Plymothian

The parable of the sower is not about the seed or the sower really.  The seed and the sower are constants.  The variable in the story is the ground.  The question really is what kind of soil you are.  The aim for us is to become a fertile and receptive soil where God’s word can sink deep and do profound work.  It is important to put God ahead of everything else.  If we do not, despite our good intentions, we abecome an infertile soil where all that grows are pretty weeds and painful thornbushes.  How can you make sure that you put time, finances, and prayer aside for God first?

Luke 8:1-21

 ¹After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, ²and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; ³Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

 ⁴While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: ⁵“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. ⁶Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”
      When he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

 ⁹His disciples asked him what this parable meant. ¹⁰He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,
   ” ‘though seeing, they may not see;
      though hearing, they may not understand.’^[a]

 ¹¹“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. ¹²Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. ¹⁴The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. ¹⁵But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

 ¹⁶“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. ¹⁷For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. ¹⁸Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”

 ¹⁹Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. ²⁰Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

 ²¹He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

Questions

1. What were the different kinds of soil in Jesus’ parable?
2. In the parable, the illustration of light, and the comment about his family, how does Jesus describe the faithful?
3. How is the person described who is the good soil?
4. How would someone describe you as a soil?
5. How could you cultivate yourself to be a better soil?  To shine more brightly?  To be owned by Jesus?

Going Deeper

Look at these pictures and describe your thoughts.

I was watching The Chorus in class today and it moved me to tears.  I wasn’t a complete mess, but I was moved deeply.  The theme of forgiveness and gratitude came through very strongly.  The lead singer in the chorus is humbled and then accepted by the chorus master.

Forgiveness is such a powerful gift, but only to those who realise they need it.  To those who believe that they are good God’s forgiveness means little.  The underbelly of society and those who fret over their private lives are those who weep at forgiveness.  Of course, if those who thought they were good could see the ugliness of their self-righteousness they would know that they need much forgiveness.  Are you forgiven?  Does it move you?

Luke 7:36-50

 ³⁶Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, ³⁸and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

 ³⁹When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

 ⁴⁰Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
      “Tell me, teacher,” he said.

 ⁴¹“Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[d] and the other fifty. ⁴²Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

 ⁴³Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”
      “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

 ⁴⁴Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

 ⁴⁸Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

 ⁴⁹The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

 ⁵⁰Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Questions

1. Who invited Jesus to a banquet?
2. Who came forward and cleaned Jesus’ feet?
3. How does Jesus explain the difference between the woman and his host?
4. Do you identify with the woman or the host?  Why?
5. How can an accurate view of your sin lead to a better relationship with Jesus?

Going Deeper

Here is the trailer for Les Choristes.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVtJgU6WTj8 

View the clip from Les Choristes.  Watch the boy by the pillar and see how his gratitude shows on his face when the conductor forgives him and includes him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQg-3wkzJ3s

Rent The Chorus, Les Choristes, and view it with subtitles.

Apparently some people say that John the Baptist’s doubts in prison about who Jesus was weren’t really doubts.  John gave his disciples opportunity to see who Jesus was by asking Jesus the questions John told them to ask.  I believe John had doubts because he thought the Kingdom of God was going to come in a way that he did not see in Jesus.  Jesus then retells the signs that accompany the Kingdom of God in the book of Isaiah.  Giving up his own expectations about how the Kingdom should look, John would have been encouraged. 

Jesus addresses the doubts people have about the ways that God’s message is presented.  People were put of by both the austere approach of John the Baptist and the fully engaged approach of Jesus.  People rejected the Kingdom of God because God does not act in line with the dictates of men.  The very fact that we are talking about the Kingdom of God means that God must be king.  God is sovereign.  The problem with mankind is they want a Humanist Kingdom of God where God acts in ways that mankind can easily understand and predetermine.  Jesus paints a portrait of such people as spoiled whiners.

Luke 7:18-34

¹⁸John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, ¹⁹he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”

 ²⁰When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’ “

 ²¹At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. ²²So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy^[b] are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. ²³Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”

 ²⁴After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ²⁵If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. ²⁶But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷This is the one about whom it is written:
   ” ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
      who will prepare your way before you.’^{[c] 28}I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

 ²⁹(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. ³⁰But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

 ³¹“To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? ³²They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:
   ” ‘We played the flute for you,
      and you did not dance;
   we sang a dirge,
      and you did not cry.’ ³³For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” ‘ ³⁵But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

Questions

1. What question dis John’s disciples ask Jesus?
2. How did Jesus respond?
3. How is John praised and how are the people castigated by Jesus?
4. What styles of communication, clothing, music, and speaking do you think the Kingdom of God should include?
5. How can your answer to #4 be seen in your actions?

Going Deeper

The Salvation Army are famous for going into bars and other places where many ‘good’ people will not go.  Have they maintained this practice?  Have they held fast to the gospel?  Click on the links below to find out.

http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_sa.nsf/vw-dynamic-index/5F180AE9ED2270FE80256D4B0044DBA2?openDocument

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/vw-dynamic-arrays/CE33D354A0544F368025732500314AF5?openDocument&charset=utf-8

Recently a movie has come out with the title Centurion.  A centurion was a Roman officer who held the power of life and death over his command.  In the area around Capernaum was a centurion who had wealth, power, and humble faith.  Jesus focuses on his faith and not his prowess in battle.  In fact Jesus says that this foreign occupier has more faith than he has seen in Israel.  The centurion sees that although he carries the authority of Rome a greater authority works through Jesus.  Do you have humble faith like the centurion of Luke 7?

Luke 7:1-17

¹When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. ²There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. ³The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. ⁴When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, ⁵because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” ⁶So Jesus went with them.
      He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. ⁷That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁸For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

 ⁹When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” ¹⁰Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

 ¹¹Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. ¹²As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. ¹³When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

 ¹⁴Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” ¹⁵The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

 ¹⁶They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” ¹⁷This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea^[a] and the surrounding country.

Going Deeper

1. What do the centurion’s servants tell Jesus?
2. How is the centurion different from those with whom Jesus usually associates?
3. In what position did the widow of Nain find herself?
4. How did Jesus care for the widow?
5. How does your faith reach out to those of various socio-economic status?

Going Deeper

Check out The Stranger series at The Chapel.   Listen to The Centurion sermon and think, “Is this what the centurion story is all about?”  http://www.chapel.org/messages/the_stranger/stranger-04/

After hearing the sermon on the centurion pray and write a reflection under the comments section on this blog.

Just outside Capernaum, Israel, on the way up to Corazzin our guide pointed out to us a natural amphitheater.  She identified it as a possible location of the Sermon on the Mount.  In Luke we have similar content to the Sermon on the Mount, but it is on flat land.  Also the content is not exactly the same.  The amphitheatre is an area of flat on the mountain, so there need not be a contradiction there.  Also, Jesus may have taught the same material a number of times in different locations.  In either case there is no problem with the two passages being in contradiction to each other.

In either case te question still remains, “Are we building our lives on the solid rock of Jesus’ teaching?”

Luke 6: 17-49

¹⁷He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil^[a] spirits were cured, ¹⁹and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

 ²⁰Looking at his disciples, he said:
   “Blessed are you who are poor,
      for yours is the kingdom of God.
 ²¹Blessed are you who hunger now,
      for you will be satisfied.
   Blessed are you who weep now,
      for you will laugh.
 ²²Blessed are you when men hate you,
      when they exclude you and insult you
      and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

 ²³“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.
 ²⁴“But woe to you who are rich,
      for you have already received your comfort.
 ²⁵Woe to you who are well fed now,
      for you will go hungry.
   Woe to you who laugh now,
      for you will mourn and weep.
 ²⁶Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
      for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

 ²⁷“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. ³⁰Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

 ³²“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. ³³And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. ³⁴And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

 ³⁷“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

 ³⁹He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? ⁴⁰A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

 ⁴¹“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴²How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

 ⁴³“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. ⁴⁵The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

 ⁴⁶“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? ⁴⁷I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. ⁴⁸He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ⁴⁹But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Questions

1. From where did people come to hear Jesus?
2. Jesus declares woe to whom?
3. How is a tree recognized?
4. How would you describe the person who applies Jesus teaching?
5. Can others see that you apply the teaching in this sermon?

Going Deeper

Read Matthew 5-7 and note similarities and differences with this passage.

The Pharisees focused so much on living by the right rules that in fact they lived lives that became more evil.  Jesus asks them directly whether it is right to do good or evil on the Sabbath.  The implication is that to cure a person would be good and to leave them in the lame condition that we find them would be evil.  Jesus wishes to cure and so he disobeys the religious authorities of his time.  Finding that they can not control Jesus they want to eliminate him.

In response Jesus consolidates his leadership structure.  From among his followers he chooses twelve leaders.  He labours all night in prayer and chooses a mixture of fisherman, former government employees, revolutionaries and skeptics.  He even includes a follower who will betray him.  If I was a Pharisee in Jesus’ time I’d be delighted that he surrounded himself with such a disparate, and unruly rabble.  However, this will be Jesus’ very opportunity to show his strength.

Luke 6: 6-16

 ⁶On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. ⁷The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. ⁸But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.

 ⁹Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

 ¹⁰He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. ¹¹But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

 ¹²One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. ¹³When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: ¹⁴Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, ¹⁵Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, ¹⁶Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Questions

1. What was Jesus doing in a synagogue on the Sabbath?
2. How did his actions teach his message?
3. Why heal someone in such a way that will deliberately provoke opposition?
4. What rules have people constructed about Sundays, worship styles, and devotions?
5. How could breaking these rules undermine authority and also set people free?

Going Deeper

Read Romans 13 about authority. 

1. How does Jesus respect religious and public authority in his day?
2. How does Jesus oppose religious and public authority in his day?
3. What principles does Romans 13 teach us about authority?
4. How does Social Studies taught in schools respect or reject authority structures?  Use the following prompts to your thinking:
   • Revolution against tyranny
   • MLK and Human Rights
   • God and Country and Nationalistic pride
   • Feminism
   • Democracy
   • The rights of the South to break from the Union
5. How will you respect and oppose authority in the church, state, and workplace?

In the 1960’s situational ethics really took off.  Basically stated, situational ethics believes that all commandments can be broken if they contradict the absolute of love.  God is love, says situational ethics, and so if lying is more loving you should lie.  God is love, says situational ethics, and if killing someone is an act of mercy you should unplug them from their life-support.  The passage today, especially from chapter 6, is one of those passages that seems to talk of situational ethics. 

Jesus’ disciples eat grain that they gather on the Sabbath.  The pharisees see this happen and accuse Jesus of lawlessness.  He responds by recounting how David broke God’s laws to feed his starving troops.  Does this then mean that we can break God’s laws if a higher need dictates it?

Luke 5:33 – 6:5

They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

 ³⁴Jesus answered, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? ³⁵But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

 ³⁶He told them this parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. ³⁷And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. ³⁸No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. ³⁹And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’ “

 ¹One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. ²Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

 ³Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ⁴He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” ⁵Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Questions

1. What do John’s disciples do and what do Jesus’ disciples do?
2. What do Jesus’ disciples do in a grainfield?
3. How can laws obscure a relationship with God?
4. How did the pharisees need to change in order to accept Jesus’ teaching?
5. How are righteous living and relationship with Jesus connected in your life?

Going Deeper

Read these articles on situational ethics and make your mind up as to what you think:

http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/situational-ethics.htm

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Situational_Ethics

There was a pub in Plymouth, England that we affectionately called the Docker’s Armpit.  From the outside it looked something like the one pictured above.  It had a smell of old beer about it and it was in a rundown part of town near the Royal Naval Dockyard.  There were a number of characters who were there, but I didn’t talk to any of them.  They didn’t look very friendly, and I was a little too good for them in my own mind. 

Jesus never had that attitude.  In the passage below he reaches out to a fisherman, a leper, and a partying tax-collector.  I would be prone to think of these types as blue-collar ruffians, contagious nightmares, and officious materialistic swine.  When I think a little harder I remember that my grandparents worked the land and worked in the navy, I have psoriasis which would be considered leprous, and I am definitely not free from accumulating possessions and enjoying a party.  What would I have done if Jesus had considered me not his type?

Jesus responded with compassion to those who reached out to him.  However, those who reached out to him had an accurate assessment of their own condition.  Who reaches out to those who are enjoying a beer at your local Docker’s Armpit?

Luke 5:1-32

¹One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,^[a]with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, ²he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. ³He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

 ⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down^[b] the nets for a catch.”

 ⁵Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

 ⁶When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. ⁷So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

 ⁸When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” ⁹For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

   Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” ¹¹So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

 ¹²While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.^[c] When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

 ¹³Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

 ¹⁴Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

 ¹⁵Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. ¹⁶But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

 ¹⁷One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. ¹⁸Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. ¹⁹When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

 ²⁰When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

 ²¹The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

 ²²Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? ²³Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ²⁴But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ²⁵Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. ²⁶Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

 ²⁷After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, ²⁸and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

 ²⁹Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. ³⁰But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”

 ³¹Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ³²I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Questions

1. What people did Jesus reach in this passage?
2. What was each person’s attitude toward Jesus?
3. In what condition did Jesus leave each person?
4. How are you presently aware of your need for Jesus?
5. How can you, although you are needy, reach out to someone you find irritating, dirty, threatening, or draining?

Going Deeper

Observation

1. Where was Jesus when people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God?
2. How many times is the verb ‘saw’ used in this passage in the NIV?
3. Why does Peter let down his nets?
4. What questions do the Pharisees and teachers of the law begin asking themselves?
5. How does Jesus answer the question, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?

Interpretation

1. What qualifies a person to be touched by Jesus?
2. What disqualifies a person from being touched by Jesus?
3. How does sight play an important part in this passage?
4. Why does Peter want Jesus to depart from him?  Why is Peter afraid?
5. What diseases were classed as leprosy in the Bible?

Application

1. When did God cal you to follow him?  What condition were you in?
2. Why do Christians have less ‘sinner’ friends as they grow older?
3. Name Christians you know who hang out in hospitals,  gay and lesbian communities,  government buildings, bars, or nightclubs.  Are they ‘calling sinners to repentance’?    Who should be in these locations calling sinners to repentance?
4. How are the sick healed today? 
5. How do Christians approach AIDS?      http://articles.cnn.com/2006-06-05/us/warren.aids_1_aids-pandemic-hiv-painful-reminder?_s=PM:US  http://bigthink.com/ideas/3355

When Jesus performed miracles they were not just selfish exercises in gratification.  Jesus did not whip up a frenzy of excitement and then add a miracle to work a crowd.  Jesus brought peace and evidenced authoritative power when he cast out demons, healed the sick preached the good news of The Kingdom of God.  The Kingdom of God is a state of affairs where the effects of sin and the Fall are reversed.  Miracles and the casting out of demons still happen, although not in the same way as when Jesus was walking through Israel.  The greater objective for followers of Jesus is to see the Kingdom of God work its effect in all Creation.  What is your role?

Luke 4: 31-44

 ³¹Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. ³²They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.

 ³³In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil^[a]spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴“Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

 ³⁵“Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

 ³⁶All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!” ³⁷And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

Jesus Heals Many

 ³⁸Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. ³⁹So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

 ⁴⁰When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. ⁴¹Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.^[b]

 ⁴²At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. ⁴³But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” ⁴⁴And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.^[c]

Questions

1. What kind of man was in the synagogue of Capernaum?
2. What does Jesus say sternly?
3. What do the people around comment about?
4. How is today’s biblical teaching authenticated through powerful acts of compassion?
5. How is your life an integration of the powerful working of the Spirit and the word of God?

Going Deeper

Observation

1. Who does the demon declare Jesus to be?
2. What two things does Jesus possess that the people believe give him the ability to cast out demons?
3. Who does Jesus heal from a fever?
4. What did Jesus do when demons declared who he was?
5. When Jesus went to preach, where did he go?

Interpretation

1. Why does Jesus do much of his work in synagogues?
2. Why do demons keep declaring who Jesus is?
3. What is the purpose of Jesus’ miracles?
4. How do we know that Simon Peter and some of the disciples were married?
5. What does this passage teach about the nature of the Kingdom of God?

Application

1. What do Jesus’ actions in this passage teach us about attending formal religious services?  If Jesus found it necessary to attend synagogue why don’t we attend church in the same way?
2. How should the church reinforce its message with an active compassion ministry of deliverance and healing?
3. Should miracles be performed by God’s people in the same way that Jesus did?
4. Jesus practiced solitude.  How can your family be organised in such a way that each person is enabled to spend time alone with God?
5. How is the fact that Jesus’ disciples were married a personal challenge to many married people?

When I was traveling in a bus around Israel, we went through Nazareth.  Firstly, I was surprised at how far from Lake Galilee Nazareth is.  I was expecting everything in the region of Galilee to be close to Lake Galilee.  Secondly, I had not thought through that Nazareth would be in the hills of Galilee.  There was one hill in particular that stood out as we drove through.  That was the hill where tradition says Jesus was taken by a mob who wanted to kill him.  The view from that mountain is shown above.

In this section of the book of Luke, the question is being answered, “Who is Jesus?”  The answer that Jesus gives to his home town so infuriates them that they want to kill him.  What Jesus reveals about himself also reveals something about his hearers.  People were amazed at Jesus’ teaching, but they did not flock to him. 

Who do you say Jesus is?  Do you place limits on who he can claim to be?  Do you go to him?

Luke 4: 14-30

¹⁴Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. ¹⁵He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

 ¹⁶He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. ¹⁷The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
 ¹⁸“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
      because he has anointed me
      to preach good news to the poor.
   He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
      and recovery of sight for the blind,
   to release the oppressed,
    ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”^[a]

 ²⁰Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, ²¹and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

 ²²All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

 ²³Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’ “

 ²⁴“I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. ²⁵I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. ²⁶Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. ²⁷And there were many in Israel with leprosy^[b] in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

 ²⁸All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. ²⁹They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. ³⁰But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Questions

1. How is Jesus’ return to Nazareth described?
2. Which prophet’s prophecy is fulfilled in the hearer’s presence?
3. What did people in his home town finally want to do with Jesus?
4. Was the religious community delivering God’s truth?
5. How does Jesus’ ministry in the gospels challenge the ministry of you and your church?

Going Deeper

Observation

1. Who has annointed Jesus?
2. To whom is the good news preached?
3. Where is no prophet accepted?
4. Whose example in Israel infuriates Jesus’ listeners?
5. What does Jesusdo when the people want to seize him?

Interpretation

1. How could Jesus apply a passage that Jews believed was a reference to end times to his own life 2,000 years ago?
2. Why would the fact that Jesus is Joseph’s son make the people of Nazareth skeptical?
3. If Jesus comes for the poor, in what different ways can ‘poor’ be understood?
4. Do the people of Nazareth think that Jesus is sick?  Do the people of Nazareth just want Jesus to perform a trick or two?
5. Why would Jesus’ retelling of the history of Elijah infuriate his hearers and apply to them so specifically?

Application

1. What is liberation theology and can a passage like this one support it? (http://liberationtheology.org/)
2. Do you decide what kind of Jesus you are prepared to accept?  How have you been surprised recently by the Jesus of the gospels?
3. How do we lose out on Jesus’ blessings when we decide not to let Jesus be who he really is?
4. Are you regularly listening to good teaching that starts with scripture and then brings its meaning to your life?
5. How does the teaching you hear both leave people saddened by their own condition and encouraged by Jesus’ ability to save?