills their hearts with hope. It brings people together and unites their hearts and spirits. It INSPIRES them to walk in a different direction.

We all know Martin Luther King’s speech, “I Have a Dream”. He gave the speech in 1963. There is a reason why it’s still popular today. He had a vision and he proclaimed that vision before hundreds of thousands of people. That vision was more than getting a good job, making good money, and living a comfortable life. It had to do with a world where human dignity would be restored, differences would be celebrated, and people would live together not in hatred, but in love. He actually references Isaiah’s metaphor in his speech! He didn’t proclaim it because what he said already had happened. He proclaimed it because he truly believed in his vision. The words struck a chord in people’s hearts. This was what he said towards the end of the speech—

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

What Martin Luther King did for his time – that was what Jesus did for his time when he proclaimed his vision. What Jesus proclaimed in his time went on to influence what Martin Luther King proclaimed in his time. God’s Spirit continues to be at work throughout generations.

Every Sunday, there is a reason why God’s word is proclaimed when we gather to worship. It involves both the scripture reading and the sermon. It’s not because it is nice and pleasant to hear. God’s word brings a vision of new future into our lives. God’s word instills a promise of hope that is connected to what is happening in the present. God’s word transforms our attitude and heals our broken hearts. We return to our everyday life with renewed mind and focus.

Today is the 3^rd Sunday of Advent. Christmas is almost here. Advent can be understood in two ways: We wait for the birth of Jesus. We wait for the second coming of Christ. We are in between the first and the second. We believe that when Christ returns, he will redeem the world. In some ways, it may seem like an unreal, distant future to us. Yet still now, God speaks the word of hope into our lives. In our waiting, we hold onto this vision and promise.

When God’s word is proclaimed, it may also inspire you with a vision for your life. Don’t ignore it. Proclaim the vision you have. Hold fast to your convictions. Live out that vision confidently in your life.