Luke 4:41-44

     Among the healings accomplished were more viewed as demons leaving the suffering. Luke tells us that Jesus rebuked them and wouldn’t let them speak because they knew who he was.
     We live in an era of mass communication where billions are spent in advertising, and many people hope to go ‘viral’ on their blogs, Facebook, twitter, etc. And some of these are not for notoriety, but for good and wholesome causes. One example is a young couple who’s blog recently became overwhelming popular as they share details of their infant daughter’s life—a life that will be cut off within 18 months from a genetic condition. They hope to raise awareness of the condition that is the number one genetic killer of infant children. The Monterey United Methodist Church and most churches on the net would appreciate becoming well-known and expand their witness through the Internet or other modern forms of communication.
     Because of the era in which modern people live, the attempt of Jesus to keep a low profile may seem strange. Although he doesn’t explain it here, we can only presume that his reasons were good and appropriate to the specific circumstances in which his ministry took place.
     He appears to have been talking with the people and responding to their needs throughout the night. At daybreak he went to a deserted place. He did this periodically, for rest and prayer. Not only is this a reminder of his human needs. The importance of taking time for renewal is modeled by Jesus. He took time for rest, for prayer and reflection. Not that he was selfish about it. When people came to him and interrupted the time he had found, he still responded to their needs. The people came to him here also; they must have sensed that he was planning to leave the region and wanted to prevent him from doing so. His response was that he needed to proclaim good news of God to the other cities of Judea also because he was ‘sent for this purpose.”
     Jesus sometimes spoke words that were difficult to hear. He was honest about injustice, about the wrong of some people having enough to eat while others had none. He punctured the pretensions of hypocrisy. Those who were self-righteous and judgmental found themselves unapproved by God.
     If honestly read and applied, no one will find themselves made comfortable by Jesus’ words and example. Yet he declared as his purpose the proclaiming of good news. And who can deny that this is exactly what he proclaimed in his words and in his person, life, death and resurrection? He talked not just about life, but abundant life. He promised a thief that he would be with him that day in paradise. His cross is a sign of love everlasting. The empty tomb shone a light that shines as brightly today as it did twenty centuries ago.

What does this all say about the nature of the good news of God?


To be defined as good news, does it necessarily have to make us feel good all the time?