Preach Good News to the Poor! Lk.4:16-32
24 January, 2010
Preach Good News to the Poor! Lk. 4: 16-32“And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” Lk.4:20,21 Jesus had just read from the prophet Isaiah about the Messiah! “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” vs.18,19 He was saying to His family, friends and neighbors, I am the Messiah. The Spirit of God is upon Me. I have been anointed by God to preach the good news of salvation to the poor. I have come to proclaim liberty to the captives. I have come to give sight to the blind. I have come to proclaim the time of God’s mercy and favor. They wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth but they could not accept that Jesus was the Messiah. This text tell us of the glorious work and salvation of the Messiah but it also tells us of the rejection of the good news of salvation by the friends and neighbors of Jesus!
“And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?” vs. 22 “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief.” Mk.6:3-6 The miracles that He had done in Capernaum; He did not do there because of their unbelief. He pointed out that unbelief was a common thing among the children of Israel. God had often turned to the so called pagans and found more faith among them than in Israel! During the time of Elijah, during the judgment of God on Israel for their idol worship; God sent His prophet to a widow of Sidon to be feed. In the process, because of her faith and obedience, she and her son were also feed. During the time of Elisha, many lepers lived in Israel, but God only healed Naaman the Syrian. This was too much. He was saying the gentiles had more faith in the God of the Jews than they did! They were filled with rage and threw Him out of the city and were ready to kill Him but were stopped in their attempt by God. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” Jn.1:11-12
Were there no poor in Nazareth that needed the good news of God’s mercy and grace in sending a Savior? Were there no broken hearted that needed a healing? Were there no people bound by their sin that needed to be set free? Were there no blind that needed to see? The Savior of mankind was rejected! They threw Him out of town! What glorious good news! What terrible rejection of that good news! Today in our country we all to often act like the people of Nazareth! We are offended by Jesus! We are offended by His words and His way. We have had the Savior in our country since the very beginning but now we are offended by Him. Jesus calls us to repent! Jesus calls us to turn from our sins. Turn from going our way and doing our thing. Turn to Him. Go His way. Do His will. Trust in Jesus. Follow Jesus. What will you do with Jesus? Will you also reject Him? Or will you repent and fall at His feet? Will you with Thomas declare; My Lord and my God! “And be not faithless, but believing.” To God be the glory. Amen.