Luke 4:16–30
"Rejecting or Receiving the Words of Life"
Just exactly what did Jesus say to make them try and throw
him off a cliff?
In the book of Nehemiah, we see Ezra reading from God’s word
and preaching to the people (giving the sense of it). And they all received it well- showing
contrition for their sins, and even great patience at attentiveness to the
word. When Jesus read the Word and
preached about it in Nazareth – things didn’t go nearly as well.
Here was the hometown hero – the preacher who was making all
the stir – going about Caparnaum and the north, but not just preaching. He was casting out demons and healing all
manner of sick and suffering people.
Signs and wonders. Miracles. Now our boy had come home. Isn’t this Jospeh’s son? This is going to be great.
At first, they politely listen to him as he reads from
Isaiah and preaches about it – but you have to wonder if they were really
listening. Something something about
being fulfilled. Something about good
news. Sounds good, isn’t he a nice
speaker?
But you get the sense they’re not really listening. For Jesus is making a bold claim that he is
the fulfillment of Isaiah – that he, Jesus is the Messiah! Today, here, in the flesh. But they barely blink about this.
But then he really gets their attention. He starts to make it personal. “Doubtless you will say, Physician, heal
thyself!” Do the kinds of miracles here
you were doing in Capernaum. Let’s see
the show, Jesus! We’ve got some sick
people here too, I’m sure. I mean, we’re
your people, right? You’re one of
us! We’re sure you’ve got something
special in store.
But no. The rude
awakening from Jesus is that he already knows they will reject him. And it’s no different than with the prophets
of old. Elijah and Elisha came preaching
too – but some of their most notable signs and wonders were for the outsiders
from Syria and Zarapeth.
How dare you, Jesus!! How dare you liken us to the unbelievers! How dare you show more regard for them than
for us! Who do you think you are,
anyway! And in a show of fury and
self-righteous indignation – they become an angry mob and try to push Jesus off
the cliff. The hometown hero becomes the
object of their wrath. Old Joseph the
Carpenter’s son is now the enemy, and they must do away with him.
Of course, Jesus’ time had not yet come. And so they can’t kill him. He just passes through the crowd. But it is
an early indication – a sort of foretelling of the cross. For a time will come soon when he will lay
down his life, willingly. And his
enemies will do away with him in much the same vein.
And just like so many of the prophets before him, Jesus
would meet a prophet’s reward.
Death. When it was the proper
time, they arrested him and convicted him and killed him – primarily – because
they didn’t like what he was saying.
Dear friends in Christ, the church of Christ can
relate. We are not Jesus, but we are the
Body of Christ (as Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians). And so as it is for Jesus, so also it is for
his body, the Church. As Jesus was
rejected by the unbelieving world, yes even his own home-town, so the people of
Christ are rejected by the unbelieving world.
Jesus knows this, he warns us of this, he even tells us “Blessed are you when others revile you and
persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.” And
he tells us that the world hates us because it hated him first.
But also like Jesus, the church is mostly despised for what
we say. It should be no surprise, since
the faithful church says what Jesus says.
We speak the law of God, and pull no punches in calling a sin a
sin. We preach the word of Christ, the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. And while for us
it is the very power of salvation, the Gospel of Christ crucified is a
stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to gentiles.
If you are like me, you have perceived the growing
intolerance of the unbelieving world around us for the truth of God’s
Word. And perhaps you feel it has become
ever more difficult even to say what is true for fear of reprisal.
But here in this pulpit, and here at this church, let the
truth ring out clearly regardless of the world’s squealing. Sometimes certain things must be said clearly
and simply.
Especially on this Life Sunday we consider the church’s
prophetic voice of calling for repentance against the sin of abortion. And yes, let’s call it a sin.
Not only those who commit the act, but those who condone it
and support it as a viable choice, who twist reason and morality into knots to
somehow claim that the destruction of the most helpless human lives is somehow
justifiable. This too is sinful, and of
the devil.
Whether it’s before our leaders and politicians or with your
family and neighbors, in every circle and in whatever ways we can, Christians
ought to confess that God’s gift of life is sacred, and that he alone gives
life, and we should not usurp his right to end life when he sees fit.
And if we confess this truth, we better be prepared for the
blow-back. And yes, they may even throw
us off a cliff (metaphorically or physically).
If they’d do it to Jesus, even in his hometown, they would do it to you,
Christian.
But let this truth also ring out from our midst. It’s not just those people over there that
ought to repent. Repentance starts at
home. With you and me. The self-righteous citizens of Nazareth would
have been happy with a sermon that condemned other people for other people’s
sins. But they got mad when Jesus shined
the light of the law on them. May it not
be so among us!
Our condemnation of abortion, homosexuality, greed,
fornication, pornography, gender-bending, adultery, selfishness, slander,
hatred and violence – or whatever other sins we can and should identify – it
must always come from a place of humble repentance for our own sins, whatever
they may be. And yes, maybe even some on
that list.
In other words, let the law offend you, for that’s what it’s
supposed to do. Let it accuse you and
expose you and your unclean heart and hands and mouth. Don’t shut your ears and harden your heart,
and don’t throw the messenger off a cliff.
But instead repent. Confess your
sins and let Jesus, the Lord of Life do what he does best – bring the good
news.
The one anointed to bring good news to the poor, healing to
the lepers, freedom to the captives, and all other good remedies, is the Great
Physician for what is ailing you – sin.
And the physician comes to heal, not himself, but you.
That yes, there is grace and mercy in Christ, even for those
who have spilled innocent blood. There
is life in him, and only in him, for those who have embraced death.
For the one who they tried to murder at Nazareth, they
crucified at Jerusalem. They killed the
Author of Life, but God raised him from the dead. And believing in him, we have life, and
abundantly so. He is the way and the truth
and the life, and no one comes to the Father but by him. But by him we do come to God, and in him we
do have life, even though we die. For
whoever lives and believes in him will never die.
Who knows what the future holds for our country and will we ever
put aside the state-sanctioned killing of the unborn? Who knows if God will turn hearts and heal
our nation, or will death’s shadow continue to grow? We pray for our nation, for the unborn, and for
repentance to do what is right and protect these little ones.
But we do know what the future holds for us who are in
Christ – life. Abundant, glorious,
eternal life. Good news for us poor
sinners, indeed. Receive his gracious words in repentance and faith. And your eternal home will be with him. In Jesus’ Name.
