Luke 5:15-26

     Although Jesus clearly tried at times to restrain people from sharing the news of the way he had healed them, the news spread anyway. Luke told how people came in great crowds to seek healing. In 5:16, Luke mentions, almost in passing, that he would go away to lonely places so that he could pray.
     This is not the only place where we know that Jesus sought solitude for prayer and rest. It is a powerful expression of his humanness. He needed time to himself for rest and renewal just as evhe was eryone does. Actually taking that time is an expression of his wisdom. It can also be called stewardship. To act selflessly does not require stupidity nor the inability to take time for rest and spiritual revitalization. Jesus made sure he sought the source of strength so that he could give fully to the people who needed him.
      After this, Luke’s telling of Jesus’ story shifts the scene from lonely places to a town, inside a home. His reputation has spread enough that teachers and Pharisees from many areas have come to talk with him. As he talked with them, a group of men came carrying a friend who was paralyzed. They couldn’t get into the house where Jesus was because the crowd was too much and, apparently, no one was making way for them and the need of their friend. Undaunted, the friends made their way up on the roof, lifted tiles out of the way, probably digging a hole in the roof. Then they left their friends down into the room in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw the faith of the friends, he said to the man that his sins were forgiven.
     This was a surprise to the people in the room, perhaps also to the man and his friends. After all, they’d come for their friend to be healed, not forgiven. Of course, some people believed that illness or other misfortune was due to sin. Even today, there are strands of thought that tend to interpret problems as the fault of the sufferer. This wasn’t the theology of Jesus, who once said that the rain falls on the just and the unjust.
      The words of Jesus provoked a controversy and an important discussion with the teachers and Pharisees concerning the authority of Jesus. Yet, Jesus surely was not saying this to the man to begin a theological discussion. He cared too much about people to simply use them. He must have recognized a need in the paralyzed man for forgiveness. The fact that he was unfortunate enough to be paralyzed did not make him sinless. (Some theologians have interpreted statements such as “blessed are the poor” as though this means the poor or suffering is equitable with righteousness. What it does indicate is God’s concern for those who are powerless. Israelite society was always and consistently called to give aid to the same, summed up in the widow, the orphan and the sojourner in the land. )
     We don’t know what the sins were that the paralyzed man might have on his conscience. There is no particular suggestion here that his paralysis could be the result of it.  Nor is there a suggestion that could necessarily be intepreted that it was a psychosomatic condition.
      Any further healing of the man is delayed by the ire of many who were listening. Only God has the authority to forgive sins, they mutter to each other. Jesus was a master of human psychology and clearly understood the looks on their faces, their body language and the odd word he may have overheard. He posed a simple question. Was it easier to say ‘sins are forgiven’ or to heal of man of his paralysis? After all, words are easy. A charlatan could speak of forgiveness and who could prove him wrong?  But if a man who is paralyzed is told to get up and walk, then it demonstrates the Son of Man’s authority to forgive. Then Jesus told the man that he should rise, pick up his bed and walk.
      This was exactly what the man did, praising God for all he was worth. Everyone who saw it was equally impressed and praised God for what they had seen.
       In the excitement of the healing and the question of authority for forgiveness, the presence of the friends must not be forgotten. They came, carrying their friend, willing to go to any lengths in order to help him. While Jesus did not always require faith as a requirement to healing, in this case we’re told that the faith of the friends was important to Jesus.


In what way could you carry friends and family to Jesus?


Could your faith create movement for good in the world?


What kind of healing would true understanding of forgiveness make in your life?

Luke 5:12-15

     A leper saw Jesus and threw himself down before him, begging for help. Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. Jesus touched him. There is probably nothing that would match the shock of this statement for the original readers of Luke’s words. No one touched lepers, not voluntarily. They were considered unclean, the farthest end of unclean. People feared lepers, but also judged them as unfit for society.
     Any skin condition could be called leprosy. A wall, with mold or some other fungus might also be termed leprous and unclean. Since some skin conditions and disease did heal over time, there was a procedure and ritual by which a “leper” could be readmitted to society. Leprosy, such as we know it today, did not heal. Also known as Hansen’s disease, it was progressive, debilitating, painful and disfiguring. The causes were unknown and anyone suffering from it was shunned. To this day it carries a stigma; in Jesus’ lifetime, it was extreme. The leper who approached Jesus was most likely suffering from Hansen’s Disease.
      Lepers were loathsome, even to themselves. It must have taken tremendous faith in the power and personality of Jesus for this man to approach him and proclaim his faith in the ability of Jesus to cleanse him. Jesus was willing and the man was healed.
     Jesus told the man to tell no one. He was to show himself to the priest and bring the offering for the cleansing, according to the law, to show that he was cured.
     On a number of occasions, Jesus told people no to tell others about the healing (except for the appropriate priest on this occasion). As noted in another study, this probably seems strange in a time when publicity is craved and notoriety is often considered desirable. Why not get all the word-of-mouth advertising possible? Especially about miracles of healing that no one had ever been able to accomplish. Yet it’s plain that miracles did not always produce faith. The disciples, who saw more than anyone, still struggled and doubted. The compassion of Jesus led him to heal, yet his real mission has already been explained—to tell the good news of God. There were also charlatans who traveled the country-side promising healings they couldn’t deliver. Jesus certainly wouldn’t have wanted to be confused with any of these. He might also have been cautious about his central calling being lost in the reputation as a miracle worker.
      Despite his best efforts, Jesus was unable to keep a low profile. The word spread all the more. Crowds came to him to listen and to be healed. They sensed that he could make a genuine difference in their lives and in the life of the world.


Have you ever felt ‘unclean’ or otherwise unacceptable?
What kind of healing would you ask for from Jesus?
What difference do you believe Jesus can make in your life and that of the world?

Luke 5:1-11

     It’s a simple scene. Jesus is standing by the sea of Galilee talking to a crowd of people. Two boats are riding close to shore, probably tied to keep them from drifting, although we’re not given that detail. The fishermen are on shore washing their nets. We’re not told whether they had ever heard Jesus before his, but it’s often thought that they did.
     One of the boats belonged to Simon (Peter), which means that the other boat possibly belonged to James and John, the sons of Zebedee, for they were partners in the fishing business. It’s hard to know, since someone, unnamed, was later in the boat with Simon. The men were tired; they’d fished all night without any luck, now they were washing their nets. They probably listened as Jesus talked with the people.
     The people were probably crowded close. It was hard for everyone to see him. So he got into Simon’s boat and asked him to push off a little from shore. Since the lake shore probably rose a little from the water, this would let the people see him as he talked. He sat down and continued.
     When he was finished, Jesus told Simon to go into the deep water and let down his nets for a catch. Simon is doubtful. They’d worked all night to no avail. But he’ll do it if that’s what Jesus wants. This time the net is so full the nets begin to tear, so he signals for the other boat to come and even the two boats can hardly contain the catch.
     At this, Simon Peter falls down at Jesus’ and asks Jesus to depart because Peter is a sinful man. Matthew tells about a similar event with Peter, when Peter grabs Jesus around the knees and asks him to leave.) Peter here isn’t the only one who feels the awe at the catch (and likely at the wise teachings they’d overheard), James and John experience the same wonder.
     Jesus tells Simon that from now on, he’ll be catching people.
     When they come to shore, they leave their boats and nets and fish and follow Jesus.
      Luke doesn’t actually say that the catch of fish was a miracle. As Barclay points out, the Sea of Galilee (also know as Tiberias and the Lake of Gennasaret) could have vast shoals of fish. With a keen eye, Jesus might have spotted one of these. Of more significance is Peter’s decision to do as Jesus suggested. Peter was a strong man. The tradition passed down about him is that he was the best fisherman on the lake. He was also impulsive and didn’t always think things through. (For example, telling a man on a boat to “depart from him,” –where was Jesus going to go? Or hanging onto the knees of a man who he’d asked to leave. Nonetheless, Peter was strong and able. He probably was not the most highly educated man in town. Most Jewish men at the time could read and write to some extent, but as a fisherman, Peter would have had little opportunity or purpose in being a scholar. To follow Jesus was a huge step. It meant leaving a thriving business and venturing out of his comfort zone of ability and financial success.
      In Simon Peter, Jesus must have seen qualities of leadership. Luke doesn’t tell us there was a specific word to James and John, but they felt the pull nonetheless, for they all went together to follow Jesus—and all became part of the twelve with whom Jesus spent particular time teaching.
      Barclay makes another interesting point. When Peter agreed to let down the nets, the night was past, and night was the best time for fishing. He still gave it an effort. Barclay reminds us that if we spend our time waiting for the perfect opportunity, we will never begin at all.
     This is reminiscent of a story about a mission group who sent word to a missionary. They said, “Are the roads built yet? We have workers ready to join you as soon as the road is finished.” The missionary wrote back and said, “Don’t send them. We only need people who are willing to come even if there isn’t a road.”

Are there things in your life that you are using as a reason for holding back on Jesus?
Since Jesus eventually gave all his followers the call to fish (make disciples), in what ways are you fulfilling the call?

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?

Luke 4:31-40

     It is unknown how large Nazareth was. Barclay assumes, from the description of it as a polis, that it could be as many as twenty thousand. Other estimates see it as having far fewer inhabitants, perhaps several hundred. Regardless of its size, it may not have been an isolated backwater. But it was not highly regarded by the rest of Israel. This may have made Jesus’ positive comment regarding Gentiles (see last week’s study), even more difficult to take. It’s difficult to be disregarded, but Israelites always had the consolation of being a people in special relationship with God.
     From his visit in Nazareth, Jesus went to Capernaum. The Interpreter’s Bible Commentary reports that it has been identified with a site on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. In New Testament times it would have been an important point on the trade route from Ptolemais to Damascus. It would also have been a port for maritime trade. This would have made it a strategic location for the ministry of Jesus. Luke reports (7:5) that the synagogue in Capernaum was built by an officer in the Roman army.
     It was the custom of Jesus to teach in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The people were impressed by the fact that he taught with authority.
     Then Jesus is confronted by a man who is afflicted with demon possession. We see little evidence of believe in demon possession in the Old Testament, but it was widespread in the days of Jesus. The modern reader may dismiss such stories because few still believe in demon possession. It is unknown whether Jesus thought demons were real or simply didn’t challenge the belief amongst his contemporaries. In such cases Jesus seemed far more interested in results than in causes. The ‘demon’ came out of the man without causing any harm to him.
     Jesus did not restrict his ministry to calling people to moral or spiritual renewal. He met people where their needs were, and called his followers to do the same.
     The response of the people was again astonishment, for Jesus dealt with ‘demons’ or ‘unclean spirits’ with the same authority with which he had taught. His fame again began to spread.
     The next thing we hear is a simple story about an individual woman. We’re told that he left the synagogue and came to Simon’s (Peter) house. Simon’s mother was ill with a high fever and “they” asked him to do something about it. Many translations tells us that he ‘rebuked’ the fever. The fever left her and she got up to provide the hospitality that would have been so important to a woman of that (and most) eras.
     The word got out that there was a man who could help, so by the time the sun was setting, the sick were flocking in for Jesus to lay his hand upon them and heal them.
     When reading modern descriptions of many mental illnesses, it is not hard to understand why people of Jesus’ day found ‘demons’ to be a logical cause. Perhaps even for some physical illnesses. Illness itself feels foreign to the natural condition. Whether you call a harmful psychological condition, bacteria, fungus, virus or mutant cell by a scientific name or a ‘demon,’ we could still say they are invaders that we want to have ‘cast out’ of us.

Some things to think about:

Although most physical illnesses are no longer considered ‘socially unacceptable,’ the same cannot be said of certain psychological or emotional conditions. Some people of faith find it difficult even to disclose that they suffer from depression. Other conditions become more difficult. A prominent actress in the past few years won admiration for sharing stories of her sister’s struggle with mental illness. Some other actors and actresses have in the past decade or so made public their own bipolar disorders. So, could it be said that a so-called ‘demon’ today is the stigma that some people feel is attached to such illnesses. Are there ways that people of faith can allow Jesus to cast out the inappropriate attitudes and allow healthier and more compassionate ones to take their place? What physical illnesses might have the same need?

In what ways can people of faith meet people at the point of their need?

How can the modern individual respond to stories in the gospels that don’t match a scientific world view? How can the person of faith respond to those who would reject the whole of the bible because it portrays belief in things that science has disproven?

Luke 4:16-30

     In these early days of Jesus’ ministry, everyone began by thinking well of him. He was engaged from the start in a traveling ministry, going to various towns and teaching in the synagogues. During the course of this, he came to his home town of Nazareth. He may not have been living still living there; he seems to have moved to Capernaum. But Nazareth was the place where he’d been known as a child. It was a small place; everyone probably knew each other. Anyone who’s had the experience of being away from the childhood circle and then returning, may be able to sympathize with the circumstances. After all, when Jesus stood up to read in the Nazareth synagogue, he was facing people who’d seen his scraped knees, heard his mother telling him to be sure and get home in time for supper, and who saw his first childhood attempts to handle wood as Joseph taught him the carpentry trade.
     Upon Jesus’ visit to Nazareth, it was the Sabbath and it was his custom to attend synagogue worship on the Sabbath day. This comment frequently goes unnoticed, but prayer and public worship were habits for Jesus, not anomalies.
     It was the custom to stand for reading of the scriptures, then to sit while giving the sermon or commentary. The scroll would have been handed to him by the Chazzan or attendant of the synagogue. Jesus unrolled the scroll (no convenient books at that time), and chose which portion to read from Isaiah. There were no chapters and verses, these were added later to help people find things in the bible. Today we would cite the portions that Jesus read as Isaiah 61:1,2 and 58:6.
     When Jesus sat down after reading from the scroll, Luke says that all eyes were fixed on him. This could indicate an ordinarily attentive congregation, but might equally show the expectation of people who’d heard the rumors about Jesus from neighboring communities. Jesus told them this scripture had been fulfilled in their hearing. This is all that Luke reports, but perhaps there was more. In any case, the people were impressed by the quality of his words. They spoke well of him, but were confounded also. After all, this was the boy they’d seen grow up—Joseph’s son. How could one of their own be something special? (Perhaps they were influenced by their own bad ‘press.’ It seems to have even been something of a proverb, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
     Again, more may have been said than is recorded by Luke. Jesus’ words show that he was either responding to additional comments, or that he discerned something of their feelings, for Jesus was a master in understanding human beings. He first quotes a proverb to them, that they would say, ‘doctor, cure yourself.’
     Proverbs are often difficult to understand outside the culture in which they originated. For example, the proverb from one African culture says, ‘the Marsh antelope says the marsh is under water.’ This phrase likely means little without its cultural context to explain it. It comes from a story where the Marsh antelope warns that the marsh is under water, but the other animal doesn’t believe him. The proverb intends to advise people to pay attention to those who know what they’re talking about. A modern example would be “dog in a manger.” Growing up hearing it, we know what it means without explanation. Imagine how it would seem to someone who’d never heard it before. Thus, ‘Doctor cure yourself,’ might seem relatively straightforward, but there could be cultural subtext we’re missing. The people could have been saying, ‘you’ve got a problem. You think you’re something special, but you’re as ordinary as the rest of us, so cure yourself of this delusion.” But it could also have been a challenge to prove himself. That seems to be the weight of what Jesus believes they are privately saying or thinking, that he should do in his hometown the same things they’re saying he was doing in Capernaum. There is irony in Jesus’ statement that no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. Today we might also remember our proverb/saying that familiarity breeds contempt.
     The story Jesus tells about two foreigners receiving help in time of crisis when Israelites did not. This enraged the people in the synagogue. Luke reports that they tried to kill him, but he escaped. Matthew merely says that their unbelief kept Jesus from doing great things in Nazareth. While it seems unlikely that everyone in his home town would participate in mob violence, he clearly won little acceptance there. It is also unknown whether he ever re-visited his hometown before his death.
     The scripture Jesus chose deals with tremendous concerns – good news to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight, freedom for the oppressed, and the acceptable year of the Lord. Some of it is reminiscent of his parable of the sheep and the goats where he says feeding and clothing people, giving drink to the thirsty and visiting the imprisoned is the same as doing it for him. From Nazareth, Jesus engaged in an active ministry that included healing and calls to justice. (See also Matthew 11:4,5).

What do you suppose Jesus meant by saying this scripture was fulfilled?


Have your ideas ever been dismissed because people knew you too well?


How can his followers today help to continuing fulfillment of Isaiah’s words?

Luke 4:14-15

     These two verses tell us about the beginning of Jesus' ministry.  He had a great sense of God's spirit and power as he returned to Galilee.  People started talking about him.  Jesus began teaching in the synagogues and Luke tells us that he was praised by everyone.
      A brief interlude before opposition began.  Jesus, of course, was always loved by more people than he was hated.  But those who disliked him had the power and the disposition to work for his death.  At this point, that is three years or so in the future.  He was accepted as a teacher in the synagogues, which might be why some scholars have suggested he was considered a Pharisee.  (The speculation has been that this is why the Pharisees were so angry with him; they felt he'd turned against his own). 
     As this is written, it is the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter.  It seems strange to look back in his ministry and see a time before controversy, before any talk of opposition and crucifixion.  In the musical, Jesus Christ, Superstar, there is a haunting song that Mary Magdalene and the disciples sing after his arrest.  They ask the question, 'could we start again, please?'  No doubt, as the slow weary day after the crucifixion passed, their thoughts did turn back to the time when the reports were all good.  They considered the excitement of getting to know this remarkable man.  How amazing to think he wanted them as disciples!  They thought that, now, it had all come to this...his agonizing death upon a cross.  Judas, who might have found forgiveness for his actions, could only despair and take his life.  The rest of them hid in fear, depression and grief.
      But as it turns out...the good beginning was outshone by the glory of Easter.

What do you feel is important to remember when going through difficult times?