Who Doesn’t Like Good News?

Preaching in Nazareth

Luke 4 begins with the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. Many important lessons can be learned from his experience in the wilderness but it can also distract people from what the rest of the chapter can teach us. Today, I’m going to be discussing the ministry of Christ, which began immediately following his temptation.

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.

Luke 4:14

That sounds like a pretty illustrious beginning to a ministry! It may even go to many people’s heads to be “glorified by all” when you’re just getting started! However, it’s not too long after that where he travels to his own hometown.

Even there, it starts out well enough.

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. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”

Luke 4:16-22

They were marveling! He’s claiming to be anointed by God to give good news to the poor, free the captives, restore sight to the blind, liberate the oppressed, and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Instead of being angry that he would claim such a thing about himself they all marveled at the graciousness of what he said.

Not Good News for Itching Ears

It would tempt many a preacher to just end there. What he spoke was the truth and the people were happy to receive the message as stated. Everyone wins, right?

However, Jesus, knowing the hearts of the people, wanted them to understand that his ministry was to free them from their sins and not just attend to their earthy health and comforts. He confronted what he knew to be their interpretation of what he said head on.

And 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.’” And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.

Luke 4:23-24

They had heard about miraculous healing in the other places where Jesus had gone and then he comes into their town talking about giving sight to the blind. Furthermore, their town was also his town! Surely, he came to give them health and prosperity too! His message basically confirmed it right?! But then he completely denied them what they were looking for.

He follows it up with examples of how God has used miracles before.

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.”

Luke 4:25-27

Not only were his examples those of cases where Israel was hurting but God sent his prophets to deliver a message to them rather than relief, but also both of those who did receive blessings in these examples were foreigners! Surely, God could have giving prosperity to all of Israel’s widows and healed all their lepers. Instead, he gave endless food to a woman in Sidon and made Naaman the Syrian whole.

Not Looking for More

This was a bridge too far for his lifetime neighbors.

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.

Luke 4:28-29

They had salvation in their midst. A lifetime of suffering as slaves to sin but all they were looking for was some bountiful harvests and a bit of healing in their bodies. He had piqued their hopes with all the talk of salvation but they weren’t looking to be saved from their most basic problem, from which all others are born.

Because they were too shortsighted to recognize their greatest need, they actually became angry that Jesus was offering them more than that for which they had hoped. Not only that, but angry enough to kill him!

What Is It You Want?

Is the Jesus you’re looking for one who can help you reach your own goals or deal with your day to day concerns? If so, like the people of Nazareth, the living Christ is not the Jesus you’re looking for. Not that he does not provide for his people their needs. He does. However, what he offers is so much more that these things can become a distraction rather than a blessing.

It’s sometimes easy to see how sin can cause suffering. When a murderer kills, it’s clear that the victim suffered because of the malice of the killer. However, sometimes it’s a bit less clear. What about natural disasters? What about financial hardship because of costs a person had little control over?

Yet even these things are pains caused by a fallen world. When Christ returns he promises to undo all of the effects that sin has had since Genesis 3.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

Revelation 21:4

And not only will he eradicate these sufferings but they will never return again because he comes to deal with sin itself.

All the treasures of this life break down (Matthew 6:19-21) and Lazarus, though being raised from the dead, is not still walking the earth today. All of these blessings have expiration dates as long as sin acts in this world and in our very selves.

It is this sin from which Jesus came to free us. In order to be truly free from all our other problems, we must first be free from the cause. That cause resides in us by nature. Only Christ offers freedom from all of it, and he doesn’t ask anything in return but to trust in what he’s done for us!

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33