Key Verse: He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture
is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luke 4:21
This story begins by saying that Jesus “found the place
where it is written.” (Luke 4:17B) Actually, in the Synagogue, the readings
were assigned, similar to the many churches that preach from the lectionary on
Sundays today. There is a set,
systematic order for reading Scripture so that every significant passage is
addressed over a certain period of time. Therefore, we would probably understand this passage better if it were
to say, “Jesus found His place, and it just so happened that He read where it
is written…Isaiah 61:1-3.”
Jesus was standing to read out of respect, but also for
practical reasons. Remember, He was
reading from a scroll, not a book. It
had to be unrolled and rolled. Holding
it in the lap would be very difficult. He
wouldn’t be able to just turn the page. It
was typically unrolled across a desk like structure.
Having read the assigned passage and then having handed the
scroll over to the appropriate person, Jesus sat down. This would be another sign to the worshipers
that He was about to speak and teach on this passage, or explain it to the best
of his ability.
What He was about to
say was the last thing that they were expecting to hear. They had grown up with Him. Many had probably attended school with Him
when He was young. His Father had
probably repaired many of their yokes for oxen or made some of their meager
furnishings. Jesus was known as a
carpenter Himself, meaning that He had been very involved with His earthly
father, Joseph’s, business. They knew
Him as a worker, not a Savior. Yet, He
chose to come home, to tell them first, who He really was.
“Today this scripture
is fulfilled in your hearing.” If He had
hoped for support, there was none to come.
Instead, He was accused of blasphemy.
The people would not want to be accused of harboring a blasphemer in
their midst by the leaders of the Jews, even if He was family. The law had been very clear on this point. A blasphemer must be killed no matter who He
was! Then when Jesus gives two examples
of why God went to the Gentiles to show His grace, (1 Kings 17:7-24 & 2Kings 5:1-14), because of the hard heartedness of the Jews, His argument didn’t
help to endear Him to His people, even if it was truth.
It is important to note that Jesus stops reading at the
words, “”to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,” which the Jews would
recognize as the Year of Jubilee, ordained by the Lord to prevent oppression by
the rich and proclaim freedom for the poor.
(Leviticus 25:8-13) The Jews had ignored this command by God in the past. Jesus had come to set all things right.
Oh, how Jesus had probably hoped that His words would be
encouraging to His people. Surely there
were people in His home town who were blind and lame and grieving. He wanted to help them first. They, however, would have none of it. There were rules you know. How sad that what they thought they knew became
the obstacle to the Grace and love that Jesus wanted to share with them first. Even at the beginning, when He offered love,
the people’s response was to try to kill Him, but His time had not yet come, so
He slipped away.
Sometimes we do this as well. When we think that God is asking the
impossible of us, or we just don’t see how it could possibly be done, and
instead of trusting and stepping out in faith, we say “no,” because it doesn’t
make sense, our familiar can become our obstacle as well. The adventure comes when we say, “yes,”
anyway, even to the unknown future, trusting in God's leading.
Hymn: “O Word of God Incarnate”
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