A Seminar on Missiological Reading of the so-called “Nazareth Manifesto” – Luke 416-30 Ganesh Tamang July 8, 2002

Introduction Nazareth Manifesto stands as a condensed-preface to Jesus’ entire public ministry.1 Right after Spirit’s descending on Jesus the characteristics of a programmatic2 (eschatological and Kerygmatic) manifesto has become as a real picture in the missionary methods and tasks. It can first be read as the Spirit’s mission manifesto, revealing the Spirit’s priorities as formulated through a combination of texts taken from Isaiah. Second, Luke reveals something of Jesus’ own priorities and specific role within Missio-Dei. Nathaniel’s surprise – “Can anything good come from Nazareth” (John 146b)? – was appropriate. Politically, economically and even religiously, Nazareth’s contribution was nothing. Nazareth now holds threefold theological significances: ‘the Word that became flesh’ in Jesus of Nazareth and it becomes the faith of Christian and shares the historical destiny of all human being.3 In Jesus’ reading, Isaiah’s quotation is socially "sharpened" by addition of "…let the oppressed go free" (Luke 418) from Isaiah 586. There is a clear holistic liberation emphasis in the Spirit’s mission. The aim is to radically change the spiritual, personal, social and economic conditions of all the victims, of all those who have been put aside by religious, social, political or economic developments in society. The categories involve preaching: the poor are evangelized; the prisoners have release and the blind have recovery of sight.4 All verbs in v.18 are absolutely missionary verbs: to evangelize (eu euaggeliv khruvxai with three objects) and send (aaposeuaggelivsasqai), asqai to proclaim (khruv postei`lai) ai away. The emphasis is highlighted by Jesus’ personal comment, starting with "Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing [lit. in your ears]" (Luke 421b). It really gives dignity to the poor, liberates the oppressed and opens up the eyes of those who do not understand, by declaring that the "old" social and religious rules have been replaced (Luke 718-23; 1120).

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David J Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission (New York: Orbis Books, 1991), P. 89. 2 Luke has deliberately put this story at the beginning of the public ministry to encapsulate the entire ministry of Jesus. Cf. Joseph A Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke (I-Ix) (New York: Doubleday, 1981), P. 529. 3 CS Song, Jesus, the Crucified People (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996), P. 17. 4 William J Larkin Jr & Joel F Williams (eds), Mission in the New Testament: An Evangelical Approach (New York: Orbis Books, 1998), P.158.

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The fulfillment of the Old Testament Many scholars agree that “…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 418) has been quoted from the Jubilee era (Leviticus 2510). The Jubilee year was considered a reversal of rich and poor, a redistribution of resources – an ‘institutionalized grace’ for helpless.5 While most Jews remained scattered outside the Promised Land, even the small number who had returned from Babylon continued to suffer under a long series of ‘unrighteous rulers.’6 But Isaiah proclaimed a new hope in terms of holistic freedom (Isa. 611-2). The concept of Gentile’s admittance in to the kingdom of God was not a new occurrence. God’s interaction with non-Israel community was already ongoing right through the Old Testament period, e.g.: God’s miraculous deeds were manifested through Elijah and Elisha among the non-Israelites. Jesus’ mission covered God as the sender, Jesus as the sent one and the empowerment of the Spirit as the commissioning event. Luke highlights God’s saving activity as a sending activity by stressing that Jesus is the last in a long line of prophets and apostles who have been sent by God to his people.7 “…everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 722=2444). Luke believed that the person and ministry of Jesus fulfills God’s plan of salvation prophetically expressed in the Old Testament.8 The fulfillments of the Scriptures take place in the history of Jesus and also in the history of the community.

The Gentile Mission (Transforming Mission) Jesus’ ministry is one of transformation and forgiveness. The call for conversion is also an essential part of Jesus’ mission of salvation.9 Jesus’ good news to the poor did not meet exclusive expectations but was inclusion of Gentiles. Jesus’ Jubilee mission was holistic in four aspects: it was proclaimed and enacted, spiritual and physical, for Jew and Gentile, present and eschatological.10 At least three fundamental concerns: the centrality of the poor in Jesus’ ministry, the setting aside of vengeance and the Gentile mission of Luke are expressed in Nazareth episode (416-30).11 The centrifugal concentration of Jesus’ mission can be felt in the scene at Nazareth Manifesto. It designates those on the periphery – the poor, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed – as the recipients of Jesus’ Spirit-filled ministry.12 Siker’s literary analysis of Luke 416-30 shows that Gentile inclusion is a part of the gospel message, perhaps, the reversal by Jesus at Nazareth, for this would highlight the priority of the issue of the Gentile mission. Luke’s chronological depiction of Jesus’ ministry the maxim ‘to the Jew first and also the Greek’ holds true, but on a functional level in terms of Luke’s hermeneutic, the maxim is reversed, with acceptance of Gentile in5

Paul Hertig, “The Jubilee Mission of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke: Reversal of Fortunes,” Missiology: An International Review, Vol. XXVI, No. 2 (April 1998) P. 171 6 Ibid, P. 168 7 William J Larkin Jr & Joel F Williams (eds), op.cit., P. 156 8 Donald Senior CP & Carroll Stuhlmueller, CP, The Biblical Foundation for Mission (New York: Orbis Books, 1983), P. 257 9 David J Bosch, op.cit., 263 10 Paul Hertig, op.cit, P. 168 11 David J Bosch, op.cit., P.89 12 Donald Senior CP & Carroll Stuhlmueller, CP, op.cit., P. 260

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clusion and the Gentile mission as prerequisite to a correct understanding of the mission of the Church as a whole in continuing Jesus’ mission and of the proper relationship between Jews and Gentile.13 However, Siker is lacking in tracing of ‘Jewish rejection doesn’t discredit Jesus.’14 Jewish rejection was not the only ‘decisive moment’ of Missio-Dei to Gentiles. Book of Jonah is one of the clearest Old Testament evidence that points to future mission-Dei to Gentiles. God's intention of saving Nineveh was a prelude to Jesus' announcing of his mission to Gentiles. Isaiah makes the mission-Dei to Gentiles a clear future possibility (Isaiah 651) Jewish rejection of Jesus was not God's rejection of the Jews; it was indeed for the acceptance of both. From Paul's teaching in Romans, as Jews rejected Jesus, God rejected the Jews so that the Gentiles could be brought in. The very fact of Gentiles coming in would provoke the Jews to jealousy; this jealousy could then force them to accept God's call to salvation (Romans 1018-20).

The Holistic Mission: towards a liberative principle For Luke the concept of Spirit seals the kinship between God’s universal will to save, the liberating ministry of Jesus and the worldwide mission of the church.15 Jesus proclaims that God’s liberating power has a universal scope — transcending any ethnic, cultural, social, racial or confessional barrier. God’s preferential option for the poor16 is not for the poor of Israel only and may even give priority to others. Through Jesus’ words and powerful acts, the Lucan Jesus takes away pain, forgives sins, and transforms human life.17 Luke’s central theme of mission is that salvation accomplished and salvation applied (forgiveness of sin). Salvation accomplished is Luke’s main focus in his gospel, while the focus of Acts is salvation applied.18 During the 1970s, the Nazareth Manifesto is generally overlooked for its significance for the newly emerged liberation theology. Arvind P Nirmal writes that Dalit Christians’ pathos is manifested in Nazareth Manifesto. Then it is really manifesto for dalit Christians.19 The economic context, the political context and the physical context are highlighted. A liberation theology hermeneutic has often found such understanding of Luke’s view of Jesus’ and the church’s mission in integrality.20 At the most, spiritual salvation becomes just another type alongside the physical and the socio-economic understanding of Jesus’ liberating mission.21 Spiritual salvation has necessary implication for the economic sphere but should not be collapsed into a program of political-economic liberation. The outpouring of the Spirit enables intercultural communication and empowers people for sharing.

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Jeffery S Siker, “First to the Gentiles: A Literary Analysis of Luke 4:16-30,” Journal of Biblical Literature, 111/1, 1992, Pp. 74f 14 John Nolland, Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 35a: Luke 1:1-9:20, (Texas: Word Books, Publisher, 1998), P. 202 15 Donald Senior CP & Carroll Stuhlmueller, CP, op.cit, P. 269 16 What about the rich? Luke presents Zacchaeus’ case to prove that Jesus’ mission was not a stereotype that does advocate in favor of poor only. Cf. Luke 19:8 17 Ibid, P. 257 18 William J Larkin Jr & Joel F Williams (eds), op.cit., P. 159 19 Arvind P Nirmal & V Devasahayam (eds), A Reader in Dalit Theology (Madras: Gurukul Luthern Theological College & Research Institute, n.d.), P. 67 20 William J Larkin Jr & Joel F Williams (eds), op.cit., P. 156 21 Ibid, P. 160

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Concluding Remarks The vigor of Jesus’ prophetic ministry, his call for repentance and conversion, his powerful acts of healing exorcism, his boundary-breaking compassion and his efforts to form community – all of these give shape to the community’s own mission.22 Jesus’ proclamation, in the power of the Spirit, has been changed fundamentally so that all human relations and societies can be transformed accordingly. But one must take care of it that the biblical principle includes criteria which cannot be bypassed: the link to the person of Jesus; the social aspect of that liberation and the impossibility to limit it to any ethnic or racial or national boundary. The relation to God is the fundamental principle behind any individual and social life. Views such as the gospel is exclusively for the materially and economically poor alone are not correct according to Scriptures. The "recovery of sight to the blind" has a literal as well as a symbolic meaning (John 93). Jesus came to open the eyes of the blind but also to open the minds and hearts of all people.

Bibliography Bosch, David J. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. New York: Orbis Books, 1991 Fitzmyer, Joseph A. The Gospel According to Luke (I-Ix). New York: Doubleday, 1981 Hertig, Paul. “The Jubilee Mission of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke: Reversal of Fortunes,” Missiology: An International Review, Vol. XXVI, No. 2 (April 1998): 167-179 Larkin, William J & Joel F Williams, eds. Mission in the New Testament, An Evangelical Approach. New York: Orbis Books, 1998 Nirmal, Arvind P & V Devasahayam, eds. A Reader in Dalit Theology. Madras: Gurukul Lutheran Theological College & Research Institute, n.d. Senior, Donald & Carroll Stuhlmueller. The Biblical Foundation for Mission. New York: Orbis Books, 1983 Siker, Jeffery S. “First to the Gentiles: A Literary Analysis of Luke 4:16-30,” Journal of Biblical Literature, 111/1, 1992: 73-90 Song, CS. Jesus, the Crucified People. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996

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Donald Senior CP & Carroll Stuhlmueller, CP, op.cit.,P. 257

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