Luke 4:16–19

Luke 4:16-19 

English Standard Version 

  Do you know those phone calls where you aren't exactly sure who has called you and you're trying to figure out what their agenda is?  You're fairly certain they're trying to get money out of you, but you can't quite tell if they're a scammer or a legitimate salesperson.  Their agenda is unclear.

  Jesus is quite clear on his agenda as the Messiah.  In his first sermon, he reads from Isaiah's scroll.  He could have announced his agenda any day, with any text, but he chose this one, focused on bringing good news to the poor, proclaiming liberty to the captives, bringing healing to those who are in need.  This is what's critically important to Jesus, so as we go out into the world and look for opportunities to align with the priorities of God, let us be mindful of Jesus' focus on the poor and think about how we, too, might serve.

Luke 4:14–15

Luke 4:14-15 

English Standard Version 

  So Jesus has been in the wilderness being tempted, and then he returns -- that time of fasting has prepared him for what is to come.  He is filled with the Spirit, and word spreads quickly.  Jesus' trial in the wilderness lays groundwork for what is to come.

  We talked about Daniel in church yesterday -- his prayer life in the ordinary times prepared him to face extraordinary hardship.  The Spirit was at work, and then the Spirit sent word out in spectacular ways that God was at work.  

  May we trust that God is at work in us in the hard times, and may we stay faithfully committed to a life of prayer, that the Spirit may lead us out of lean times and into something powerful in the times to come.

Luke 4:9–13

Luke 4:9-13 

English Standard Version 

  Who doesn't want proof?  We'd like to know for certain, right?  

  That's what the devil is offering Jesus.  He wants Jesus to show off to everyone that he is who he says he is.  If he performs this public task, then no one will be uncertain.

  But God isn't someone to be manipulated, Jesus tells the devil.  There is still a role for faith.  Belief in God encourages us to dig in and learn everything we can, to ask big questions and seek answers, but we'll never have complete knowledge, because we are not equivalent to God.  God exists outside of time and space, so let us follow every thread, but there will always be a space for faith.  

Luke 4:5–8

Luke 4:5-8 

English Standard Version 

  Have you ever been tempted to take a shortcut?  In April 1980, Rosie Ruiz won the Boston Marathon, but it was later discovered that she'd joined the race about half a mile from the finish, having taken the subway to eliminate most of the bothersome running.  She wanted the glory, but wasn't going to put in the work to earn it.

  The devil offers Jesus the same shortcut -- a path to glory without the pain.  There's a part of all of us that wants this.  Shortcuts should make things easier.  And most of the time, who would know?  

  But Jesus lived with perfect integrity.  He wasn't willing to sacrifice that so that he could achieve glory more easily.  He was willing to pay the price to live the right way.  Thanks be to God -- this made him the perfect sacrifice.