SERMON TITLE: Release to the Captives

Preached by the Rev. John Lee on January 21, 2007 at DPUC

 

SCRIPTURE: John 4:14-21

4:14      Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

 

4:16      When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

 

4:18     "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, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

 

4:20      And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.“

 

Release to the Captives

Stem cells are unspecialized human or animal cells that can produce mature specialized body cells and at the same time replicate themselves. [About stem cells: images, definition 1, definition 2, other related topics]  Stem cells can be found at different stages of fetal development. These are present in a wide range of adult tissues.  By using this technology, we can reproduce any cell type of the body or form an entire organism. Their primary function is to replenish cells lost from normal turnover or disease. But it involves many ethical controversies. The focal points of the problems are particularly the limited resources for harvesting stem sells and the consequences of using stem cell research.

 

In the issue of stem cell research, many argue that it is an issue of humankind’s challenge to God’s creation. Some claim that it is to cure the people who are suffering from incurable diseases. And what we can see is that there is human greed to gain billions of dollars even by faking research. Perhaps all the people on earth are the captives of greed. Last year, Dr. Hwang developed a new stem cell technology and published his results in the esteemed Nature magazine that his team had succeeded in producing stem cells. This success is opening up of a new era in human history that humankinds can begin the creation of life by their own design.

 

His patent was estimated that it is worth $16,169,000,000 which is even more than Sony or Panasonic.  [Dr. Hwang Wu Suk’s brand value 20th ,Toyota 7th , Honda 19th, Sony 26th, Hyundai Auto 75th , Panasonic 77th , etc.] But it turned out later that his development of stem cells was false. This tells us how human greed contaminates all sorts of people, even scientists. This tells us how humankinds are vulnerable, and easy to be tempted, and become captives of the vicious breed of money, fame, and power.

 

However as time goes, the technology develops. Global news media recently reported that “A New Era Begins.” Dr. Anthony Atala, head of Wake Forest's regenerative medicine institute, and scientists from Harvard University reported that amniotic fluid yields stem cells and this technique doesn't harm embryos; called 'giant step forward' for research. With all these good and bad things happening, the world moves forward. We live in a world of fast development in many ways. And we realize that it is the time that we have to pray “thy kingdom come, thy will be done.”

 

It is not just the movement into internet related communication of the new digital era. Unimaginable scientific development has already made. Scientific fiction is not a fiction anymore. Our perception of the world has changed. Our ways of thinking and working have changed.  It is hard to imagine what’s coming next. While we enjoy all new technologies and devices, we have fear about the future. But it is not the future, but God’s will for us that we should fear about. The most important thing we should not forget is to “fear the Lord, fear God.”  

 

In this fast changing world, in this world of many uncertainties, what we have to keep in our heart is to think about what God’s will for the creation is, what God wants us to do, and how we can live the life of God’s harmony. Today’s gospel reading tells us the good news for us. Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, began to teach in their synagogues and read the scripture from Isaiah:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… to bring good news to the poor… to proclaim release to the captives… to let the oppressed go free… to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

 

We know what it means to bring good news to the poor.  In Canada, there is some action of justice shown in the proposal to raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour.  It is good to do something for justice on a political basis.  But when we look around the world, there are many problems that are much more serious.  In the world, there are people who manage their living with one dollar a day.  It is our responsibility to share our wealth with the poor on the other side of the world. Even beyond this, there are many serious issues that cross international borders: immigration, migrant workers, refugees, transnational global industries abusing the labourers.

 

All these injustices come from those people who have power and who are captives of their selfish, greedy minds. Jesus’ proclamation of “release to the captives” is significant to all the people in our time. In this world of uncertain future, we have to keep our values close to our hearts. In our olden times, we counted these injustices as personal. But nowadays, the impact of global transnational mega industries is enormous. This never can be a personal matter. In our world, there are many who are captives of their selfish, greedy minds.  It is the most fundamental problem in human history. This is the problem of people’s direction of thinking and working towards themselves only.  And this vicious desire never ends and grows without limit.

 

How can we resolve this problem?  Many psychologists, philosophers, religious thinkers and educators suggested their own ways of resolutions. But it does not seem to work. The answer I found is that the solution is in each individual person. It is possible by simply turning around and changing the direction from oneself to the others. It is possible when we believe that our God is the God of past, present and future. And it is possible when we believe and trust that the “future is God’s gift.”

 

Let me tell you about a commencement speech that was addressed to Harvard’s Senior Class.  The Rev. Peter Gomes, minister at Harvard began: "You are going to be sent out of here for good, and most of you aren't ready to go into a world of uncertainties.” "Nevertheless, there is reason to hope," Doctor Gomes continued. "The future is God's gift to you. God will not let you stumble or fall. God has not brought you this far to this place to ABANDON you or leave you here alone and afraid. The God of Israel never stumbles, never sleeps, never goes on sabbatical. Thus, my beloved and bewildered young friends, do not be afraid. The future is God's gift to you!“ (Peter Gomes, adapted and modified by John Lee)

 

We do not have enough power to change. Perhaps all we can do is to try to change ourselves first while we speak out to change direction from “towards self to towards others.” But the good news for us is that Jesus Christ is with us and still speaks to us and to the world, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… to bring good news to the poor… to proclaim release to the captives… to let the oppressed go free… to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, to proclaim the favourable year of the Lord."

 

This is the conviction of Jesus who began the mission of God, who was with the people of Galilee those who were sick, poor and lonely, who prayed God’s will to be done.  And I believe that this is the invitation to all of us and the promise that he will walk with us. And I believe that we will be freed from being captives of all sorts of selfish greed. And I believe that we will proclaim the year of Lord’s favour with Jesus Christ.

 

Today, Jesus comes to this place and speaks to each one of us here the same good news that our future is God's gift to us. God will not let us stumble or fall. God is with us always. Thanks be to God!


 

 

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Updated January 21, 2007