Episode Transcript
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This weekend, hundreds of Australians will be honoured
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with Order of Australia awards
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for their unique and exceptional contributions
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that they have made, voluntarily, to help those in need,
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and to help make Australia and our world, a better place.
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And our key scripture reading today from Luke chapter four,
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recalls how Jesus proposed to make the world of his time,
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a better place.
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And I witnessed this scriptural scene being
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role played in Nazareth village educational centre,
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in current day Nazareth,
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some sixteen years ago, at a time of
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violent conflict and poverty for the local people.
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A man acting in the role as Jesus, came into a replica synagogue,
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and picked up the scroll of Isaiah 61, and proclaimed,
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the spirit of the Lord is upon me,
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he has anointed me, to bring good news to the afflicted,
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to proclaim liberty to captives,
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to bring new sight to the blind,
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to set the downtrodden free,
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and proclaim the Lord’s favour.
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Despite all my theological study,
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it was only then, that I fully understood
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that this was Jesus fundamental purpose and mission,
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His manifesto,
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and one that He was certainly passing onto me,
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and indeed to anyone
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who wished to seriously follow Him.
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Re-reading all of the gospels,
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I saw that Jesus didn’t come with a political agenda
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or an economic agenda,
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or even to build new churches.
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There was already plenty of religiosity around,
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some of which He regarded as hypocrisy
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due to their adversarial behaviour.
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He came to implore people to love God,
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by loving their neighbour.
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And He demonstrated that through many practical acts of service,
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care and assistance to everyone.
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He didn’t lead church services, as we know it,
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but he sought out those in need,
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and met their needs for healing, acceptance and love.
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This weekend,
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hundreds of Australians will be honoured for behaving similarly.
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They, like Jesus,
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inspire us all to be making our world a better place.
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Friends, the Christian life is not just about beliefs,
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Jesus showed it must also involve action.
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May we be aware, that we too have been anointed,
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to bring good news to the afflicted,
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and be good news, in all that we say and do.
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May you all have a happy Australia Day.
