Christian living is filled with power as well as weakness, mountain top experiences along with valley occurrences, promises accompanied by fulfillments, and exhilarating moments together with mundane ones. Such is seen in a “throwaway” kind of statement Luke makes when Jesus returned to his hometown, Nazareth.
As Jesus entered the town, the Spirit was powerfully working in/through him (Lk. 4:14). One can only imagine what Luke meant. Jesus’ ministry had yet to begin (at least as laid out by Luke), so what demonstration of “power” is on him? Clearly, we can point to his baptism (3:21-22) and his defeat of Satan in the wilderness (4:1-13). And as Jesus’ ministry unfolds, we’ll note his miracles, his teachings, his love for folks, his insightfulness to people’s hearts, and his ability to thwart or absorb verbal attacks and criticisms. Yes, his unmistakable evidence is present that the Spirit had taken root in Jesus. And as we sit on the edge of our seats, we can’t wait to read what Jesus does next.
What we do read, though, is kind of a letdown. What he did next was that he simply attended the local synagogue, “as was his custom.” He had a pattern, a routine, a habit, a schedule. On Saturday, when his fellow Jews gathered at the Synagogue, he joined them. It’s a moment that doesn’t grab your attention or “wow” you. Jesus simply shows up where Scripture is read, prayers are led and encouragment is offered. And, according to Luke, he did this every Sabbath (i.e. Saturday). Every. Single. Sabbath.
The Synagogue history is a bit of a quagmire. When we close the books on the Old Testament, we have no mention of the Synagogue and it’s clearly not endorsed by Moses and the Law. Some have found possible hints of the Synagogue in Ezekiel and Nehemiah, but those are strongly debated. Most scholars will tell you that the Synagogue arose during the diaspora as a means to fill a void in the Jewish spiritual life. With Jews (i.e. people from Judea) having no access to a temple where sacrifices were made and with their national identity in question, a void was instantaneously created that needed filled. Priests required a place to read Scripture and to instruct on matters of faith. Israel craved local places to meet together to pray and to be instructed. Thus, most likely, the Synagogue came into being during the Babylonian exile. The acceptance of a local place to pray and hear instruction from Scripture was so relevant and popular, the Jews brought it back with them from captivity. And 400 years later, it’s woven into the very fabric of Jewish culture. So much so that Jesus makes it his own weekly priority to gather with the saints.
But let’s be honest, the weekly gathering with the saints is far short of sensational. It’s mundane.
We witness the struggle from within. The singing is too often off pitch, too slow and, who wants to learn a new song anyway? The prayers usually reflect the spiritual shallowness of the person praying. The Lord’s Supper feels rushed because of the uncomfortable silence. The sermon is too long and irrelevant. Relationships with each other is strained and drains the time together. In the process we forget that the “audience” for the worship is not the people who gather, but the One who gathers us together.
We witness the struggle from without. Everything seems to keep luring and pulling us away from Sunday. Sleep ties us to our beds. Stress from the week builds to a point we cannot cope with the stress of getting ready for “church.” Apathy sets in because, “Who really cares if I show up or not?” The work around the house still needs done. The kids are all committed to sports or other extracurricular activities. Vacations. And all the while, the people down at the lake are all a lot nicer than the ones at church.
And the weekly gathering with the saints is so monotonous. And yet where do we find Jesus?
So Jesus shows up for “church”* because that “was his custom.” And if we point to his baptism as a logical argument for our baptism (e.g. “what’s good enough for him is good enough for me”), then that logic applies to his weekly attendance with saints too. And in the tediousness of making it to services, every … single … week, I think even he finds some joy,
“I will declare your name to my brothers;
In the presence of the congregation* I will sing your praise.”
(Hebrews 4:12 quoting Psalm 22:22)
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)
* The word “congregation” is the Greek word, ekklesia, which means, “assembly” but is often translated “church.”