LLM Residential 2: Jesus’ First Sermon

Jesus’ First Sermon: Luke 4.14-30

^14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. ^15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

^16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. ^17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

^18 “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, ^19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”

^20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, ^21 and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

^22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

^23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your home town what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’ ”

^24 “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his home town. ^25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. ^26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. ^27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

^28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. ^29 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 down the cliff. ^30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

1. Jesus we are sharing in/continuing his story/ministry; taking people to him
in the power of His Spirit
as LLMs esp. in teaching and preaching. Wow!
Am I making much of Jesus?
Am I in Christ, and is he in me and my preaching? “Sir, we would see Jesus.”

2. Synagogue Jesus went to church! Took it seriously. Concerned for people
and got both bouquets and brickbats
Am I in love with the people I am preaching to?
Am I aware of their needs, or playing out my own?

3. Scroll Jesus opened it, literally and spiritually; words of life for then and now
Am I using the Scriptures properly?
Am I reading me into them, or them into me? Eisegesis and exegesis

4. Good News Jesus offers good news not just for hearers but world, poor, …
About the Kingdom coming; church a means not an end
Is this sermon Good News?
Will the people be encouraged in their faith? Salt/yeast/light for the world

5. Heal yourself Jesus accepted challenge of effect of his ministry on his life
Crucial role of our own spirituality
Is ‘who I am’ preaching the same message as ‘what I say’?
Is my sermon converting me first? The bass line

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