ONLY NAAMAN

Luke 4:14-30

Key Verse 4:27

ONLY NAAMAN

Luke 4:14-30

Key Verse 4:27

In this passage we can learn the right attitude to have when listening to Jesus, so Jesus could fully work within us. 

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  That Is Why I Was Sent

Luke 4:31-44

Key Verse 4:43

But 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.” 

Today we would like to think about the purpose of Jesus’ coming: preaching the good news of the kingdom of God. Practically, how did Jesus preach the good news of the kingdom of God? In other words, how did he build God’s kingdom inside of men? 

First, in order to build God’s kingdom in men Jesus resorted to God’s means, teaching people the word of God (31) 

Look at verse 31. “Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people.” 

(1) What Jesus did in Capernaum embodies the main character of his public ministry. What is the main character of Jesus’ ministry? What is the mainstay of his public ministry? What did he do the most to help people out? Well, let us stop for a moment and think about where Jesus went and what he did there. Matthew 4:13 says that after leaving Nazareth, Jesus went to Capernaum and “lived in Capernaum,” which is by the lake. This indicates that Jesus established the headquarters of his public ministry in Capernaum. It was also believed that this city was the most populous among the towns developed around the Lake of Galilee. It was believed that Matthew, the ex-tax collector, used to maintain his tax office there in Capernaum. In addition, Capernaum was the hometown of Simon Peter, the top disciple of Jesus Christ. In many ways Capernaum is like Downey in Los Angeles. In this important village Capernaum, what did Jesus do as the Savior of the world? What was the main focus of his ministry? Where did Jesus invest most of his time, energy, and passion? Verse 31, along with verse 32, indicates that Jesus focused on teaching the word of God. In verse 31 we see the expression, “began to teach people,” and in verse 32 we see the word “message.” These expressions indicate that even in teaching people, Jesus did not get involved in casual talk. He did not peddle with the word of God. Jesus got his word organized into a message which was designed to communicate a clear “message” directed to his audience. 

(2) The reason why Jesus focused on teaching God’s word rather than on anything else, such as relief missions, is because Jesus knew how he made man, that is, through his word. Genesis 1-2 tells us that God made man through his word. In John 1:1-4, the Apostle John talks about the way God made man in a rather direct manner: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” 

The fact that God created man with His word indicates that what controls man and causes man to function the way he does is the message which is built inside of him. So, it is when man operates according to God's word that he can function the way he is supposed to (as God originally intended him to function). In my college days, I did not know God’s word. I did not even know that there was such a book called the Bible. Because I did not know the word of God, and therefore did not have the word of God (for it is quite obvious that when you do not know God’s word, you do not have God’s word; how can you have what you even don’t know is?) I operated by all the wrong messages, such as Confucianism, Nazism, Maoism, and Buddhism. Particularly, the message of Buddhism appealed to me. The message was, “Meaningless, meaningless, meaningless; everything is meaningless.” By the time I graduated from college this message of meaninglessness (or simply emptiness) controlled my life. As a result, while other students were studying hard for the bar exam, I had no desire to study. So, all I did was visit the “Go Club” at the Law school Café Lounge. There I played Go endlessly. But one day a friend of mine invited me to a Bible study in UBF. There, they taught me Genesis. And lo and behold! The word of God (or more accurately the message) which Genesis 1-2, especially Genesis 1:1 and 1:31, conveyed struck my heart! “In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth…” (1:1) “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good!” (1:31) Say, “It was very good!” For the first time in my life, I learned that someone saw me and expressed a powerful testimony saying, “Hey, this guy looks very good! In fact, he is Numero Uno!” And that someone is not a human being, but the Creator God, the one who made me! 

As I continued to study the Bible, I learned also that all of the Scriptures point to Jesus Christ, who even died for my sins and rose for my justification. I learned that he came to have fellowship with me, desiring to secure a permanent position for me—that I would be a member of the family of God in his eternal kingdom. My point is this: Had it not been for the word of God spoken to me continually I would have remained counterproductive, dysfunctional, and a source of nightmares for many. But it is only through the living word of God that I have been able to function thus far, am able to fulfill something meaningful today, and will be able to perform even better in days to come.  

Look at verse 31 again, “Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people.” And they were amazed at his teaching. Let us pray then that in following Jesus’ example we will feed the flock of God, particularly college students, with the living word of God. In many ways emerging generations are very promising. Having grown up in this “information age,” they are well educated in many different areas of their lives. Only if they are taught God’s word properly and receive proper discipline according to God’s word will they function fabulously and powerfully work to expand God’s kingdom at God’s speed. Remember that thanks to Jesus’ teaching ministry in Capernaum, disciples such as Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John, and even Matthew (all whose hometown was Capernaum) suddenly picked up the Spirit. In the past, they were largely dysfunctional. By and large they were obtuse, dull, and bored. But when Jesus came and taught them the living word of God, the word of God lit a spiritual fire in them. Suddenly, God’s word gave them “wings” to fly with. Before Jesus came to teach the Bible, they lived like a bunch of sick chickens. But Jesus’ word transformed them from sick chickens into powerful eagles, soaring into the sky. Surely, God’s word puts God’s Spirit inside of man. God’s word opens man’s eyes to see God’s kingdom. God’s word makes man to be powerfully upward mobile. May the Lord bless us to inspire the growing generation with the living word of God, so that like the early disciples of Jesus, so also the emerging generations of our day may lead a powerful revival – a revival for Bible America and a revival for world campus mission! 

Second, in order to teach the word Jesus made himself available to God’s provision – the provision as to people, the provision as to time, and the provision as to facilities (31,33a). 

In other words, when Jesus secured God’s purpose and held onto this purpose, God provided for him with all that are necessary, especially as to people, time, and facilities. 

Jesus began his public ministry around the age of thirty. From a human standpoint, by the time Jesus began his public ministry he had so little that no one could have ever imagined that he could serve the Lord’s kingdom purpose full time. Nowadays Shepherd Jay Irwin is kind of concerned because if he goes to Ecuador it might not be easy for him to support himself and his wife while still serving the Lord’s kingdom purpose as a full time missionary. Perhaps people of Jesus’ day might have entertained similar thoughts about Jesus. Indeed, it did not seem that Jesus had any solid job skills. At least Shepherd Jay has a truck driver’s license. His wife also has a Spanish teaching credential. But Jesus did not have any of these. Furthermore, Jesus was single. Shepherd Jay has a very faithful wife, who can work closely with him as a suitable helper, so if Jay falters, she can come up, put him together, and help him to continue to serve the Lord. But Jesus was a bachelor. He did not have any “significant other.” In this way, people might have thought that it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for Jesus to serve God’s purpose full time.

Yet, we know that God never asks his children to do anything without first providing his children with the means by which to fulfill the work he calls them to do. How then did God provide for Jesus? Look at verses 31-32 again. In this passage we see that Jesus made himself available to what God had already provided for him, especially the provision in regard to people, the provision in regard to time, and the provision in regard to facilities. 

(1) People: When one wants to do God’s work, such as teaching the Bible, the first question that comes to mind is, “Oh my God! To whom should I teach the Bible?” Then he looks around, here and there, and soon gets frustrated and stops trying. But Jesus did not do that. He went to Capernaum, the most populous town. He established his office there which was most likely Simon Peter’s garage. Then he thought about where he could meet people who were desirous of hearing God’s word. Then the answer came out quickly. It was in the synagogue! On the Sabbath! He knew that people gathered in the synagogue every Sabbath to hear God’s word. That was it. So like every one else, on the Sabbath day, Jesus went there wearing a “Sunday” suit. And lo and behold! He met a lot of people ready to listen to God’s word! Last October, Shepherd Jay and I visited Guyaquill. We went down to the University of Guyaquill. This campus has about 60,000 students. Right next to the campus is a street called October 9^th Street, which is a main thoroughfare of the city of Guyaquill. We asked people why this street is called October 9^th Street. They said, “Oh, it is our National Independence Day!” Then I looked at Shepherd Jay and said, “Wow! October 9^th is Dr. Samuel Lee’s birthday. Plus it is the day on which we (I mean Rebekah and I) got married. What a coincidence?” In this way, if one wants to meet people with “young blood,” you must visit a college campus. In Ecuador, certainly the University of Guyaquill is the place to meet them. Indeed, it is the place to start a spiritual revolution for Bible Latin America. 

(2) Time: Each time we want to do God’s work another question that comes to mind is: “Oh, my God! I don’t have time.” But as Albert Einstein once said, “Time is a created property.” Like all other provisions, such as money and people, time is also a powerful means that God provided for us to do his work. In the passage then as Jesus prayed to find out the right time to go out and do the work, Jesus learned that the Sabbath day was the best time to go out and do God’s work. In fact, according to Moses’ law, on every Sabbath all Jews must take one day off, and dedicate themselves to studying God’s word. Jesus took advantage of this provision. In the U.S., most Americans take their days off not only on Saturday but also on Sunday. They take two days off! This means that we have twice as much time to do God’s work than the people of Jesus’ day. Plus we have all different kinds of holidays. In addition, in American college campuses, there are so many students who have too much time on their hands that they have to “kill” time by playing video games or just sleeping too much. In this way when we pray we can always find the time to do the work God wants us to do. 

(3) Facilities: The third most frequently asked question in doing God’s work is: “Oh, my God! I do not have any facilities to do God’s work. When can I have enough money to buy a Bible center?” But Jesus did not ask such a question. When he began his ministry he did not have even a studio apartment to begin with. But, as he prayed, he discovered that the Lord God had already provided a nice facility for him. What was it? Verse 33 answers the question: the synagogue. By the time Jesus came and preached the gospel, the Lord God had already spread Jews among many villages and towns throughout the Roman Empire. Each time more than seventy Jews were gathered, there was one synagogue where on each Sabbath they all gathered, prayed together, studied the Scriptures together, and ate together. And Capernaum was no exception. There in the synagogue of Capernaum, Jesus had all the facilities necessary to teach the Bible. The caretaker called the synagogue ruler took good care of the facilities. He also maintained scrolls ready for public reading. Any rabbi who had God’s grace to share was welcome to share. Nowadays CSULB coworkers borrowed Jesus’ wisdom. Under the leadership of Shepherd Daniel, they got themselves incorporated according to the rules and regulations maintained by the school administration. Then each month, in one of the designated meeting halls, they have a monthly Bible lecture. We need to pray to follow their example at all other college campuses. So eventually we can hold a Bible conference at the CSULB Pyramid Building with more than 5,000 students attending on Saturdays and Sundays.

Third, in order to teach the Bible Jesus relied on God’s power (32)

In serving God’s purpose another question that many people ask is, “Oh! I do not have the power to do God’s work. How can a weak person, as weak and as unqualified as I am, do the work of God? How can I teach the Bible? I do not have even teaching credentials. No, I cannot. Maybe someone else like Billy Graham can.” But on most occasions such questions like this are asked because people think that teaching God’s word rests on “human” abilities, such as the ability to talk. But teaching God’s word does not rest on man’s abilities. It rests on God’s power. 

We find the same conclusion from what Jesus did in this passage. Look at verse 32 again. “They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.” Here the word “authority” deserves special attention. The word “authority” means, “sources, powers, persons, or grounds.” Jesus’ message had authority because it came from right sources, right powers, right persons, and right grounds. Who is the source? Who gave him the power? Who was working behind him? On what ground was his message based? We all know the answer. Jesus served God’s word as it is. Say, “Serve God’s word as it is!” The power imbedded in Jesus’ message was God’s power. The persons working behind Jesus was God the Father and the Holy Spirit working in and through Jesus. The ground on which Jesus delivered his message was the Scriptures which came from the mouth of God. From this we learn that in serving God’s word we must empty ourselves –of our own ideas, our preoccupations, and all of our preconceived concepts. Then we must humble ourselves before God, carefully give our ears to God, and listen to what God wants to say to us. Then, as God speaks to us, by faith in God’s absolute power, we proclaim the word of God. Then God’s word goes out and does his work: God will destroy the devil’s work, and build God’s kingdom within a man! 

Fourth, when Jesus preached God’s word, it went out and exposed the evil hiding inside of men (33-34)

Look at verses 33-34. “In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ‘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!’” 

This passage reminds us of what the Apostle Paul says in regard to the nature of God’s word, for in Ephesians 6:17 he says, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” God’s word is the sword of the Holy Spirit. Then in Hebrews 4:12, Paul says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” These verses indicate that when we faithfully and prayerfully serve God’s word, God’s word which is “holy” and is “spiritual” in nature, goes out into the one listening. Then his word exposes what is evil inside of men, so that evil forces that are hidden come to reveal their identities. Speaking of the same effect, and prompting us to do cause the same effect, Paul says in Ephesians 5:8-14, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’”

Fifth, through his word, Jesus drove demons out of people and thereby helped people recover their identities as regular human beings (35-37, 41)

Let us notice that Jesus did not initiate the driving out of the demons. All he did was teach the word of God. Then, the demons inside disrupted Jesus’ teaching ministry. Jesus then simply tossed the demons out. Look at verses 35-36. “‘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. All 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!’” In verse 41, Jesus then did the same thing. Look at verse 41. “Moreover, 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.” Here although the author does not say so directly, it is not difficult to see that one of the purposes Jesus drove out demons is to help people restore their true identity as regular human beings. From this we learn that when we serve God’s word faithfully, God’s word goes out and helps men to discover their true identity. As they find their wrong identities, on Jesus’ command, they can toss them out and recover their true identities. 

Sixth, with his word and touches of love Jesus healed many (38-40)

The Sabbath worship was over. But Jesus’ ministry continued. In verses 38-40 we then see Jesus getting involved in a healing ministry. Here we see two important truths: through his word and through his gentle touch Jesus healed many. 

Look at verses 38-39, “Jesus 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. So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.” We do not know why Peter’s mother in law came to his house. But Jesus knew her weakness. In gentleness he rebuked the fever and healed her. She felt good. In many thanks, she came to serve Jesus, perhaps preparing a delicious dinner for him and for his disciples, especially her son in law Peter. 

Then as more people came to him, Jesus gently touched them all and, putting his hands on them, he healed them. This shows that Jesus is indeed the God of healing. 

Seventh, Jesus focused on the causes rather than the symptoms of man’s problems (42-44)

Look at verses 42-44. “At 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. But 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.’ And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.” Here we learn three important points of Jesus’ ministry. First, is the importance of prayer. Mark 1:35 says that Jesus went out to pray early in the morning. It was through prayer that Jesus renewed God’s purpose for him. Second, Jesus focused on causes of problems rather than symptoms. Spiritual, mental, or physical illnesses are just symptoms, not causes. The real cause is disobedience to God’s word. So Jesus kept teaching the word of God. Third, Jesus became largely fruitful because he focused on his teaching ministry. His life was relatively short. But thanks to his focus on God’s purpose he could help so many people, and bear much fruit for many. 

One word: This is why I was sent. 

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