KCL Chapel
Luke 1:1-4
Spring term Sermon Series
18th January 2017
MOST EXCELLENT THEOPHILUS
“Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that
have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from
the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after
investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account
for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the
things about which you have been instructed.”
We’re in the season of Epiphany – which of course is all about a revelation of the
true nature of Jesus – and the churches’ lectionary readings for these weeks in
Epiphany are all about showing the reality of Jesus beyond the obvious humanity –
wise men and their gifts showing Jesus kingship, divinity and death…the baptism
of Jesus - God labelling him as his son…the wedding at Cana – a revelation of his
power.
And so, as usual here in chapel, we are completely ignoring the lectionary as it
follows Mark and we will be working through Luke’s gospel – and yet - all of
Luke is an epiphany – the writer showing us who Jesus truly is – and if you look at
the readings for the following 11 weeks we’ll take in a few highlights – ending
with Jesus death and I hope that the sermons will give us a renewed knowledge of
Jesus – and we’ll get to know him in a new deeper way.
I’ve always been fond of Luke’s gospel – the others have merits of course but Luke
is my kind of book – the writer portrays Jesus as a caring individual who has a
genuine love and concern for the marginalised of his society – who is prepared to
welcome those on the edge of society – those who are increasingly ignored or
forgotten. Jesus liked spending time with the scum of his society. They seem often
to matter to him more than the good people, the religious leaders, the nice people.
But also important to say something about Luke and indeed the person he’s writing
to/for.
Luke – tells us he decided to write Orderly account – investigating carefully and
part 1 of a 2 parter – with Acts being the follow up – what Jesus did next – after his
death resurrection and ascension – through the early church – “in my former book
Theophilus I wrote about all Jesus did until he was taken to heaven. Was
Theophilus a real person or just a generic God lover? I’m not sure it matters. Nice
to think it’s both.
I have to be careful what I say with the Dean & Professor Adams being here as
they have something of a reputation as Gospel scholars. Now I don’t want to sound
sycophantic and I wouldn’t want it to go to his head but the Dean’s book, Four
Gospels, One Jesus?, is brilliant. Honestly – if you haven’t read it, please do – it
really is a very good read – and I want to pick up a few key things - the Dean is big
on using the gospel symbols – medieval representations of the gospel writers
which he reinterpreted as their portrayal of Jesus – things he was keen for the
stained glass artist to put in the windows when they were designed back in 2000 –
so:
 Matt human figure – the teacher of Israel
 Mark - the roaring Lion bursting on scene
 John - the high flying Eagle soaring up in the air on some theological flight
of fancy (my words not his)
 And Luke – for us here today - Luke’s symbol – an Oxen – a beast of
burden – Jesus is reliable and plodding and carrying all the hurts of
humanity – and indeed mine. But, also the Oxen is in an agricultural society
a symbol of wealth and power and this is important to remember – Jesus is
special – is a reminder of God’s power and wealth – that somehow in Jesus
this power and wealth of God is embodied in a human being.
Why do I like Luke? I am drawn to this aspect of Jesus – of his power and his love
and care – I’m not too interested in theological understandings any more, but I
want to know Jesus. I want to know more about him, want to know who Jesus is,
and want to know how to follow him better. And, I have warmed to Jesus as
portrayed by Luke - he seems to be a pretty normal sort of bloke, someone who I’d
like to meet.
I am always slightly frightened of Jesus in John but, in Luke, Jesus is the one who
loves those on the margins – many of the stories in this gospel uniquely portray
this love and concern for weak and fallen humanity. Luke is the only one, for
example, who tells the wonderful, truly wonderful, parable of the loving, caring
Father (usually called the Prodigal Son story) – or interpretations of events other
Gospel writers also include. In Luke, Jesus is shown as caring for those on the
margins, the poor, prostitutes, tax collectors, women – those looked down on in
their society.
God is a God of love, a God of Grace, a God who carries the pains and burdens of
others. A God who, in his immense power, reaches out and cares for those who
suffer which is something the church has a good record on at times - Wilberforce
being a key player in the end to slavery, the CPSA in South Africa, some work in
recent years by some sensible Bishops such as a former Bishop of Liverpool
working hard for several years to seek a real justice for the victims of Hillsborough
and challenging the political and police authorities to do this – which is where we
are at in that story now – just one example and especially in the current climate
where it seems many in power have forgotten or – deliberately portrayed those on
the margins as scroungers – and all those who portray refugees as all being
potential terrorists and should be kept out. I think Jesus might have something to
say here.
As I said earlier – and I just want to re-emphasise it in case you haven’t got the
message yet! - it is good to remember Jesus was alongside those who were
despised and looked down on in his day. This man welcomes sinners and eats with
them – Luke 15:2 – and in Jesus’ day this was a very dodgy thing to do. Eating
with someone was generally regarded as recognising them as an equal – dangerous
stuff! Recognising those who are vilified and loathed by many in our society as
equals. And, this is not some idealised “deserving poor”, a sort of noble savage
image, but it’s the people that are not likeable – people who vote for UKIP
perhaps, or who spend their money on the wrong things, or who don’t want to
work… as well as those who do – not just those who are poor because they are
victims of our society but those who are poor due to their own bad choices or
laziness. Jesus ate with them and through this considered them his equals. Now
that is ridiculous – God as a human treating flawed humanity as his equal!
I read something recently about slum priests in Victorian London who lived this
out: as the Anglo-Catholic slum priests brought the slum dwellers and the working
class a taste of the beauty and the holiness of the kingdom of God in the midst of
their squalor, and brought it out into the streets, liturgically and practically, they
were posing a sacramental challenge to the ugliest expressions of industrialisation
and capitalism. And in this, they restored a social conscience to Anglicanism.
And, this is what we’ll hopefully be getting this term - Jesus as Luke sees him.
Of course, it’s not just an interesting academic exercise – Jesus and God are a bit
annoying in that we are being asked to be like Jesus, to eat with sinners, to do what
Jesus did.
I do think we always need to revisit the stories of Jesus to see how Jesus lived his
life and ask ourselves how we can be like Jesus. If Jesus as the bearer of burdens is
to mean anything to us today for me it means 2 things particularly, which I see
again and again in Luke’s picture of Jesus: God, through Jesus, offers us love and
forgiveness through his life and death and, as the bearer of burdens, carries our sins
and failings – he eats with us and treats us as equals. And, secondly, he asks us to
be like him to follow his example, to be bearers of burdens for others – to eat with
others – to see everyone else, whether we honestly like them or not, as equals and
worthy of our care and love.
Hopefully this term we’ll be encouraged to do this as we look at Luke’s picture of
Jesus. Amen.
Reverend Tim Ditchfield,
College Chaplain