This is the sermon for January 26, 2025 (Third Sunday In Ordinary Time), based on Luke 4: 14-21

She Stood Up to Preach
Do you like speaking in public? For some, it’s a frightening thought. For others, it seems more natural. But in my experience, I’ve found that it depends on who is in the room.
In this church, we have several individuals who are ordained ministers. They attended seminary, just like I did, which might seem intimidating... Just kidding! They have been kind and supportive.
This week, I remembered a time when Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick visited us. He passed away this week. If you don’t recall, he was the former Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and also served as President of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. He was also the director of what used to be the World Mission program area. Acknowledging his importance, I admit I was nervous when he showed up unannounced at the church door. It’s not easy to preach with someone like that in the room. But... I prayed for God to calm my nerves, and I preached.
I imagine that the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, Mariann Budde, also felt nervous when she saw President Trump arrive (though not unannounced) at the national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral on January 21, 2025. She knew he would be there, as many presidents before him had been on Inauguration Day. Yet, she stood up to preach a sermon on unity and concluded with these words:
In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families — some who fear for their lives. Have mercy on the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes, and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurdwara and temples. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here.
I saw the video of the sermon. The bishop’s voice was calm and steady. Before speaking these words, she paused, acknowledging the weight of what she was about to say. The President’s reaction to her sermon was swift; he demanded an apology, claiming that the bishop “was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.” I encourage you to watch her sermon and draw your own conclusions.
This incident, which will be remembered—at least for a time—in the history of the American presidency, made me reflect on Jesus going to the synagogue on the Sabbath, standing up to read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. I wondered if he felt nervous as he prepared to begin his public ministry, as recounted in the Gospel of Luke. I also wondered if, after reading and declaring, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing,” anyone asked him to apologize for his words.
Jesus’ Manifestation
I ask this question not superficially, but sincerely. It could not have been easy for Jesus to begin his ministry under imperial rule. Imagine reading the words of Isaiah:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
These words spoke of hope and transformation, yet they were proclaimed in a context where there was no good news for the poor, where captives remained imprisoned, where those with vision impairments were not helped but deemed damaged, and where Israel was under oppression.
To declare that this scripture had been fulfilled? Outrageous!
In her commentary, Mitzi Smith delves deeper into this moment. She explains that Jesus preached an abolitionist message “to a synagogue audience of men, women, leaders, noble folks, the poor, the diseased and possessed, the wealthy, freedpersons, masters, and enslaved.” Smith imagines Jesus reading the text with passion, boldness, and conviction—capturing the audience’s undivided attention. I imagine that some looked at him with hope, some with surprise, and others with unease, glancing around to see how others were reacting. Perhaps some tried to maintain a poker face, hiding their disgust, disagreement, or disdain for Jesus and his message. Yet Jesus, fully aware of all these reactions, sat down and declared resolutely and unapologetically, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Why is the scripture fulfilled? What does this reading reveal about Jesus’ identity and mission?
Warren Carter, in his commentary about Luke 4: 14-21 (Connections: Year C
Joel B. Green, Thomas G. Long, Luke A. Powery & Cynthia L. Rigby) offers insight, noting that this moment builds on earlier scenes in Luke’s Gospel. We already know that Jesus is God’s agent—the Son of God, the descendant of David, the Savior, the Messiah, and the Lord. Yet, as Carter explains, little clarity is given about how Jesus will embody his role as God’s agent. What is Jesus trying to reveal?
Carter identifies four features of Jesus’ identity from the Isaiah reading, which is primarily drawn from Isaiah 61:
He is anointed or commissioned by the Spirit.
He has a mission:
To bring good news to the poor.
To proclaim release to the captives.
To bring recovery of sight to the blind.
To let the oppressed go free.
To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
He has come to offer release and freedom, even adding a line from Isaiah 58:6 to underscore this.
He has come to offer mercy. Carter highlights that Jesus omits a reference to “the day of vengeance” from Isaiah 61:2, emphasizing instead God’s merciful and transformative work.
Thus, the Son of God, anointed by the Spirit, has come to bring good news to the poor, proclaim freedom to the unjustly imprisoned, restore dignity to those marginalized due to disabilities, liberate the oppressed, and declare freedom from slavery and debt. Jesus’ mission reveals that God is mercy, God is love, and God desires freedom. And those who follow Christ should desire the same.
Our Manifestation
Carter reminds us that:
Jesus’ announcement, then, that the Scripture has been fulfilled today in their hearing cannot mean the accomplishment of the citation’s claims. At most, the claim refers to Jesus’ role as God’s agent anointed to enact the divine will, a task that Jesus’ followers are to continue.
The task is not finished. The Scripture has been fulfilled and will need to continue to be fulfilled whenever those who follow Christ bring good news to the poor. When we proclaim freedom for those who have been unjustly imprisoned the Scripture is fulfilled. When we work to provide services and amplify the voices of those living with disabilities, the Scripture is fulfilled. When we speak out and cry for mercy for those oppressed by society, the Scripture is fulfilled. When we declare freedom from systems that are unfair and burdensome, the Scripture is fulfilled.
There is no need to apologize for doing these things. They are in the Bible! But there is a need to apologize when we forget—sometimes intentionally—that this is what Jesus came to do. This is his true identity, and we are called to follow in his steps.
What Bishop Budde did required no apologies. As she said, “I am not going to apologize for asking for mercy for others.” She preached about unity, emphasizing that dignity, honesty, and humility are the solid foundations on which to build it. She warned that without these, we are building unity on sand. And I believe that mercy is one of those foundational elements as well.

It takes unity and community to continue Jesus’ work. The Spirit fills us to fulfill this mission. It is a monumental task. As Warren Carter reminds us, it requires people, resources, skills, and the energy to work tirelessly to transform the world. So, with Bishop Budde, we also pray for unity, because everyone is called to this mission—Jesus’ mission. We are called to build the kingdom of God in this world, perhaps starting small: with each person we meet, with every word we speak, and with every action we take… to fulfill this Scripture in our hearing.
And if you’re wondering what Cliff Kirkpatrick said about my sermon—don’t worry. He didn’t say anything about it. But his words about this church will stay with me for the rest of my life. He said of this congregation, “This is what the kingdom of God looks like.”
Let’s continue to be an example of the kingdom of God, to manifest it boldly and faithfully. Let's continue to speak about mercy and justice. Let's continue to fulfill the Scripture in our hearing! No apologies needed.
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