Gospel of Luke chapter 4.
If you're looking in one of the Pew Bibles, it's page 859.
As we prepare to look into God's Word, let's pray.
Lord, as we just sung, we acknowledge you as the fount of every blessing.
Lord, we acknowledge that we are prone to wander away.
We pray that through your Word this morning that you would once again seal our hearts,
work in us by your Spirit to draw us near to you,
to assure us of your grace and mercy,
and to call us and equip us for what you've called us to do.
Be with us today in Jesus' name. Amen.
Well, this morning we're beginning a new series in the Gospel of Luke entitled,
Who is This?
From now until Easter, we'll be walking through chapters 4 through 8 of the Gospel of Luke.
And we've chosen this part of Scripture to focus on,
partly because it's just been a few years since we've preached through part of one of the Gospels in the morning service,
and partly because the Gospels, perhaps more than any other part of Scripture,
focus our attention directly on the person of Jesus.
The heart of Christianity is not just a theological idea,
or an ethical directive,
or a spiritual experience.
At the heart of Christianity is the person of Jesus Christ.
And one of the main questions that the disciples and the crowds ask over and over in this section of Luke is,
Who is this one?
And Jesus himself will ask that question to his disciples,
Who do you say that I am?
And that's the question we want to focus on over the next few months,
is looking at the person of Jesus.
If you're not a follower of Jesus,
if you're exploring Christianity,
this is a great series for you,
because we're focusing on the person who's right at the heart of the Christian faith.
This is who it's all about.
This is the one on whom Christianity stands or falls.
This is the person whom you need to know above all else.
If you're a new believer in Jesus,
this will help you grow.
As we look at the beginning of Jesus' ministry,
when he calls his disciples to him,
and begins teaching them who he is and what he's all about.
And if you've been following Jesus for a long time,
I hope that this time in the Gospel of Luke will refocus our attention once again,
on the one who is truly central in our faith.
And sometimes we can get distracted,
even disillusioned by life's trials and troubles.
Sometimes we can get excited and engaged in many good and worthwhile endeavors.
But along the way, we can lose our focus on Jesus himself.
And I hope this series will help us fix our eyes on him in a fresh way.
So this morning we're reading Luke chapter 4, verses 14 to 30.
Let's read these verses together.
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee.
And a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.
And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up.
And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day,
and he stood up to read.
And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.
He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and recovering of sight to the blind.
To set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.
And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
And he began to say to them,
Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.
And all spoke well of him,
and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth.
Then they said,
Is not this Joseph's son?
And he said to them,
Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb,
Physician, heal yourself.
What we have heard you did in Capernaum,
do here in your hometown as well.
And he said,
Truly I say to you,
no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.
But in truth I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah,
when the heavens were shut up three years and six months,
and a great famine came over all the land,
and Elijah was sent to none of them,
but only to Zarephath,
in the land of Sidon,
to a woman who was a widow.
And there were many lepers in Israel
in the time of the prophet Elisha,
and none of them was cleansed,
but only Naaman the Syrian.
When they heard these things,
all in the synagogue were filled with wrath,
and they rose up and drove him out of the town
and brought him to the brow of the hill
on which their town was built
so that they could throw him down the cliff.
But passing through their midst,
he went away.
This morning we're looking at
the opening of Jesus' public ministry
in the Gospel of Luke,
his inaugural speech, if you will,
that sets the stage for all that is to come.
And this morning we'll see two main things
about Jesus and his mission.
The first thing that we'll see
is that Jesus came to comfort the afflicted.
Verse 14 to 22.
The first half of this passage
is focused primarily on Jesus' words
in verses 18 and 19.
If you notice, verse 16 to 20
all sort of surround these words.
Verse 16 begins,
he went to the synagogue,
he stood up to read,
the scroll was given to him,
he unrolls the scroll,
and then he reads.
And then the same things happen
in reverse order.
He rolls up the scroll,
he gives it back,
he sits down,
and then there's another reference
to the people in the synagogue.
And so this beginning of this passage
focuses us on these words
that he quotes from the prophet Isaiah,
and then what he says in verse 21,
today this scripture has been fulfilled
in your hearing.
Jesus came to comfort the afflicted.
And he did so by teaching from the scriptures.
That's the,
under the heading of comforting the afflicted,
I want to make three sub points,
and this is the first one.
He comforted the afflicted from the scriptures.
Now this is actually the only recorded sermon
of Jesus in a synagogue
that we have recorded for us in the gospels.
And obviously it's a summary of what he said,
it's not every word he said,
but the focus is
how Jesus' ministry is to be interpreted
by scripture,
how he's the fulfillment of scripture.
The first thing Jesus did to begin his public ministry
was reading the scriptures.
So we see that Jesus' public ministry
was not only about healing sicknesses
or driving out demons
or being present with hurting people,
though he would do all of those things,
it began with proclaiming and teaching
the word of God.
Verse 15 says,
he taught in their synagogues.
And that's a word that indicates
an ongoing pattern,
not just a one-time action.
But this was what Jesus was going around doing,
teaching.
Now, of course,
Jesus' word and Jesus' works go together.
Jesus did all the kinds of works
that he talks about in his word.
But here we see the importance of the scriptures
to Jesus and his ministry.
And before we get into the content of those,
I want us to see that we can't understand Jesus
apart from the scriptures that he quoted.
You know, even think about it.
When Jesus stood up,
they gave him a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
Now, if you've ever read Isaiah,
it's a long book.
Right now, in the modern Bibles,
there are 66 chapters.
Back then, there were no chapter and verse divisions.
It was just a long scroll.
So how did Jesus know where to turn in the scroll?
Think about it.
Most of us would get up there,
they give you a big scroll,
and you think,
hmm, yeah, there's this passage
that's in here somewhere.
Hmm, hmm, is it here?
Fumbling around for five minutes.
Jesus wasn't fumbling around for five minutes.
He opened the scroll.
He knew the scriptures because he had studied them.
He had meditated on them.
He had reflected on them.
He knew the scriptures.
And so he could open up the scriptures
and speak to the people
and speak about what he himself
had come to do and to be.
So let me encourage us
in this new year to read the scriptures.
You know, maybe you have trouble reading.
Well, there are many other options.
You can listen to the Bible on CD.
You can download it on your phone.
Listen to it while you're in the car,
on the bus, walking to work.
Maybe you have trouble understanding the scriptures.
Join a Bible study group.
Or talk to someone
who's maybe been a Christian for a little while
and say, I'm having trouble understanding.
Can we get together and read the Bible together?
If you're not sure who to ask,
come and talk to one of the pastors or the elders.
Or to one of the Bible study leaders.
If Jesus defined his own ministry
with reference to the scriptures,
so must we.
If Jesus prioritized teaching
and learning from the scriptures,
so must we.
If Jesus looked, directed his hearers
to the scriptures to find comfort
and direction, so must we.
So brothers and sisters,
let us spend time in God's word this year.
Sometimes we can look for comfort
when we long for comfort everywhere else
except in the word of God.
And Jesus says, start in the word of God.
That's how he comforts the afflicted
through the word of God.
Second sub point,
Jesus came to comfort the afflicted
as God's servant.
Now Jesus quoted
from the passage we read earlier
in the service, Isaiah 61,
the spirit of the Lord is upon me
because he has anointed me.
Now if you read the book of Isaiah,
and especially if you come to chapter 42,
you'll notice that Isaiah
at several points
talks about this figure
whom he calls
the servant of the Lord.
So chapter 42 of Isaiah begins,
behold my servant
whom I uphold,
I have put my spirit upon him.
So Isaiah is speaking
of this person
who is a spirit-filled servant
of the Lord.
Now in some ways,
does Isaiah see himself
as that spirit-filled servant
of the Lord?
Perhaps in some ways.
Does he see Israel as a nation,
as being called to that?
Perhaps in some ways.
But Jesus sees himself
as the ultimate,
as the fulfillment
of Isaiah's figure,
of the servant.
So let me just sort of
explain this figure of the servant
a little that Isaiah speaks about.
So Isaiah 42 begins,
behold my servant,
I've put my spirit upon him.
And then we see this servant
is gentle and compassionate
to comfort.
Chapter 42, verses 2 and 3,
he will not cry aloud
or lift up his voice
or make it heard in the street.
A bruised reed
he will not break
and a faintly burning wick
he will not snuff out.
He's gentle.
He's compassionate
to comfort the weak
and helpless.
But he's also powerful
and mighty to save.
Chapter 42, verse 6 and 7,
I will give you
as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations
to open blind eyes,
to bring out prisoners
from the dungeon,
from the prison,
those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 49 says
that the servant
will bring salvation
not just to Israel
but to the ends of the earth.
He says,
I will make you a light
to the nations
that my salvation
may reach to the end
of the earth.
And then if you go on,
Isaiah 50 and 52 and 53
speak about the suffering
and then the victory
of this servant.
He's one who would be
despised and rejected,
a man of sorrows,
well acquainted with grief,
one who would be pierced
for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities.
He would suffer
in the place of sinners.
And then yet he would be victorious.
The end of chapter 53 says,
he shall see his offspring
and prolong his days.
The righteous one,
my servant,
shall make many
to be accounted righteous.
And Isaiah 61,
even though it doesn't use
the phrase,
the servant of the Lord,
it seems very clearly
to be talking about
the same person.
Look at these verses
that Jesus quotes from.
The spirit of the Lord
is upon me.
He's a spirit anointed person.
And Luke has pointed out
several times
Jesus is full of the spirit.
Chapter 4, verse 1 and 14.
He's gentle and compassionate
to comfort,
bringing good news to the poor.
Isaiah speaks of him
binding up the brokenhearted.
But he's also powerful
and mighty to save,
proclaiming liberty
to the captives
and recovering of sight
to the blind.
And as we'll see later
in this passage,
he came to bring salvation
not just for the people of Israel
but to all the nations
of the earth.
And later on,
the Gospel of Luke
will show us
that the salvation
Jesus came to bring
would come through
his suffering
and ultimately
through his death
on the cross.
That's how he would
achieve his victory.
So Luke is introducing us
and Jesus is saying,
I am this servant
of the Lord,
the one of whom
Isaiah prophesied
so long ago.
in him,
in Jesus,
we will find
all the strength
and all the comfort
and all the salvation
that we need.
You see,
when Jesus preached,
he didn't just start
by giving us good advice.
He didn't just start
by saying,
here are the things
that you need to change
to make your life better.
He started by saying,
God has sent me.
This is what I've come
to do.
I've come to do
what you could never
do on your own.
I've come to bring
good news
that you could never earn
and never deserve.
So Jesus came
to comfort the afflicted
through the Scriptures.
He came to comfort
the afflicted
as God's servant.
And he came to comfort
the afflicted
both physically
and spiritually.
You know,
many people have asked,
well,
who is Jesus speaking about?
Is he speaking about
people who are
physically poor,
blind,
oppressed?
Or is he speaking
about spiritual poverty,
blindness,
oppression?
I think the answer
is yes.
Both.
There's an important sense
in which Jesus
is speaking about
people who are literally
poor,
captive,
blind,
and oppressed.
Howard Thurman,
who is a close friend
of Martin Luther King,
Sr.,
wrote this
back in about 1949.
He said,
I can count on the fingers
of one hand
the number of times
that I have heard
a sermon on the meaning
of Christianity
to the man who stands
with his back
against the wall.
The masses of men
and women live
with their backs
constantly against
the wall.
They are the poor,
the disinherited,
the dispossessed.
What does Christianity
say to them?
The search for an answer
to this question
is perhaps the most
important religious quest
of modern life.
And maybe that's exactly
how you feel.
You feel like your back
is against the wall.
You feel desperate,
trapped,
distressed,
depressed.
Impossible demands
are being made of you.
How can you ever meet them?
Terrible things
have been done to you.
Is there any hope
of healing?
Life seems perpetually
overwhelming
and there seems
no way out.
And Jesus speaks
specifically to you
here.
You know,
he doesn't just say
I've come for anybody
and everybody,
though he will say that
at other times.
He says I've come
for the poor,
for the captives,
for the blind,
for the oppressed,
for the people who
would think that
anybody and everybody
means anybody
and everybody else
except me.
and Jesus says
to you specifically
I've come for you.
He chose to be born
as a Jew
in the line of Abraham
in a time and place
where Jews were
an oppressed minority
in a family
that was not rich
because he wants
to communicate
he can identify
with you
whatever your
affliction may be.
And you know,
in the history
of the world,
whenever Jesus'
teachings have been
taken seriously,
the poor,
the captives,
the blind,
the oppressed
have found renewed
hope and joy
and they've been
treated with increased
dignity
and compassion.
Even many
non-Christians
have recognized
this.
In the ancient world,
in the fourth
century AD,
the pagan Roman
emperor Julian
said this.
He said,
these impious
Galileans,
that was his
derogatory name
for Christians,
these impious
Galileans not only
feed their own
poor people,
they feed ours.
Also,
they devote
themselves to
works of charity,
see their love
feasts,
their Christian
assemblies,
and their tables
spread for the
destitute.
Such practice
is common
among them
and causes
contempt for
our traditional
pagan gods.
Or in the
modern world,
Gandhi.
Gandhi never
embraced
Christianity.
He said he was
a Hindu to the
end of his
life,
but he was
deeply attracted
to something
in Jesus,
in the Sermon
on the Mount,
and in Jesus'
example of
self-sacrificial
love.
And his
non-violent
movement was
deeply influenced
by Jesus'
example and
teachings.
Or consider
Jürgen
Habermas,
the Christian
social,
he's not a
Christian,
the German
social theorist
who wrote
this,
the ideals
of freedom,
conscience,
human rights,
and democracy
are the direct
legacy of the
Judaic ethic
of justice,
that is the
Old Testament
ethic of justice,
and the Christian
ethic of love.
Up to this
very day,
there is no
alternative to it.
everything else
is idle
post-modern
talk.
Strong words
from a scholar
who back in
the 80s said,
religion is just
an alienating
reality and a
tool of control.
And he says,
the Jewish
and Christian
legacy of
justice and
love that
comes from
the Bible
is the root
of our ideals
of freedom,
conscience,
human rights,
and democracy.
Yes,
the Bible
has been
misused
to control
and manipulate
people.
Yes,
the Bible
has been
twisted out
of context
to support
slavery and
segregation and
all kinds of
other evils,
but Jesus came
to bring good
news for the
poor and the
oppressed.
And whenever
people have
taken his
teachings seriously,
it has made
a difference.
Jesus is not
just speaking
about people
who are
physically
poor,
captive,
blind,
and oppressed.
He's also
speaking about
a spiritual
reality.
And this is
actually a
challenging
thing because
Jesus is saying,
do you realize
that you too
are spiritually
speaking
poor,
captive,
blind,
and oppressed.
Jesus says,
you're spiritually
poor.
In other words,
as a finite
creature,
everything that
you have
is on loan
from God.
You own
nothing.
You didn't
create yourself.
Even more than
that,
you are in debt
to God because
you have not
done what you
should have done
and you have
done things that
you shouldn't
have done.
And there's no
way that you
can pay God
back.
You are
spiritually poor.
you're spiritually
captive.
We are by
nature captives
to our sin
whether it's
manifest itself
as pride
or greed
or lust
or fear
of other
people.
Jesus says,
we cannot
simply free
ourselves
because we're
spiritually blind.
You know,
most of the
ways that we
hurt other
people,
we don't even
realize.
Maybe the
people around
us realize.
They can see
and feel
all the ways
that we hurt
one another.
But we're
often blind
to our
greatest
weaknesses.
And the
Bible also
says that we
don't even
recognize most
of the ways
that we
deeply
offend
God,
our
creator.
Jesus says
we're
spiritually
oppressed.
Not only
by our
own
patterns
of sin
but
vulnerable
to dark
spiritual
forces
that are
out to
steal
and kill
and destroy.
And ultimately
Jesus' message
is only good
news
for us
if we
identify
ourselves
spiritually
in these
ways.
If we
acknowledge
that we
are not
self-sufficient
and we
need
help
from
outside
ourselves.
But if we
acknowledge
that then
his word
is good
news
because
he's
come
to
comfort
the
afflicted
to
proclaim
good
news
for the
poor
and
freedom
for the
captives
and light.
He shows
us who
we really
are.
He gives
us insight
and wisdom
into who
we are
and into
the world
that he's
made
and into
who God
is most
of all.
And he
gives us
release.
That word
release is
the same
word that
is sometimes
translated
forgiveness.
Release
from the
burden
of our
sin.
Forgiveness
for our
guilt
and favor
from God.
Jesus
has come
to comfort
the afflicted
from the
scriptures
as God's
servant
both physically
and spiritually.
That's the
first thing
we see
in this
passage.
But we
also see
a second
thing
in verses
22 to
30
that Jesus
has come
to challenge
the comfortable.
Notice
the crowd's
initial reaction
to Jesus.
Verse
14.
A report
about him
went out
through all
the surrounding
country.
His fame
is growing.
Verse
15.
He's being
glorified
by all.
Verse
17.
He's given
the honor
of reading
the scriptures
publicly
in the
synagogue
and given
the invitation
to expound
upon them
publicly.
Verse
19.
The eyes
of all
are fixed
on him
in a sense
of expectant
trust.
Verse
22.
All
spoke
well
of him
and marveled
at the words
coming from
his mouth.
But then
notice how
the crowd's
reaction
flips.
And it
starts in
verse 22
when they
say,
isn't this
Joseph's
son?
Now what
does that
statement
mean?
It seems
like there's
at least
some
criticism
or skepticism
expressed
in that
statement.
Perhaps
even
mockery
or scorn.
What
is this
carpenter's
son?
This
small town
boy that
we've all
grown up
with.
What is
he doing
saying that
the scriptures
are fulfilled
in him?
That he
is the
promised
servant
of the
Lord.
That seems
rather arrogant
and self
important.
How can
he be
saying that
about himself?
Isn't
he just
Joseph's
son?
And then
in verse
28 and
29 it
gets worse.
They're
filled with
wrath.
They drive
him out
of town
and they
try to
throw him
off a
cliff.
They
start out
praising
him,
marveling
at him,
adoring
him.
They end
up furious
at him.
Wanting
to get
rid
of him.
What did
Jesus say
here that
was so
challenging,
that was so
provocative to
them?
We'll look
down at
verse 23
to 27.
Verse 23
and 24,
Jesus refers
to two
well-known
proverbs.
Physician,
heal yourself
and then
no prophet
is acceptable
in his
hometown.
both
were well-known
statements
that
acknowledged
people's
tendency
to reject
prophets
and
teachers,
especially
those who
are closest
to them.
And it's
sort of like
Jesus is
looking at
them and
saying,
yeah,
I know
how this
is going
to end
and it's
not going
to be
pretty
because I
won't be
able to
please you
because
ultimately
I haven't
come to
please you.
My purpose
is to do
the will
of my
father in
heaven.
And I
see
that you're
not going
to understand
that.
Now this
is where
Jesus had
been brought
up.
This is
Nazareth.
This was
his hometown.
He knew
these people
pretty well.
And so
he didn't
get caught
up in
their initial
expressions
of enthusiasm
and admiration.
He perceived
that underneath
they were
deeply at
odds with
his mission
and his
message.
And so
he spoke
some
challenging
words that
exposed their
underlying
attitudes.
Now verse
25 to
27,
Jesus gets
even more
specific.
He doesn't
just point
to this
general
pattern that
people often
reject,
prophets and
teachers,
especially those
closest to
them.
But he
says this,
he says,
there were
many widows
in Israel
in the days
of Elijah
during a
great famine,
a time of
divine judgment,
and Elijah
was sent to
none of
them,
but only
to a
woman who
was a
widow in
Zarephath
in the
land of
Sidon.
And there
were many
lepers in
Israel in
the time of
the prophet
Elisha,
and none
of them
was cleansed,
but only
Naaman the
Syrian.
And you
might say,
what exactly
is the
point that
Jesus is
making here?
Well,
Jesus is
speaking about
two of the
greatest
prophets in
the Old
Testament,
Elijah and
Elisha.
And he's
pointing out a
pattern that
happened in
both of their
ministries.
In both
cases,
native Israelites
were passed
over in
favor of
foreign
outsiders.
And even
more than
that,
they were
passed over
in favor
of foreign
outsiders who
were historically
hostile to the
nation of
Israel.
The land of
Sidon had
often been at
war with
Israel.
Naaman,
the Syrian,
was a military
commander.
He had
attacked
Israel.
And Jesus
says this was
not an
accident.
It was part
of God's
plan.
Do you
notice verse
26?
It says,
Elijah was
sent.
It's what
is sometimes
called a
divine
passive.
In other
words,
it's a
passive
verb,
he was
sent,
that points
to divine
action.
Who sent
him?
God sent
him.
Elijah was
sent by
God.
Verse 27,
none of
them was
cleansed by
God,
only Naaman.
Now,
why would
this so
infuriate
the people
of Nazareth?
Well,
Jesus was
living in
a historical
time period
when many
people in
Israel were
fervently
hoping for
a restoration
of their
nation under
God.
Many people
were fed up
with the
powerful
pagan
Roman
elites,
the cultural
progressives
of the
day,
who were
gradually,
sometimes
violently
imposing
their will
on the
native
Israelites
and
offending
against
their
religious
and
cultural
traditions.
And so
various
popular
movements
had sprung
up
in response.
Some
were violent,
the zealots.
Some
were separatist,
the Essenes,
who lived
on top of a
cliff.
Some
were focused
on maintaining
cultural
boundaries against
foreign influence,
the Pharisees.
they were
all along
the lines
of,
make Israel
great again.
And many
in Jesus'
hometown
would have
been sympathetic
to such
movements.
And Jesus
had the
nerve
in that
context
to remind
them
that two
of the
greatest
prophets
of Israel,
whom they
all recognized,
had been
sent by God
to bless
not only
Israelites,
but also
foreign
outsiders,
even those
who were
natural
enemies
of God's
people.
And of
course,
the implication
is that
Jesus'
ministry
would not
just be
about
restoring
Israel
to
greatness,
but fulfilling
God's
promise to
Abraham,
in you
all the
nations of
the earth
will be
blessed.
You see,
Jesus didn't
completely buy
into the
agenda of
any of
the political
parties of
his day.
And sometimes
that made
some people
really mad.
Jesus didn't
side with
the pagan
Roman elites
who promised
peace and
security under
their rule.
Jesus warned,
don't believe
their promises.
They always
come at a
high cost
and they
won't last.
It's in me
that you'll
find true
liberation
and genuine
peace and
lasting hope.
It's my
kingdom that
will last
forever,
not theirs.
And yet
he didn't
scorn the
pagan
progressive
elites.
He healed
the son
of a
Roman
centurion.
He called
tax collectors
who were
back then
corrupt
government
employees
to be
his
disciples.
But neither
did Jesus
jump on
the popular
bandwagons
which promised
to restore
the kingdom
to Israel.
As we see
right here,
he challenged
their excessively
nationalistic
focus.
He said
God's plans
are bigger
and sometimes
different than
yours.
But he didn't
write them
off either.
He came to
Nazareth
even though the
majority of
people there
would reject
him.
He spent
time with
Pharisees.
And Jesus
called his
disciples from
the whole
range of
political parties
all the way
from Simon
the Zealot.
The Zealots
were the
violent
revolution group
drive out
the Romans
to Matthew
the tax
collector,
the Roman
government
employee.
I mean,
just imagine
the political
conversations
among Jesus'
twelve
disciples.
So here's
the point.
If within
the church
we're not
all on the
same page
about politics
but we're
united in
our allegiance
to Jesus
Christ,
I think
that's actually
a good
sign.
Because our
calling as
Jesus'
disciples is
first and
foremost
to the
lordship of
Christ.
And secondly
to carefully
work out
the implications
of that
lordship
over all
things together
in politics
and everywhere
else.
Jesus was
willing to
challenge
the comfortable
in his
hometown of
Nazareth.
And through
his word
and his
spirit he
continues to
challenge us
today.
So let me
conclude this
section with
three challenges
to us.
Number one,
a warning.
thing.
And this is
in the words
of James
Edwards,
commentator
on this
passage.
He said,
the greatest
danger to
the way
of God
in this
world is
posed by
those who
are closest
to it.
You see,
what should
surprise and
disturb us
in this
passage is
not just
that some
people reject
Jesus.
there's
always some
people who
reject Jesus.
But look at
who it is
that rejects
him here.
It's the
people who
would have
known him
best.
It's the
people who
grew up
around him.
The people
in his
hometown.
The people
who had been
around him
longer than
anyone else.
And later
on, who
would betray
Jesus?
Not a
Roman government
official.
but one of
his close
associates.
One of
his 12
disciples.
The one
whom he
had entrusted
to keep
track of
their
finances.
And where
was Jesus
crucified?
Not in
pagan Rome,
but in
the holy
city,
Jerusalem.
The warning
is this.
You can
be so
close to
Jesus,
but at
the same
time,
so far
away.
You can
be very
involved
in
church
activities.
You can
spend
lots of
social
time with
other
Christians.
You can
be very
knowledgeable
about
Christian
theology
and
church
polity.
But is
your gaze
fixed on
the person
of Jesus
himself?
all the
spiritual
benefits
that Christ
promises
are found
in union
with him
and nowhere
else.
Jesus
said,
abide in
me.
Keep
your gaze
fixed on
him.
Second
challenge.
The good
news that
Jesus came
to bring
is not
just for
people like
you and
people who
you like.
It is also
for people
unlike you
and people
who don't
like you.
That's the
challenge of
verse 25 to
27.
Jesus is
saying,
sometimes
God,
in his
unfathomable
kindness,
chooses to
bless someone
else in a
way that he
has not yet
blessed you.
that doesn't
mean he's
never going
to bless
you.
It doesn't
mean he's
forever
cast you
off.
But he
might choose
to bless
someone that
you don't
like.
Or someone
who doesn't
like you.
Or someone
who clearly
doesn't
deserve
his blessing
in some
particular
way.
Maybe God
gives someone
else a
job.
Or a
house.
Or a
spouse.
child.
Or good
health.
Or close
community.
Maybe that's
something that
you desperately
long for.
And don't
yet have.
And Jesus
says,
you have no
right to
resent God
for that.
Because God
didn't have to
give you any
blessings at all
in the first
place.
He will show
mercy on whom
he will show
mercy.
Don't be
envious because
he's generous.
Have you
ever looked at
someone else
and felt
on the
inside?
No.
Not
them.
No.
I don't
want them
to receive
mercy and
forgiveness in
a second
chance.
They don't
deserve it.
They deserve
to be
punished.
judged.
And Jesus
says, don't
you remember
you did
too.
Those who've
been forgiven
much will
love much.
Those who've
been forgiven
little will
love little.
Third
challenge.
If Jesus
came to
proclaim good
news to
the poor,
the captive,
the blind,
the oppressed,
both physically
and spiritually,
then we as
spirit-filled
followers of
Jesus are to
join in that
mission.
In chapter
nine, Jesus
will send out
his disciples
to heal and
to proclaim
the kingdom
of God.
In the book
of Acts, we
see the
disciples carrying
out that
mission and
going into
the nations
of the
world.
Does this
mission of
Jesus
characterize us?
Are we
actually
participating
in what
Jesus describes
in verse
18 and
19?
Or are we
staying in
our comfortable
zones?
And living
out of
fear and
making excuses?
it is
often costly
and uncomfortable
and sometimes
even dangerous
to do what
Jesus describes
in verses
18 and
19.
Are we
willing to
make sacrifices
to follow
Jesus in
those ways,
even if other
Christians around
us don't seem
to be making
the same
sacrifices?
In John
21,
when Jesus
called Peter
to follow him
in caring
for his
sheep.
And when
Jesus said
to Peter,
one day,
I'm actually
going to call
you to lay
down your
life for
me.
Peter's
first response
was to turn
and look at
another
disciple and
say,
Lord,
what about
him?
And Jesus
said,
what does
that matter
to you?
You must
follow me.
Jesus
comforts the
afflicted
and he
challenges
the comfortable.
And Luke
puts this
story at
the beginning
of his
account of
Jesus'
public
ministry
because it
sets the
pattern for
all that
is to
come.
In the
coming weeks
we'll see
Jesus
comforting
the
afflicted,
healing
the sick,
cleansing
lepers,
driving out
demons,
proclaiming
the good
news,
and we'll
see Jesus
challenging
the comfortable
warning,
and even
provoking
the proud
and complacent.
That's not
all.
The end
of this
story
gives us
a hint
of how
Luke's
gospel
and how
Jesus'
life is
going to
end.
How does
this story
end?
Verse 28
to 30.
The
townspeople
are filled
with wrath.
They drive
him out of
town.
They try
to throw
him off
a cliff.
It doesn't
work this
time.
But later
on when he
finally arrives
in Jerusalem,
a crowd
that had
initially
praised him
and hailed
him as
the king
would rise
up against
him and
drive him
out of
town and
take him
to a top
of a hill
and nail
him to a
cross.
And on that
day, it would
seem like all
was lost
and that Jesus'
mission had
failed.
world.
But it
wasn't.
And it
didn't.
Because three
days later,
he got up
out of the
tomb and
walked out
and appeared
to his
astonished
disciples and
sent them to
be his
spirit-filled
ambassadors in
the world and
he's still
building his
kingdom today.
day.
This morning's
passage ends
in verse 30
with a seemingly
effortless display
of Jesus'
sovereignty.
Despite
opposition,
he walked
right through
the crowd
and went on
his way.
And isn't
that what he
does in the
end?
He walks
right through
death and
comes out of
the grave and
goes on his
way,
bringing good
news to the
poor and
comfort for
the broken
hearted and
freedom for
the captives and
opening eyes
that are blind
and forgiving
and setting
free the
oppressed and
sending the
favor of God
upon all who
turn to him.
This is our
king.
Let us
pray.
Jesus, we
praise you.
Spirit-filled
servant of the
Lord, we
praise you for
the message of
mercy and
healing and
deliverance that
you come to
us with.
faith.
We pray that
we would heed
your words of
challenge and
warning, that
those would be
used in our
lives, that
our hearts
would not be
hardened, but
Lord, that you
would break us
open to you.
Humble us,
show us that
we are
spiritually poor
and blind and
captive and
oppressed apart
from you.
Lord, as your
spirit works within
us, would you
continue to
transform us into
your image, that
we might carry
this message to
all those who
you put in our
path.
we pray these
things in your
name.
Amen.