Second Presbyterian Church

"I Must Preach the Good News:
Preaching From the Gospel of Luke"
February 29, 2004

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Sermons Homepage » Sermons for 2004 » Sermons for February 2004 » Sermons from the Series on Luke

#12 in the Series on Luke
The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.

• Psalm 110
• Luke 4: 31-44

Luke described Jesus as leaving Nazareth and going to Capernaum, which was located by the Sea of Galilee. As he did in Nazareth, Jesus went to the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching. Their astonishment was not like the rejection reaction that Jesus received in his hometown. The people in Capernaum were astonished at how much authority he had when he taught.

This may seem strange to us. Perhaps because we don't know what it is like to hear someone who teaches with authority. But Jesus had authority. He did not spend his time quoting some rabbinic authority. He just spoke what God, His Father, gave him to speak.

And when Jesus taught with authority; there were noticeable results. His authority included authority to cast out demons. His authority included authority over illnesses, such as fevers. His authority produced tangible results.

Our scripture passage for today includes three sections: casting out the unclean demon, healing Peter's mother-in-law (and the rest of the town's ill residents that evening) and Jesus proclaiming that he must preach the Gospel to other towns.

Now, the casting out of demons on the Sabbath at the synagogue had a couple important items about it. First of all, in a subtle way, Luke was developing the theme of opposition to Jesus by the religious leaders. And one of the aspects for which Jesus was criticized was healing on the Sabbath. Evidently it was illegal to do healings on the Sabbath; because doing healings was work and work was not to be done on the Sabbath. But this issue wasn't brought up during this particular Sabbath healing account.

The second item about this particular story is that Jesus cast out a confessing demon. The demon said to Jesus, "Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God."

And later that evening, after the Sabbath sunset, Jesus was healing the sick and casting out demons. Jesus would silence the demons, because they were crying out, "You are the Son of God!"

So, even as we venture further into the ministry of Jesus, the section about Jesus preaching and healing in Galilee, Luke's theme that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God came back to the surface. Before, Luke wrote it; the angels announced it; John the Baptist foretold it; and Jesus heard it from God at his baptism. This time it was confessed by the demons that were exorcised from the population.

Now, let me say a word or two about Simon's mother-in-law. This is the only place in the Bible (here and in the equivalent passages in Matthew and Luke) that gives evidence that Peter was married. One cannot have a mother-in-law without marriage, though there probably have been a few people who have vainly wished this could be the case! We do not know anything else, not even her name. All we know is that she had a high fever, Jesus was asked to cure her, he did cure her and she arose and waited on Jesus and others.

This story is the same message as the previous one about casting out the demon. And it is virtually the same message as the following where Jesus cures and cast out demons from all who came to him that evening.

The message is this: Jesus preached with authority. When he spoke there were results. Part of his message of the Good News of the Kingdom of God was that the reign of Satan was beginning to come to an end. With the casting out of demons; whether it was a demon of epilepsy, or a demon of schizophrenia, or a demon of a high fever; the coming of the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ was taking over the territory that had too long been in the hands of evil.

The preaching of the Gospel never goes without results, without bearing fruit. And Luke was showing us some of the first examples of what the Messiah would do; take the rule of evil out of people's lives.

Just words don't cut it. When speech is just speech, then it is empty of meaning and power. And that is the challenge for you and me, perhaps especially me, since I have been called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Does the Word of God produce results in our hearts? Do we let the healing Spirit of Christ enter our lives and cast out our demons of self-pity, nursed hurts, unresolved rage, uncomforted grief, or selfish pride?

Last Wednesday at our Lenten Luncheon Dr Vaughan spoke from Psalm 139. And in that message he spoke of how God knows us completely, even our inner-most thoughts and feelings. He knows those aspects of our lives for which we are secretly ashamed. God knows those secret, hidden thoughts of hatred or envy that we harbor.

If we insist that these hurts and thoughts remain hidden from God (From whom they are NOT hidden, just hidden from ourselves), if we insist upon not acknowledging those hurts and thoughts, then we keep our Lord and Savior at bay. It becomes difficult for the Word of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to work any change, or healing in our lives.

Jesus spoke with authority. He spoke with the authority of God. He was the Good News of God that came and dealt evil its mortal blow. None of us would be here this morning if this message of the Good News of the Kingdom of God had not touched our hearts at least a little bit! Amen.

The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.