Study in Luke’s Gospel

Study in Luke’s Gospel Presentation 14

The Rejection Of Jesus Chap 4v14-30 Presentation 14

Introduction A young couple emigrated to Hong Kong with a few pounds in their pockets and in time became established millionaires. Their hometown newspaper ran the headline: "Local couple makes good". We like to hear what local people have accomplished elsewhere. The people of Nazareth were no different. From his baptism until the time of his return to his hometown, Jesus had been ministering for about a year. News of his activities had aroused tremendous interest in Nazareth. And so on the first Sabbath after his return the synagogue was packed. Jesus stood up to show that he wished to speak and was given the scroll of the prophet Isaiah to read cf. v18-19 . It described the ministry of the Messiah. Presentation 14

The Claim Of Jesus For years Israel had waited for its Messiah. The word ‘messiah’ means, "anointed one". A person set apart by God for a particular task. The passage Jesus read in the synagogue clarified the task of God's anointed. The Spirit of God was to come upon the Messiah in order to equip him for a unique ministry. First, we are told that he would "Proclaim the good news to the poor." We must not think in purely material categories. Both the context and the teaching of Jesus make it clear that it was the ‘poor in spirit’ who were to benefit from his ministry; "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" Matt.5v3. The poor in spirit are those who are conscious that they are spiritual bankrupts. They see themselves in a spiritual debtors prison - unable to pay the price of their sin. Presentation 14

The Claim Of Jesus What a devastating and soul-destroying situation that is to be in. However, the Messiah was to bring a message of hope to those who were aware of their spiritual poverty. You may remember that Zacchaeus was such a man. He was materially wealthy but spiritually bankrupt. But as a result of his encounter with Jesus he came to realise that despite his material wealth he was spiritually poor, he needed help from outside in order to be released from his spiritual, debtor’s prison. Presentation 14

The Claim Of Jesus This leads to a second feature of the Messiah's ministry; he was involved in setting captives free. Not that he would empty the nations prisons. It is a spiritual captivity that is in view. Jesus role as the great emancipator is made clear in Jn.8.34-36... “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. Do you see what Jesus is saying? Everyone who sins is a slave to sin. How does the saying go, "Sow an act reap a habit, Sow a habit reap a destiny". Our sinful behaviour digs for us a deeper and deeper groove with no human way out. Presentation 14

The Claim Of Jesus But the Messiah can free men from their slavery to sin. You may be familiar with the words of Wesley’s hymn: Long my imprison'd spirit lay, fastbound in sin and natures night, Thine eye diffused its quickening ray, I woke the dungeon flamed with light My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose went forth and followed Thee . Wesley speaks of becoming spiritually sighted. Notice this is the third feature of the Messiah's ministry. Jesus healed those who were physically blind but he often used that as an illustration of the spiritual sight he came to bring cf. Jn. 9v35-41. Presentation 14

The Claim Of Jesus Spiritual blindness is far worse than physical blindness. The man in whose heart Jesus has begun to work is able to say, "Once I was blind but now I see.“ Next we are told the Messiah was to release the oppressed. He was bringing more than deliverance and new spiritual insights but dealing with the ravages and consequences of past sin. Caring for the bruised, dealing with the fractured state and binding up a broken and disordered humanity. Finally, the Messiah would proclaim the year of the Lord's favour. The underlying idea here is based upon the year of Jubilee that we read of in Lev. 25:8ff. Presentation 14

The Claim Of Jesus This describes the new state of affairs and new set of relationships which is introduced to Israel. Debts were cancelled, slaves were released. Forfeited property was restored. It was the year of the Lord’s favour. Applied to the Messiah, his death would reconcile sinful men to a holy God and establish a new relationship with him. Spiritual debts would be cancelled and set prisoners free. These blessings and the smile of God’s favour would be received by faith in Christ. This passage from Isaiah, describing the role of the Messiah, was the ‘set passage’ to be read that very day. Visualise the scene, the atmosphere would have been electric; the curiosity of the crowd was stirred as Jesus sat down to preach. He began his sermon by saying, “Isaiah was speaking aboutme.” Imagine the impact of that claim? Presentation 14

The Scepticism Of The Crowd The initial reaction of the crowd was positive. They thought it a good sermon. Jesus had spoken with such inner conviction, freshness, authority and grace. But gradually their attitude changed to one of resentment and anger. Why? I believe there are a number of reasons. First, "Good sermons" are not like good books, good plays, good paintings, something you can enjoy without them making any real difference to the way you live your life. When God's Word is spoken in the power of the Spirit, then God himself draws near to challenge the heart. He provokes a response. It was when the searching challenging import of Jesus words were driven home that they began to re-evaluate what Jesus was saying. They resented this intrusion of authority into their established "closed shop" religion. Presentation 14

The Scepticism Of The Crowd Jesus’ message challenged their comfortable armchair religion. A religion of minimal commitment, one where they and not God called the shots. Early enthusiasm for the gospel of Christ can often become adversely critical and even antagonistic as soon as the realisation dawns that Christ's teaching conflicts with our prejudices! Notice that they, by drawing attention to Jesus’ background ["Isn’t this Joseph's son"],were adopting a proven technique - belittle the preacher when his message makes you feel uncomfortable. People do this by attaching their attention to some defect real or imagined in the preacher and so attempt to blot out the searching character of his message. Presentation 14

The Scepticism Of The Crowd When a minister, who was beginning to scratch some of his congregation where they itched, was described by his congregation as, "yon wee man wi the silly broonhair and squinty teeth." Secondly, some in crowd resented the implication that Jesus the carpenter who grew up among them should bring about this messianic kingdom. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" could mean anything from, "Jesus was conceived out of wedlock”,to "Nobody from that family could turn out to be the Messiah“, to “What can an uneducated joiner tell us about God?" Today we are constantly tempted to belittle the gifts and talents of those with whom we have grown up. Presentation 14

The Scepticism Of The Crowd Familiarity breeds contempt. When Christians get married or change jobs or move away from home it is then that their God-given gifts are given the opportunity to develop and prosper and their ministry is truly appreciated. Could the crowd’s attitude to Jesus have been altered by the fact that they had not been given the prominence in the Messianic Kingdom which they felt they deserved? Jesus reads this attitude in their hearts cf. v23… The Synagogue congregation was thinking: “Why hasn't Jesus done all the miraculous things here that he did in Capernaum? After all we've a special claim on Jesus. He grew up here, why have we been side-lined? Why don't we have more attention paid to us? Jesus doesn't play fair!” Presentation 14

The Rejection Of The Crowd Jesus answers the crowds unspoken question in v24 "I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his home town." Jesus’ miracles were performed in response to faith and Mark speaking of this incident tells us, "He could do no mighty work there because of their unbelief." This is the point of the two illustrations Jesus uses in v25-27. He points to historical precedent for God blessing Gentile faith when confronted with Jewish unbelief. First, in Elijah's day, the Jewish nation had replaced the worship of the one true God with idol worship. God told his endangered prophet to find lodgings with a foreign woman of Sidon, and not in a Jewish home. For that foreigner would exercise faith in God in a way that would shame God’s own people. Presentation 14

The Rejection Of The Crowd Similarly, in Elisha's day there were many lepers in Israel but none of them believed God could cure them but Naamanthe Syrian exercised faith and was healed. Do you see what Jesus is saying? Its faith, that God is interested in, and not nationality or our religious pedigree. These "outsiders" demonstrated faith in God and because of that they found both God's blessing and salvation. Sometimes congregations look over their shoulders at other churches that are experiencing the blessing of God. They envy them their success. Perhaps news of the life and vitality of the churches in Africa, East Asia and S. America begins to irk them and they think, ‘It was our missionaries who established those churches why do they prosper while we decline? But might it be the case that God can do no mighty work here because of unbelief? Presentation 14

The Rejection Of The Crowd Similarly, within the life of a congregation people are sometimes envious of the blessings others are experiencing. They become embittered for they don’t get the recognition they believe they deserve, they are not enjoying congregational life as much as others etc. Perhaps it is the long established members of a congregation who ask, ‘Why do the comparatively new people in the congregation seem so settled and happy and blessed of God?’ Now when God looks in our hearts what does he find? Could it be the case that he can do no mighty work there because of our unbelief? Presentation 14

The Rejection Of The Crowd The Nazareth congregation were infuriated by the truth of Jesus’ words. To suggest that those outside of the covenant people could have more faith than they had was quite preposterous! They were being asked to believe that God would pass them by in favour of Gentile foreigners! Why? Because of their failure to recognise Jesus as the Messiah and submit to his rule in their lives. Their response was to try to silence Jesus for good. They took him to the top of a cliff intending to throw him over but Jesus walked right through the crowd. Do we put this down to the majestic bearing of Jesus? I don't know. What is important to recognise is the sheer triumph of Jesus in the situation. Jesus isn't got rid of so easily. No one could take his life from him until he was ready to lay it down! Presentation 14

Conclusion Interestingly, from this point on Nazareth fades from the scene in the Biblical narrative and in the special history of God’s activity. It plays no part in the expansion of the messianic kingdom. They were originally impressed with Jesus’ preaching but as its implications began to filter through and dawn upon their understanding, we find that enthusiastic acceptance soured and turned into to bitter resentment. One of the sorest experiences for a minister is to see people sour in in this way because they will not allow Jesus’ word to shatter their illusions concerning themselves. And that is all they are left with, an illusion of spirituality instead of the reality. How receptive are we to what God says to us though his word? Our reply will determine whether we are left with illusion or reality! Presentation 14

Study in Luke’s Gospel