Luke 4:20-32 * February 1, 2004 * Epiphany 4 * Pastor Pagels

In the name of Christ Jesus, dear friends:

The atmosphere in the upscale restaurant is lively. Thanks to the lunch crowd, every chair in the place is filled. The clicking of silverware and the buzz of conversation makes it very difficult to distinguish individual words. But it is possible to pick up on the conversation at a table in the middle of the dining area where the discussion is about financial matters.

One person expresses concerns about his stockbroker. Another regrets his inability to time the market. A third person wonders out loud if anyone can predict the future of the economy. The fourth and final person leans over the table and whispers: “My financial advisor is E.F. Hutton, and E.F. Hutton says…”

At that moment, everything in the room stops. People stop talking. Waiters stop serving. The only movement comes from people stretching and leaning over as far as possible to hear what this person is about to say.

Maybe you recognize this commercial or others like it from the early 1980s. If you remember the ad campaign, there is a good chance you also remember the slogan that went along with it: “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.”

It was the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. He had just completed a successful preaching tour of Galilee. Everyone praised this new teacher and his new teaching, and he was beginning to attract a following.

As Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth, the excitement continued to build. People were proud of their hometown hero. They wanted to hear him too, so they invited him to speak in the synagogue on the Sabbath.

As Jesus stood up, he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19).

As Jesus took his seat, the room was completely silent. Every eye was fixed on him. Every ear was eager to hear him. But this was no commercial. This was real. And the anticipation of the people of Nazareth demonstrates this important spiritual truth…

WHEN JESUS TALKS, PEOPLE LISTEN

I. A message that brings initial popularity

II. A message that creates intense hostility

III. A message that possesses divine authority

Nazareth was not an important place. Not many people lived there. Not much happened there. So when Jesus came along, it was big news. The headline in the paper might have read something like this; “Local Boy Does Good.”

What good had Jesus done? He had gone from town to town in Galilee teaching in the synagogues. He had performed any number of miracles along the way. The people of Nazareth wanted to hear about his experiences, every miraculous detail. And so they invited him to speak on the Sabbath.

It is not a surprise that Jesus was willing to address the people. Teaching was an important part of his ministry. It is not a surprise that Jesus stood up and read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Scripture reading was a regular part of a synagogue service. But what Jesus said after he sat down came as a huge surprise to everyone in the room. He declared: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (21).

Who wouldn’t want to hear good news? Who would ever argue against the blind being able to see? What kind of person would try to prevent the oppressed from gaining their freedom? If Jesus was proclaiming that this year was the year of the Lord’s favor, who would be opposed to that?

Maybe they were in shock. Maybe they didn’t understand what Jesus meant. Maybe they felt they had to say something. Whatever the people were thinking, this is what they were saying: “All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips” (22).

Jesus’ message brought him initial popularity. He was treated like a celebrity. He was the topic of conversation in the marketplace. And at least at the beginning of his address, the people held him in high esteem.

And I think that we can find some parallels today. There are plenty of people in the world who have only a limited knowledge of Jesus Christ. They don’t believe that Jesus is God. They don’t believe that Jesus is a Savior. But the same people aren’t necessarily looking to bash Jesus either. He is held up as a moral leader, a model citizen, a great teacher.

On a certain level, what Jesus says has a broad appeal. “Don’t worry. Don’t judge other people. Come to me for rest.” But when you go beneath the service, when you dig a little deeper, when Jesus starts to poke his nose into your personal business, when Jesus tells you that you are doing things you shouldn’t be doing and that you aren’t doing the things you should be doing, it doesn’t take long for that initial popularity to disappear. Jesus experienced that personally. As he continued to speak to the people, his message created intense hostility.

When we read this story, we have to remember that Jesus has an ability we don’t have. He can read people’s minds. He can see into people’s hearts. He knew the people wanted something. He knew they were looking for a miracle. This helps us understand what Jesus was talking about when he said: “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum’” (23).

The people of Nazareth thought they were special. Not only were they Jews, not only were they God’s chosen people, they were family. They knew Mary and Joseph. They watched Jesus grow up. Because Jesus a Nazarene, because Jesus was one of them, he owed them. And a miracle would be a good place to start.

“I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his hometown” (24). With these words, Jesus began to explain how wrong they were. He used two Old Testament illustrations to make his point.

In the time of Elijah, there was a severe drought in Israel, a drought that lasted over three years and caused a severe famine in the land. Instead of sending Elijah to help the thousands of needy people at home, God sent him into enemy territory to help a widow in Sidon. Not long after that Elisha succeeded Elijah as prophet. In Elisha’s day there was no shortage of sick people in Israel, but God chose to heal Naaman, the commander of the neighboring Syrian army.

What was the point? In no uncertain terms, Jesus was telling the people: “I don’t owe you anything. God didn’t send me to entertain you. God sent me to save you. And not just you either. My mission is a worldwide mission. The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost, no matter who they are or where they live.”

This time there was no confusion. This time the people understood exactly what Jesus was saying. And their intense emotion moved them to immediate action: “All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff” (29).

Within minutes, the same people who were amazed by Jesus were trying to kill Jesus. Maybe the reaction is not exactly the same, maybe the hatred is more controlled, but God’s message continues to create intense hostility today.

How many of you have heard of “The Passion?” This is the movie directed by Mel Gibson that is scheduled to be released on Ash Wednesday (February 25^th). With what passes for entertainment today, with the sex and violence that has become the standard for Hollywood, it is interesting that this little movie about Jesus has stirred up such a firestorm of controversy.

It is interesting, but it should not be surprising. Hatred of God’s Word isn’t limited to the entertainment industry. Hostility toward the message of Jesus is not exclusive to groups like Freedom From Religion. The hate starts in here. The fire burns inside sinful human hearts. “What gives God the right to dictate to me? I’m better than so-and-so. I go to church. I give my offerings. I do more good than bad. Punish me? If anything, God owes me.”

God says: “What gives you the right to dictate to me? I know what you did last week. I know what you said last night. I know what you are thinking every minute of every day, and you and I both know that I don’t like what I see. The truth is that you aren’t as good as you think you are. You aren’t good enough. You are not good at all.”

We don’t want to hear that. We don’t want to admit that. We don’t want to draw the personal conclusion to passages like “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The natural defense mechanism is to fight back, to excuse sin, to deny accountability, to react to the truth with aggression instead of confession.

The good news is that Jesus foiled the plans of the people. When they tried to kill him, “Jesus walked right through the crowd and went on his way” (30). Jesus’ miraculous escape confirms the fact that his message possesses divine authority.

Jesus made his way to Capernaum and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. The procedure was basically the same, but this time the results were very different: “They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority” (32).

Jesus didn’t attract large crowds because of his speaking style. Jesus gathered a following because of the substance of his message. People were amazed at his teaching because his teaching was amazing.

Every other religion in the world tells you what you need to do. Jesus tells you what he has done for you. Every other religion puts the burden on the individual. Jesus put the burden on his cross. Every other religion strives to help people find God. Jesus gives you the assurance that God has found you.

The message of Jesus Christ is unique because it isn’t a message about God. It is a message from God. And this is what he says: “I love you. I love you so much that I gave up my life for you. Remember all those sins you committed. They’re gone. You are forgiven. You are mine. Trust in me now, and join me in heaven.”

Chances are that you haven’t heard much about E.F. Hutton lately. There is a good reason for that. Ironically, the company that built its business on a foundation on honesty and integrity in the early 80s went bankrupt only a few years later because of corporate fraud.

It has been two thousand years since Jesus left this earth, and his name continues to be proclaimed throughout the world. We are living proof. We have gathered in God’s house. We have gathered in God’s name. We have gathered to hear God’s Word. And the fact that we are here today only confirms what we already know to be true. When Jesus talks, people listen. Amen.