The good news of the kingdom of God

Luke 4:38-44

Key Verse 4:43

“But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 

How are you today? It is already third week of September. And the schools already started. Quarter system schools also started from last week or this week. Anyhow I am very glad that we can continue to study the book of Luke. The title of today’s message is “The good news of the kingdom of God.” The key verse comes from verse 43. Can we ready together verse 43? “But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” Let’s pray.

There was one man who had conversation with his friend. And he talked to his friend about his bible teacher, his spiritual shepherd. He ended up talking about all of his weaknesses to his friend. His friend quietly listened to him for a while. And in the end his friend cautiously and carefully asked him, “Doesn’t he has anything good, any good point?” The man thought about it for a while, but he could not think about even one point to his great embarrassment. Later he thought ‘Why couldn’t I answer, even one good  point of my bible teacher?” If this kind of story is familiar to us, it shows something about us. It shows that our heart is very dark and negative. It shows something we are sick inside. So today we want to think about how God helped us heal our inner darkness through today’s passage. 

Part I. He healed them. (v. 38-41)

Look at verse 38-41. This is very simple story. Let’s read together. “³⁸ 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. ³⁹ So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them. ⁴⁰ At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 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 Messiah.”

So it was Capernaum. We learned the power and authority of Jesus and the authority of Jesus’ word through last Sunday message. And Jesus drove out the evil spirit. Now Jesus left the synagogue. Obviously it was Sabbath day. And he went to the home of Simon. Simon Peter obviously was not called as Jesus’ disciples yet at this point. So his name appeared as Simon. When Jesus went to the home of Simon, Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever and they asked Jesus to help her. Luke, by occupation, was a physician. So he described the sickness of Simon’s mother-in-law as a high fever. High fever is very dangerous especially for young infants. If it reaches over 100 or 1004 they can have seizure. Anyhow it is dangerous to anyone if fever is very high. And she was suffering from it. And they asked Jesus to help her. “They” may refer to Simon Peter, and his family members or some other people. And Jesus bent over her and rebuked the fever and it left her. It is very interesting to see that Jesus rebuked the fever as if fever is living being, like someone who can understand. But Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her. 

According to other gospel, Jesus took hold of the hand of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law and lifted her. But in today’s passage Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her. She got up at once and waited on them. Usually when a woman, especially an old woman, suffering from a high fever for a while is healed from a high fever, she usually needs time to recover. But in the case of Jesus’ healing she got up immediately and waited on them. It shows that Jesus’ healing was immediate and complete. It shows that Jesus is the Creator God and his healing is complete and immediate. It is different from all other medical doctors’ healing. 

Now verses 40-41 shows ‘At sunset the people brought to Jesus all had various kinds of sickness and laying his hands on each one and he healed. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, ‘you are the Son of God’. But Jesus rebuked them and would not allowed them to speak because they knew he was the Messiah.’ The sunset is beginning of another day. It means Sabbath was over. So people were allowed to bring anything and people so that people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness and laying his hands on each one Jesus healed them. 

Jesus’ way of healing is very unique. If he wanted he could have healed all of these people saying, ‘I command all of the people here be healed.” Then all of the people in front of him could have been healed. But the way he healed was he laid his hands on each one and he healed them. What can we learn from Jesus who healed all of sick people by laying his hands on each one? (Someone in the audience said, “personal touch”.) Personal one. So he healed one by one by touching them. So it was a very personal one. It shows great compassion of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is very familiar with our pain and suffering from sickness. Actually our bodily sickness and pain and suffering came from death. From all the sinning our bodies are supposed to perish. And Jesus was very familiar with our pain and suffering that comes from our physical sickness.

So he was very compassionate and he healed them one by one by laying his hands on them. Very personal one. It was very personal and intimate healing. And then demons came out of many people shouting “You are the Son of God.” But Jesus rebuked the demons and would not allow them to speak although they knew Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus did not want testimony from these unclean spirits, demons, about who he is. 

We also suffer from many sicknesses. And Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. And Jesus heals our each of sickness very personally. Most of all, Jesus cares and has a great compassion for each one of us when we are sick. I know some of us also are sick and Jesus is willing to heal us as if he healed all of the people at the time of Capernaum in today’s passage. Also we can pray for others to be healed. Simon’s mother-in-law did not ask Jesus. But others asked Jesus to help her. So in order to receive Jesus’ healing there should be a request, either from the very sick person or some other people. “Can you help this person?” Or “Can you heal me?” So we need to ask to Jesus for us or some other people. He knows we are sick and some other people are sick. So if someone needs Jesus’ healing we can pray and ask Jesus to heal that person. Or we can ask Jesus to come and heal us if we are sick. 

Jesus does not have physical body anymore these days. But his healing power and great compassion is the same. He can use his people and heal us when they pray with the heart of Jesus. 

Now Part II. This is why I was sent. 

This is the second part. It starts. “At daybreak he went out to a solitary place.” When daybreak came we probably can assume that Jesus was healing all these people throughout the night. When daybreak came, Jesus went out to a solitary place. At that time most of houses were flocked together, like 4 or 5 houses are together, forming one common court yard. So it took a time for one person to find a solitary place. At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. Luke’s gospel does not say why Jesus went out to a solitary place. But other gospel, especially Mark’s gospel, shows Jesus went out to a solitary place to pray. So Jesus must have been exhausted and very tired through the whole night’s of healing. But still Jesus went out to pray instead of sleeping.

Jesus wanted to have fellowship with his father, to restore his spirit and power to serve other people as well. Also Jesus heard the voice of God and received spiritual direction through personal communication with his father. That is why he could say “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns also because that is why I was sent.” So to have personal time with God through prayer and meditating the word of God is very important factor of our spiritual life. It always helps us to be motivated and strengthened to serve God better all the time. And Jesus showed a good example. Although he was very tired he went out to a solitary place and pray and serve God better.

The people were looking for him, of course, and when they came to Jesus, they tried to keep him from leaving them. It is very simple to know why they tried to keep Jesus from leaving them. Who does not want the best physician who can heal them completely and immediately free of charge?  If someone was not sick at that time they still wanted to keep Jesus from leaving him because he might be sick in the future. 

But Jesus told them, “I must proclaim, the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns also because that is why I was sent.” It was not easy for Jesus to leave all these people who came to him to be healed in the morning. To Jesus, they were as precious as all those people who were healed during the night. And Jesus had great compassion for each one of them. Most of all they all could be suffering from very severe sicknesses for a long time. But still he left them. And his reason is ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns also because that is why I was sent.” So if Jesus was forced to choose between the two Jesus made his priority clear. 

He wanted to serve God according to the purpose of God who sent him. “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns also.” So it was very clear to Jesus that to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns comes first over his physical healing. He used the word, “good news.” What is the good news? It is “the kingdom of God”?

Kingdom of God means the place where God is the king. The kingdom of God refers to God’s ruling and God’s reigning. So when God rules all the complete justice is established. When the kingdom of God comes we see the recovery of sight for the blind, and the freedom for the prisoners. These are all the evidence of the kingdom of God. When God rules all kinds of sickness is healed and evil forces is driven out. Sickness is healed and prisoners become free men and the oppressed become free and the blind men see and the lamb can walk.

So the kingdom of God refers to God’s ruling and God’s reigning. And it is such a good news. And the kingdom of God ultimately refers to the victory when Jesus comes again. Now we live in this life on earth. We have many troubles and sufferings in life. When we think about it, the ultimate victory of God and faith in God’s ultimate victory gives us fundamental stability and strength to serve God better. When we believe ultimate justice and ultimate peace and ultimate victory for God’s people we will be secured and it gives us a great promise and hope. 

Now this good news of the kingdom of God also heals our inner sickness, our inner darkness, our inner negative thoughts. The good news of the kingdom of God ultimately refers to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Let’s read responsively. I will go first. “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures”.

The gospel is the good news. And the good news is Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. This is the good news because all of our sins are forgiven and the power of death has been broken down. So sin exists in our life but it is not counted before God because it has been forgiven. The death still exists. So everyone dies. But the power of death is broken. So therefore death is not counted for before God. 

So ultimate victory over the power of death and sin has been guaranteed, and this is the good news. The good news is the victory against our enemies and this secures the inner healing of our dark thought and negative thinking. 

Now when we think about it, how can we secure the kingdom of God in our hearts? For example, at the time of Garden of Eden, God gave one command to Adam and Eve. “You are free to eat from any tree in the Garden. But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For when you eat of it you will surely die.”

They could be many reasons for God to give such a command to Adam and Eve. But there is one specific reason for God to give such a command. What could be it? Why did God give such a command to Adam and Eve, “You must not eat the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”? 

(Someone (Sarah) said “It is called Adam’s bible”) It is called “Adam’s bible. That is true. Okay. Can anyone be more specific? Why did God gave the command to Adam and Eve which was called “Adam’s Bible”. Why did God give this command?  (Someone say “To protect them?) To protect the tree of the good and evil? (laughter). To protect Adam and Eve? (people say “Yes”). (Andrew said, “To remind them he (God) is the authority and ruler). Very close! (Andrew said, “I had the bible study about it recently.) One more person please try. (Someone said, “To keep the spiritual order”). Missionary August Kim said, “When God rules there is ultimate happiness for Adam and Eve.” When God rules there is ultimate happiness. Yes, we are talking about the kingdom of God which is God’s ruling. So God gave the command so that Adam and Even might obey the command of God and honor God as their king and they can live in the kingdom of God. To obey the command of God is the way for us to keep the kingdom of God in our hearts.

Do you remember what I shared in my installation service from the book of Haggai? In the book of Haggai the prophet Haggai’s command to Jewish returnees. When the Jewish people returned from the Babylonian captivity they were very poor. They were small in number. They did not have their own country. They were trying to build their own houses. God commanded them to build the temple of God first. Humanly speaking it was very harsh command. They did not have enough money to build their own houses. But God was asking them to build the temple of God first. Furthermore the temple of God would be eventually demolished. Why did God ask his people who were already poor, to build the temple of God using their little money? Do you remember what was my answer? (Sarah said, “Obedience”?) Obedience. Why did God ask already poor people to build the temple of God first? 

(Someone said, “to give them kingdom of God”). To give them the kingdom of God. God’s ruling. (Someone said, “first priority”). First priority.  Right. God has asked them to do so not to torture them but to build the kingdom of God in their hearts. It was a practical way to plant the kingdom of God in their hearts. That’s why God was asking them to build the temple of God first although God already knew they were poor. So God has been working out throughout human history to build the kingdom of God in men’s hearts. And God has sent Jesus for the very purpose. Jesus came and said, “I must proclaim the kingdom of God to other towns also because that is why I was sent.” 

So we can maintain the kingdom of God by obeying the command of God. For example in my case, one of the commands of God given to me is, ‘You have received freedom from Christ. Freedom from sin and power of death. But use your freedom not to indulge in your sinful desire but to use it to serve one another in humble love.” That is one command of God given to me. If I obey it I will enjoy the kingdom of God, and God will work in my life as my king. 

Ultimately, ultimately though, the kingdom of God comes when we believe Jesus died for our sins and rose again on the third day. Through what Jesus has done for each one of us we can obey the command of God and enjoy the kingdom of God in our hearts.

Let me ask you another question. “When you forgive other do you know you are forgiving yourself?” Raise your hands if you know that. When you forgive others you are forgiving yourself. Do you know that? Can you raise your hands? If you remember Romans 2:1 it says, “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”

When we judge others, when we do not forgive others, when we condemning them, it means we are condemning us. Why? Because we do the same thing. The Bible does not say even ‘similar things’. The bible does not say, “you are committing sins or making mistakes in other arear of your life.” It exactly says, “You do the same thing.” That’s why when we judge others, when we do not forgive others, spiritually we feel very difficult. We have long face. Why? We are condemning ourselves. When we condemn others and when we do not forgive others we are condemning ourselves. Because we do the same things. And there is no kingdom of God in our hearts.

But Jesus Christ died for our sins. Your sins and others’ sins. When we forgive ourselves we need to forgive others unlimitedly and unconditionally. It means to forgive ourselves. That is why the kingdom of God comes through the death and resurrection of Jesus  which brought us unlimited forgiveness of our sins. But if we want to live in the kingdom of God and enjoy his ruling in our hearts, we need to forgive others. 

And also there is a lot of elements of the power of death in our practical life. So we need to remember good things others did for us. We try to remember one good thing our bible teachers did for us instead of millions of their weaknesses.

Jesus was raised from the third day from the death, and the power of death was broken and eventually our bodies will be raised. So the good news of the kingdom of God ultimately refers to the victory over all evil forces. That is why this secures our inner healing as well as our physical healing and that is why it is the good news.

There is a term “predestination”. I don’t know much about it. But I know one thing for sure. The Bible clearly reveals. Eventually the kingdom of God comes and everything will be settled. Let’s read 2 Timothy 4:1-2. “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: ² Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”

It says “In view of his appearing and his kingdom”. So He will appear and his kingdom will appear together with him. This is a sheer fact. So the victory through Jesus Christ has been guaranteed, and it will be expressed as the appearing of his kingdom with Jesus. 

I would like to read one more verse. Romans 14:7 I believe. Charles might have quoted this verse last Sunday. Romans 14:7. It is not Romans 14:7. It is Romans 14:17. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”.

So the kingdom of God is a matter of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. When we think about ‘righteousness, peace, joy’ in the Holy Spirit, we can only receive this righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit by believing Jesus’ death and resurrection. This righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit is righteousness, peace, and joy in the sight of God. And there is no way for us to gain this kingdom of God, righteousness, peace, joy other than believing in Jesus Christ.

So God will give us command to help us to maintain the kingdom of God. I am thinking about one more command. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. “¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

I remember a long time ago, missionary Isaac Kim was sick. His heart beat stopped once in a while with great pain. I remember in the Long Beach during Sunday message suddenly he stopped delivering the message for like few seconds. And that was the time when his heart beat stopped with great pain. He had it because he had a lot of cross in the course of serving God. But eventually missionary Isaac was healed when he held onto one verse. Do you know what is the one verse he held onto? (Someone said “Ephesians 4”) Let’s read Ephesians 4. It is about “It is about ‘do not be anxious.” (Someone said Philippians 4:6.) Let’s read Philippians 4:6-7 together. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

 

I also have been very anxious. I have one sickness called, “vilitigo”, the loss of skin color. I got it around the age of 12. And for the last 45 years it never spread out. But within 6 months it spread our very quickly. And you see the white things coming down here and there. (Greg Newmaster said, “I cannot see.”) Right. You don’t see. Thanks God. So far so good. (He said, “You are beautiful”). (Laughter). Now I thought about ‘why suddenly this things which had been quiet for the last 45 years spread so quickly with 6 months?” I felt like ‘stress’ in my heart. I don’t know 100% sure but that is how I felt. So I realized that I need to do something to save myself. The first thing I can do it to pray to Jesus to heal me. The second thing is I can hold to the verse missionary Isaac was holding to. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

And another command that I can hold to maintain the kingdom of God in my heart is “¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Anyhow I want to secure the kingdom of God in my heart. A lot of our sickness, physical sickness’, is related to our inner sickness. So there is even therapy called, “Laughter therapy”. Have you heard about ‘laughter therapy?” Someone will be healed if he keeps laughing, even by force. He can be healed of cancer. If someone never smiles, ask him to laugh so that he can be free from future cancer. 

And to be thankful is the one of the best medicine for our body as well. There is scientific data for it. The kingdom of God means God’s rule and the rule of God may not be visible in our life at this point, but it is guaranteed to come. So God’s rule, which establishes ultimate righteousness, peace and joy, is guaranteed to all who believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection. And I pray all of us including myself to enjoy this kingdom of God and be healed of all of our physical sickness as well. So let us pray for one another. If you know someone is sick we can pray for the person so that we can enjoy the kingdom of God in our hearts and our physical body.

One word: I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns also because that is why I was sent.