Introduction =
This week's video segment was filmed on Mt. Precipice just outside the city of Nazareth. It is quite a stunning view over the Jezreel Valley. The town in the background is an Israeli Arab (Muslim) village from whose minarets the haunting notes of the call to prayer carried just before we filmed this. It was a vivid and sobering reminder that sincerity in one's beliefs is no guarantee of the validity of those beliefs.
As Jesus began his ministry in Galilee, he did many miracles and the people received his teachings eagerly...except in Nazareth! What was it that caused them to reject Jesus' message so dramatically?
Here are several facts about Nazareth that may shed light on the story we study this week.
- Nazareth was actually a Jewish colony during time of the Maccabees in the midst of Galilee of the Gentiles.
- It was in the folds of the mountains, it looks west, out across the fertile Jezreel Valley.
- It was not so much a backwater as we might think. It was on the road to the coast, in a fairly strategic location (about 15 miles from the ancient stronghold of Meggido).
- They would have had a strong Jewish nationalistic heritage. Perhaps thinking that one day the Messiah would come and clear out all the Gentile rabble, in judgment, including the Romans!
- It was here that Jesus was first rejected… strange! The very place where he was brought up now wanted to throw him down and stone him.
You see, God’s plan can’t be thrown off the cliff…but it can walk away never to return…just like Jesus did as he left Nazareth for Capernaum…never to return.
Other passages to read =
These texts include the Isaiah passage the Jesus was reading in the Nazareth synagogue as well as parallel accounts of his early ministry as recorded in the other gospels: Isaiah 61:1-2; Matthew 4:12-17, 13:53-58; Mark 2:14-15, 6:1-6.
Other Resources =
Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes (Cultural Studies in the Gospels), by Kenneth E. Bailey, IVP, 2008. For this week's study, we recommend pages 145-169 on “The Inauguration of Jesus’ Ministry”. We will include some quotes on the blog!
Sermon Notes = "When Jesus makes you mad"
Text: Luke 4:14-30
1. Jesus is more exclusive than you might think
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me…Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (4:18, 21)
- Jesus is not just reading the bible, He is declaring the fulfillment of prophecy
- Jesus is declaring that the future is now
- Jesus went from preaching about God to declaring that He was God
2. Jesus is more inclusive than you might think
Points to ponder = - It might make us uncomfortable
- Jesus doesn’t play by our rules
- “God is rescuing the wrong people” N.T. Wright
“… to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (4:19)
If you are enjoying these points…and pondering on them, then you will want to read answers and comments on the blog where we will try to provide answers to the previous week’s “ponderables”. In this week’s passage, you might be thinking about things like this:
- How could the crowd go from apparently pleased to murderously mad so quickly? (v.22,28)
- Is there anything surprising about the way Jesus quoted from Isaiah? (v.18-19)
- What had he done at Capernaum that he hadn’t done that day in Nazareth? (v.23)
- Most objections people have about Jesus are based on faulty information. Many people in Israel today have very strange ideas about how Jesus got away from the mob in Nazareth. Do we have a correct understanding that comes from carefully reading the text for ourselves?
- How did Jesus begin his ministry? What characterized it in 4:14-15?
- Honestly, how do we react when Jesus’ words challenge our pet paradigms (doctrinal, political, or behavioral)?
- How do we treat the messenger which Jesus uses to speak to us—Are we receptive to inconvenient truth, or do we begin to demean the witness in an effort to avoid the message?
- What makes us mad enough to throw someone off the relational cliff and verbally stone them?
- Is it when someone disagrees with us and we don’t know how to make a logical rebuttal?
- Is it when our child speaks out against a sinful attitude or behavior in our life?
- Is it when our parents speak the truth about our motives, but in our pride we don’t want to admit it?
- Or is it when our fear or bitter jealousy, or pride has for so long built a mountain of resistance and excuses that we don’t want to be set free and prefer to throw the promises, plan, and person of God off the cliff?
- What are two ways we can improve our receptivity, and heal relationships we may have damaged, even this week?
- How committed are we to being part of Jesus plan in this world? To what degree do we allow him to work in our lives?
We will see in Luke that the author uses literary structures that were common in the Old Testament to make his message very clear to the original audiences. While it may sound highly technical to our western ears it is actually pretty cool and helps us (separated by language, culture, and 2000 years of history from Jesus' teachings) to more accurately figure out what the main point of a passage. One such structure is what Kenneth Bailey calls the "Prophetic Rhetorical Template." The form of this rhetoric is similar to the inverted parallelism found in Hebrew poetry. He explains,
"In the Old Testament ideas are often presented and then reversed, with a parable/metaphor in the center. Such rhetorical structures appear in both Testaments and can be called "encased parables."...Here as elsewhere in the New Testament, the center is filled with an Old Testament quotation. Paul also employs this rhetorical device (e.g., 1 Cor. 6:13-20)."
Here is Bailey's structural outline of Jesus' reading of the scroll from Luke 4:16-20:
1.
A. and he entered (as his custom was) on the sabbath into the synagogue,
B. and he stood up to read;
C. and the was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah,
D. and he unrolled the scroll, and found the place where it was written,
2. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he has anointed me
a. to preach good news to the poor. PREACH
b. He has sent me to proclaim to the prisoners--freedom, SENT
c. and to the blind--recovery of sight SIGHT
b. 'to send forth the oppressed--in freedom' SEND
a. to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord PROCLAIM
3.
D. And he rolled up the scroll,
C. and gave it back to the attendant,
B. and sat down;
A. and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon him.
(Bailey, Kenneth E., Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, p. 148)
What we so often look for in western literature is the point, the punchline to occur at the end of the drama, story, or joke. However in this biblical type of literary structure the main point is most commonly in the middle. Bailey goes on to summarize the central structure that describes the Messianic mission as being for the whole person:
"Procalmation / evangelism
Justice advocacy
Compassion
Justice advocacy
Proclamation / evangelism" (Bailey, p. 157)
Previously on Ponderables =
Here are the responses to last week's ponderables. The smaller green text has been quoted from Do You See Him? Expository Studies in the New Testament, by Greg Dueker.
1. How could Jesus be tempted if he
was God and God cannot be tempted?
A. Jesus
Was Tempted In His Humanity
While it is true that God cannot be
tempted, Jesus was not only God but He was also man in the fullest sense. It was in the humanity of Christ that He was
tempted. When faced with the most
intense temptation that the devil could bring to bear, Jesus took His stand as
a man, using only weapons that are now available to us--the Holy Spirit and the
Word of God. In fact, His first reply
further indicates that He was taking His stand as a man, for He said, "Man
shall not live by bread alone . . ."
B. Tested
Rather Than Tempted
The word translated
"tempted" generally means "to test or try" especially in
Matthew. One commentator suggests that
we do the text an injustice to refer to it as "the temptation",
"To refer to this incident as
'the temptation of Jesus' is doubly misleading.
Firstly, the verb 'peirazo' (Matt. 4:1, 3) in Matthew always signifies
testing. Satan's intention was, no
doubt, to persuade Jesus to do wrong, but the initiative was with God, and the
whole emphasis of the story is on the testing of Jesus' reaction to His
Messianic vocation as Son of God.
Secondly, to speak of 'the temptation' is misleading because Matthew
does not suggest (and Luke 4:13, 'until an opportune time', clearly denies)
that this was the sum-total of Jesus' struggle against satanic suggestions; it
is rather a specific examination of Jesus' newly-revealed relationship with
God."[1]
While I would not be so dogmatic over
the word meanings here, this commentator does have an encouraging insight. What a wonderful perspective it is to see
that God was in control (it is the Spirit who drove Jesus into the wilderness
to be tempted) and we also see that even the devil must do His bidding, though
perhaps unknowingly. Certainly this was
not the only time when Jesus was tempted.
This testing on God's part or tempting from the devil's perspective
continued throughout Jesus' ministry, it was not just in the wilderness but all
through His ministry, as we can tell from Luke 4:13,
Text: "When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an
opportune time."
Jesus was tempted later on, "at
opportune times" in His ministry.
The most severe temptation probably occurred the night before His
crucifixion: in the Garden of Gethsemane as He travailed in prayer, but
submitted Himself to the will of the Father.
Other temptations came when the Pharisees tried to provoke Him, when
Peter tried to prevent Him, when Pilate tried to prosecute Him, and finally
when the people promised to believe in Him at the cross if He would save
Himself--all echoes of those three great temptations Satan delivered in the
desert.
2. Why would God allow Jesus to be
tested? What benefit does this provide for us?
Jesus was tempted to the fullest extent and intensity
possible, because He never gave in to sin.
He won the victory by unswerving faith in His Father and by using the
Sword of the Spirit--the Word of God.
Because of His steadfastness in overcoming temptation there were several
wonderful things that happened as a result.
A. He could command the devil to leave (Matthew
4:10-11)
The
devil could have no power over Jesus for there was no sin in Him for the devil
to grab on to. The devil's direct attack
was unsuccessful for Jesus stood confidently lifting the shield of faith in His
Father's plan and provision. He overcame
evil by the Word of God. He then
commanded the devil to leave (Matt. 4:10). Today, because Christ has won the
victory for us, because we too are now righteous in Him, we can also command
the devil or any of his demons to leave in Jesus' name! Jesus has not only freed us from slavery to
sin, but has given us authority over the enemy, on the basis of Jesus Christ's
righteous life and shed blood.
B. The angels came and ministered to him (Matthew
4:11)
Jesus
was still hungry, lonely, and perhaps showing the strain of the forty day fast,
yet He had not given in to the temptation to provide for Himself nor did He
demand the protective care of the angels.
What a marvelous encouragement it is to us to see that, having overcome,
Jesus was ministered to by the angels whom the Father had sent.
"After
having refused to claim the illegitimate ministration of angels in His
behalf, O with what deep joy would He accept their services when sent, unasked,
at the close of all this glorious Temptation, direct from Him whom He had so
gloriously honored! What "angels'
food" would this repast be to Him; and as He partook of it might not a
voice from heaven be heard again, by any who read the Father's mind, 'Said I
not well, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!'"[2]
God
will provide what we need if we resist the temptation of the world that seduces
us to meet our own needs or demand our rights.
As it is so gloriously written,
1
Peter 5:6-7,10 "Humble yourselves,
therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares
for you . . . And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal
glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will
himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
C.
We have a high priest who understands and helps us. (Hebrews 2:17-3:1)
Hebrews
2:17-3:1 "For this reason he had
to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a
merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might
make atonement for the sins of the people.
Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help
those who are being tempted.
Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your
thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess."
A
high priest is one who represents the people before God. In order to best represent those people, the
high priest was required to be one of the people he represented. Jesus came to earth as a man to do just
that. Because He was tempted in His
humanity, He understands our situation and grieves over our plight. However, this understanding does not result
in His overlooking our sin, which would be unjust. Rather, He offers us help in overcoming the evil
one's deceptive offers. We fix our
thoughts on Him and receive His help, knowing that such help should be highly
esteemed since He was completely successful in His own struggle with the
tempter.
D) He set an example for us
Hebrews
4:15-16 "For we do not have a high
priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one
who has been tempted in every way, just as we are‑‑yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with
confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time
of need."
Jesus'
victory was a wonderful example, and that example offers us encouragement in
overcoming any temptation that the devil would throw at us. We cannot ever say that "Jesus was never
tempted like I am" as an excuse for our failure. Jesus was tempted completely, full-strength,
but He never sinned. He dealt with
temptation immediately and decisively by using the Word of God as the Holy
Spirit empowered Him.
3. Is there any special significance
in the 40 day duration of the testing?
Forty days of fasting in solitude
should have immediately brought to the mind of those who were learned in the
Old Testament the examples of both Moses and Elijah, and the nation Israel,
though there are some major differences between Christ's experience and theirs.
Exodus 34:28 "Moses was there with the Lord forty days and
forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And
he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant‑‑the Ten Commandments."
1 Kings 19:8 "So he [Elijah] got up and ate and
drank. Strengthened by that food, he
traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of
God."
In discussing the typical imagery and
the differences between their experiences, Edersheim notes that,
"Moses was its [the Law] giver ,
Elijah its restorer, the Messiah its renewer and perfecter. And as such they all had, in a sense, a
similar outward consecration for their work.
But that neither Moses nor Elijah was assailed by the devil, constitutes
not the only, though a vital difference between the fast of Moses and Elijah,
and that of Jesus. Moses fasted in the
middle, Elijah at the end, Jesus at the beginning of His ministry. Moses fasted in the presence of God; Elijah
alone; Jesus while assaulted by the devil.
Moses has been called up by God; Elijah had gone forth in the bitterness
of His own spirit; Jesus was driven by the Spirit. Moses failed after his forty days' fast, when
in indignation he cast the Tables of the Law from him; Elijah failed before his
forty days' fast; Jesus was assailed for forty days and endured the trial. Moses was angry against Israel; Elijah
despaired of Israel; Jesus overcame for Israel." [3]
While Moses, Elijah and Israel all
failed, though in conditions far preferable to those Christ endured, Jesus
alone was victorious!
3. Was this the only time Jesus was
tested? No it wasn’t. The text specifically says in 4:13 that the
devil departed from him “until an opportune time.”
4. Why is the order of the
temptations different in Matthew compared to Luke? Which order is correct or
can we know? Check out the specificity of the
connecting words. Luke is generally more chronologically precise, however, in
this periscope the order in Matthew seems to have more precise connections
between the temptations (tote=then, palin=again).Luke’s temptations are joined
only by “kai” the Greek word for “and” which does not suggest any time sequence.
It seems that Luke is following an order that fits the theological point he is
trying to make. It allows for an interesting juxtaposition of Jesus standing on
the highest point of the temple and being told to jump down and angels would
catch him, with that on the cliff above Nazareth where the crowd tried to throw
Jesus down…but ”passing through their midst he went away.”
[2] Jamieson, Fausset, & Brown, A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments - Vol. 3, Eerdmans, 1800's reprinted 1989, p.18.
[3] Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of
Jesus the Messiah, Eerdmans, 1883, reprinted 1971, p.294.
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