Article for January 26, 2025 Third Sunday after Epiphany
Luke 4:16–17a 16[Jesus] 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. 17And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.
First, we see that Jesus is keeping the third commandment. Jesus was accustomed to going to the synagogue to worship the Father. Evidently if you stand up in the synagogue you have volunteered to read the scripture reading for the day. Who better to read the word of God than God’s begotten Son.
Something, we don’t know is who handed Jesus a scroll that was an excerpt of Isaiah 61:1,2 or was it the whole chapter. This is phenomenal because of what this piece of scripture is saying that it should be handed to Jesus who stands ready to read. This statement from Isaiah is explaining what “the servant of the Lord,” the savior to come will be like and reveal to the people.
Luke 4:17b–19 He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18“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, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Some had seen the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus after He was baptized. Some had heard the “Lord God” (Yahweh Elohim) speak as they watched the heavens open. What Jesus was reading to them was about Himself. This is an epiphany moment for those who were listening. Jesus was proclaiming that He is the servant from the Lord the scripture is talking about.
But what is Jesus saying here? The poor (meek) in this case are those poor in spirit and faith. Jesus did not come for the righteous but for the unrighteous. Jesus came to free us from our captivities to sin, and from those who would oppress us. Jesus came to recover the sight of what is good and no longer be blinded by that which is evil.
Jesus is also proclaiming the Lord’s favor upon His people once again. As the Jews, up to this time and throughout their history, have put themselves in many trials and tribulations. Jesus has come to let them know they are still God’s people, and God still favors and loves them. Unfortunately, many will not believe. And fortunately, many will believe.
Do you realize the first Christians were Jews who listened and believed Jesus Christ? These who Jesus was talking to were still Jews, but His followers were mostly Jews who did not realize they had converted into Christianity. The apostles may have been the first converts to Christianity.
Luke 4:20–22a 20And 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. 21And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth.
Wow, the people listened! They heard and appeared to believe! This is good news we are hearing, and we hear the voice of God’s servant. Jesus has announced who He is through the scripture they have all heard before. Jesus appears to bring light into their darkness and maybe they might see. Jesus has gained a short amount of approval from the people He is teaching.
Luke 4:22b–24 And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.” 24And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.
The people listening in the synagogue knew Jesus when he was just a boy of about four to twelve years of age. They may had marched to Jerusalem at the time Jesus stayed behind to amaze the people in the Jerusalem synagogue. They watched Jesus as a boy growing up as He helped His earthly father with chores and carpentry. How can this boy we watch growing up to manhood be the savior?
Yet they heard at least of the things Jesus did in Capernaum. Now they ask if this is the real savior, he should be able to do the same mighty deeds for us. Maybe this is not a request but a mocking of sorts. If you are the savior, then show us what you can do. Or maybe this was a request to have Jesus prove himself to be the savior, that they too can reap the benefits of His healing.
Isn’t this what the world does? If you truly are God, then prove it and save us from all the ugly things this world and our sin produces. If there is a God, He would not allow these bad things to happen. If you truly are the savior, then prove it. I don’t know but who wrote the rule book on being a God?
Luke 4:25–27 25But 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, 26and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
What God does He does for His reasoning, not for our reasoning. It is and should be God’s will we seek, not our will but His will. Do you only love God or believe in God when He answers your prayers the way you think they should be answered? Or do you trust God in every answer He gives you. Who is smarter and wiser, you, or God?
Jesus is letting them know that He did not come to be their physician but to be their savior. Some think that being saved is God cleaning up after one who has made a mess of things. In truth, God does help us cleanup our own messes, but He does not follow behind us to do so. Repent, believe, work with God, believe, have faith in God and in yourself, believe, love God and others, and believe in that God has perfected a salvation for you. Not that your salvation is earned, but that God loves you and wants you to be His forever. Your salvation is not this life, but it is the eternal life with Him.
Luke 4:28–30 28When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29And 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. 30But passing through their midst, he went away.
We do not control God and God does not come to control us. We follow Jesus Christ not for the sake of salvation but because we realize we are the loving children of God. We know we have a God who loves us. God gave us His son who suffered and died for our sins and for the sake of saving God’s own creations. We are God’s creation, we are God’s children adopted through the suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; one God now and forever. Amen.
Written by Pastor Curtis May
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