We will read three short passages of Scripture, all relating to Christ's service. The first concerns the ministry of the Lord Jesus himself.
Luke 4:16-19. And he came to Nazareth, where lie had been, brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered? into him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when, he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 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.
What a glorious passage! This was the text of Christ's whole ministry not only of that day at Nazareth, but of all his life ever after.
Luke 4:20. And he closed the book,
Rolled up the sacred writing,
Luke 4:20. And he gave it again, to the minister, and sat down.
Their practice was to sit down to speak, while the people usually stood to hear; a very good custom, indeed. If we did the same, perhaps we. should have fewer of our hearers going to sleep.
Luke 4:20-21. 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.
That is the way to preach; bring home the Scripture to the present time, show its application to every-day life, especially point out its connection with Christ, and prove how it is fulfilled and verified in his sacred person. Doubtless, Jesus said a great deal besides what is here recorded; but there were no shorthand writers there to take down every word he uttered.
Luke 4:22. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his month. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
There! Did it matter whose son Jesus was? Yet, in order to abate the force and even the blessedness of divine truth, men turn their thoughts to the Speaker rather than to what he says. How foolish!
Luke 4:23. And he said? into them, Ye quill surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
«Begin at home, work miracles here. You are the Son of the carpenter who lives here; now, do some wonderful work among us.»
Luke 4:24-26. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
Elias did not feel bound to labour always among the Jews, but he went right to Sidon, to a heathen woman, and he sojourned with the widow in the far-away country. God is a Sovereign; he can save whom he wills; and he will exercise that sovereignty, and bless some of those who appear to be most hopeless, and to have the least signs of good about them, and to be the farthest removed from the means of grace.
Luke 4:27. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
Only the stranger and foreigner was cured of the disease of leprosy; another instance of divine sovereignty. Men do not like this doctrine of sovereignty; they are willing to have a god if he is not God; they do not mind believing in a god who is not King, and who does not do as he wills with his own. They believe in free will, they say. Yes, yes, free will for everybody but God! Man is to be the god of man and of God, too, according to the talk of some. But this is the thunder from the divine throne: «I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.» Blessed is he who humbly boweth his bead, and saith, «Be it so, my Lord!» Absolute power cannot be in better hands than in those of the God of love.
Luke 4:28. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
They were at first very pleased to have a promising young Preacher out of their own town, and they said one to another, «Did not he speak well?» Now they have changed their note; be has been too faithful for them. He has exalted God instead of man; and now they are filled with wrath.
Luke 4:29-30. And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down, headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way.
With that holy calm in which he always dwelt, with wondrous self-possession, he passed through the midst of them, and escaped their malice. Now let us read what Christ says to those who would be his followers. Turn to Luke 9:57 -
This exposition consisted of readings from Luke 4:16-30; Luke 9:57-62; and Matthew 28:16-20.