Family Communion for the Third Sunday of Epiphany: celebrant the Revd Tola Badejo.

First reading: 1 Corinthians 12. 12-31a
Gospel: Luke 4. 14–21

Today's first reading emphasises, that the Church, as the Body of Christ, depends on all of its members just like a physical human body. We need only remember the discomfort caused by a sensitive tooth or a blistered toe to begin to understand the point; moreover, Paul wants to make it clear that every role in the church is important. As church members, then, we should value and care for each other, be tolerant of divergent points of view, and respect the contribution that others make; this would be a good approach for any organisation, but for the Church seeking to be Christ-like, it is an absolute requirement.

The Gospel, like many other Epiphany readings, takes place years after the Nativity, but it continues the Epiphany theme of Christ's revelation as the Messiah. Here, he faces the challenging task of explaining to people who have known him since his youth that the prophecies of Isaiah refer to him. The implication of Luke's narrative, as it continues after the verses we hear today, is that the Nazarites expect some kind of special favour towards them, are enraged when Jesus explains that the universal Kingdom of God doesn't work like that, and attempt to kill him. He simply walks through them; sometimes his escape is explained as a miracle the Nazarites are too angry and self-obsessed to notice, but it might equally be seen as the natural outcome of courage and moral authority.

In a way, the episode of the Nazareth synagogue foreshadows the events of Holy Week. The immediate reaction is positive, but soon - perhaps because Jesus doesn't behave as people expect him to - the mood turns against him. Tissot's nineteenth-century painting of Jesus preaching captures a sense of unease, as though some of his listeners resent the challenge he poses to their status and their patterns of belief.