The Fix is In

The Fix Is In

 

Luke 4:14-21

Jesus reads the prophet Isaiah 

4:14 Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding region.

4:15 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,

4:17 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 set free those who are oppressed,

4:19 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.

4:21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

 

The phrase “the fix is in” may be applied to any contest, from sports to politics, and usually means that what is intended to be a “fair” competition has been tampered with by one or the other party, assuring their “side” wins. In this regard, the sports world has been rife with accusations of a “fix” being “in,” most recently accusations made during NFL playoffs. Some have accused the NFL officials of having a bias in the direction of the Kansas City Chiefs, the current “darlings” of the Super Bowl winning set. It has been said by some that their quarterback, the talented and crafty Patrick Mahomes, “manipulates” the referees into throwing the penalty flag for “roughing the passer” by creatively landing, making it look like he was abused by potential tacklers. Frankly, I don’t see this as any kind of a “fix” or a cheating strategy; if he’s good enough to make it LOOK like he was roughed, and if a tackler came close enough to fouling him on the play such that a ruse like this might work, then more power to him. If there is a “fix” going on in the sports world, I’d look to college football.

 

I have enjoyed watching college football for most of my adult life. However, now it has fully made the transition into a “farm system” for the NFL by allowing college athletes to rather freely transfer between college teams, AND get paid for their “service” to the sport. This comes close to being a “fix,” in my mind. Teams with more prestige, a name-brand coach, and a serious chance at the college playoffs have FAR more leverage to garner players via the “transfer portal” than lesser teams. It’s certainly not the varsity contest it once was, as money—and betting lines—talk. 

 

If there’s a sport that is hard to fix, I’d say it’s fishing. When one goes out to fish, no matter of skill—or specialized equipment, unless it’s a big net—will guarantee catching a fish if they just aren’t biting. Here’s a fish story for you…When my son, Evan, was a little guy, one day he said to me—in the presence of his Mom—“Hey, daddy, could we go FISHING?” I love my son dearly, and while fishing was not something I’d done since my own childhood, I couldn’t say no. Of course, his mother made sure to rub this in so his “bookish” dad wouldn’t back down at this invitation to join the “Bass Masters” beside some pond somewhere. Out we went to buy some fishing tackle, and of course DAD would need a fishing license, so after a hundred and a half well-spent dollars, we went fishing at the small lake at Two Mile Run County Park, where my father was the Assistant Superintendent. 

 

One beautiful, Summer night, we were fishing beside the lake together, and the sun was just starting to dip toward the horizon. Evan was both little and now a little bored, as I don’t think we had caught anything at all, at that point. He asked if he could go play on the playground equipment at the campsite just behind our fishing spot, and I gave assent. While he enjoyed the monkey bars and swings, I put a lure of some kind on my line and continued casting peacefully out onto the still waters, enjoying both the increasingly golden rays of the waning Sun and the smooth, gurgling sounds of the lure, as I reeled it back in after each cast. Then something hit the line, and all hell broke loose! Turns out, it was a something large and rather powerful, and with my lack of fishing prowess, I basically panicked, tugging at the line and attempting to reel in whatever it was. Just offshore, a small boat with two real fishermen was coasting into view, and they, having witnessed the “strike,” began yelling instructions to me as to what to do, quickly noticing my panic. With no better counsel, I kept doing what they suggested, and eventually got a rather large beast—worn out from the struggle with a clueless fisherman—to the edge of the shore. “What is it?” the men in the boat inquired. “It’s a FISH!” shouted a useful idiot from the shore. “Where is the mouth on it?” came the next inquiry. “At the FRONT,” I reported. “No, does it go back under the EYE of the fish?” one boatman asked. “YES” I expertly answered. “It’s a Large Mouth BASS,” came the final response. I thanked the men for schooling me, and then had to figure out how to get this thing off my line, a process that involved a rag (I’m not touching a slimy, live fish), a set of needle-nosed pliers, and my sneaker, to kick the tired old boy back to his freedom. Nope there is no “fix” in the fishing world, just a lot of luck, and some bragging, which came later. If golf is “a good walk, spoiled,” fishing at a placid lake is a serene evening, interrupted. My son soon abandoned his interest in fishing, for which I was grateful, as I found it to have too much risk of actually catching something.

 

How does this relate to our Lukan text involving Jesus reading a text from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue? I wish it were some clever tie-in to his “I will make you fishers of people” statement, but no, not to be. Instead, we’re looking at the “fix” that is “in” because of his boast that HE is the fulfillment of what the prophet had said some centuries earlier. Jesus IS the “fix that is in” for the ills humanity faces.

 

And we ARE in need of numerous fixes, aren’t we, and I’m talking fixes NOT of a cheating nature, but of a HEALING nature. I confess to having many concerns and fears after this most recent election:

 

It may be a very dark time for those of us who have a bent for social justice, diversity, and inclusion. We need a fix.

 

It seems like it may be a dark time for those of us who believe that immigrants have been the historical lifeblood for this nation, fueling not only come of its most difficult work and fields of labor, but also some of its “fields” needing creative and brilliant minds.

 

Dara and I have been involved with a Working for Justice group that is supporting an Afghan refugee family that arrived in America just after the Christmas holiday. They have joined an adult daughter here, who came for her education, and has a job. They have a number of children, including a younger daughter, who has enrolled in school for the first time, as the Taliban did not permit her to attend school in Afghanistan. We’re excited to be helping them get established in our country, which they hope to make their new home. The President has cut off all travel for refugees from Afghanistan, now.

 

It is certainly a dark time for those of us who have worked for more strict environmental protection laws and less-polluting practices such as green energy production and electric vehicle adoption. We own an electric vehicle, mostly because we want to help heal the environment, and the new administration is already signaling they will withdraw government support of EVs and cut back on funding for new charging stations. This, while our American auto manufacturers have geared up to produce EVs, have designed some of the best of them (we own a Chevy Bolt EUV), and have been quite successful at selling them. Why is this President opposing them? Because he has “adopted” this as one of his political positions, logic not needing to apply.

 

It may well be the beginning of the new “dark ages” for those of us who have always believed the United States is a land of law and order. Presidential “pardons” strike at the center of fair and equal judicial prosecution of persons accused of serious crimes. 

 

And it is a dark time for those of us whose faith beckons us to work for justice and remedies for our nation’s poor, and especially those in need of healthcare. These people need advocates, not abandonment.

 

The Good News is that Jesus will not abandon us in our quest to partner with him in providing a “fix” for these problems. This is clear from today’s scripture passage.  However, we must counter one of the assertions of ultra-conservatives who say that “the church” should take care of the poor and the oppressed, and that it is not a “government problem.” In fact, according to our own Declaration of Independence AND the U.S. Constitution, these ARE within the purview of our government, and while “the church” must do its part to help alleviate such suffering on the part of “the least of these,” it is incapable of meeting the great universe of their needs. It’s a question of the economies of scale.

 

“Economies of scale?” you might ask. Well, it goes like this: if EVERY dime collected in EVERY offering plate of EVERY church, synagogue, or mosque in America were to be dedicated to “feeding the poor,” this total could barely cover the SNAP (food stamp) program. The need is far greater than the religious community—no matter how compassionate and willing it is—can possibly meet. The Declaration of Independence speaks of our “inalienable rights” and of a path to the “pursuit of happiness” for ALL Americans, and the Constitution spells out rights and privileges for “WE the people,” not just “SOME people.” Government cannot abdicate its responsibility to be part of “the fix,” too.

 

Jesus’ fulfillment of the Isaiah passage, “[God] 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 set free those who are oppressed…” is both a promise to and a vision statement for the people of God. Jesus came to BE the fix by participating IN the fix, and by calling his own people to OWN the fix for all who are in need. Coupled with the great Jewish code of hospitality to the immigrants—“strangers in our land”—the Christian may NOT turn her or his back on any of these people. And while responsible immigration laws and application of them is not counter to the goal of making a way for refugees and immigrants to find hope and a home here, they are not meant to slam the door in their face. Neither does any President have the right to do so, as a much “higher authority” is proclaiming what “the fix” is that is “in.” 

 

I know that there are well-meaning people—even many people of faith—who are supporters of this President and many of his policies. This is their right, but this text from Luke DOES urge people of faith in Christ to refrain from advocating against programs and national efforts that address the needs of the poor, the oppressed, and even the “strangers in our land,” if we want to align ourselves with Jesus. We may also disagree about HOW to do this, and what is the most EFFECTIVE way to help, but Jesus just doesn’t allow us to say we don’t have to care. I believe we Christians should do more to explore what “proclaiming the year of God’s favor” might look like! It sounds celebratory to me, and if the poor are fed, the oppressed freed, and the downtrodden lifted up, it would seem like “God’s favor” might just be forthcoming! In the name of the Jesus who IS the fulfillment of these promises, and who calls us to be a partner in the effort—“the fix”—Amen!