January 14, 2020

Good Works for the Ani

Luke 4:31–44

Stephane Rovelo
Tuesday's Devo

January 14, 2020

Tuesday's Devo

January 14, 2020

Central Truth

Jesus not only talked about God's love, but He worked to show and share it with others as well. 

Key Verse | Luke 4:43

[B]ut he said to them, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose."

Luke 4:31–44

Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Demon

31 And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. 33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ha! 1 4:34 Or Leave us alone 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.” 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36 And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37 And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

Jesus Heals Many

38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.

40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

Jesus Preaches in Synagogues

42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea. 2 4:44 Some manuscripts Galilee

Footnotes

[1] 4:34 Or Leave us alone
[2] 4:44 Some manuscripts Galilee

Dive Deeper | Luke 4:31–44

So here we are with Jesus having just read from Isaiah 61:1-2 and proclaiming good news for the poor. The Hebrew word for poor, "ani", means more than just a person of low income. Ani can refer to social outcasts, those with disabilities, women, children, or those just generally oppressed. Jesus is emphasizing that the kingdom of God is particularly good news for these people.

What does Luke decide to write about next in verse 31 and following? He provides stories of Jesus demonstrating what the "good news" actually looks like in reality! Jesus heals a man oppressed by a demon, as well as Simon's sick mother-in-law and others who were "sick with various diseases." Jesus demonstrates the importance of not only knowing Scripture, but also letting our actions carry out God's love and wisdom.

Like Jesus, many of us know the good news and can probably even point to a specific Scripture verse explaining what the gospel is. But knowing is only half the battle! We are called to go out and share the good news with the world and show what it looks like. We might not be able to heal the sick or cast out demons on a regular basis, but we can represent God's love in simple actions such as cleaning up after ourselves, being present for people who are struggling, and even by loving those who don't seem super lovable (Matthew 5:46).

Luke chooses to focus his gospel on Jesus' parables and teachings, and he offers us insight into what it looks like to follow Jesus. The way the narrative is written also seems to point to an excellent lesson: following Jesus is a journey, and we learn as we go. Journeys are full of mistakes and unplanned setbacks. Gain what you can from each lesson and continue on! 

And for those of us who have not yet taken those first steps . . . won't you come along and join the journey?

Discussion Questions

1. To understand Luke 4:31-44, we must first read and understand the rest of Luke 4. In order to understand the rest of Luke 4, we need to read Isaiah 61:1-2 for some context on this verse. Isaiah is a prophet who warns about the eventual destruction of Israel, but he also explains that God would send a king from the line of David to establish His earthly kingdom. Why would Luke decide to use this moment to serve as a springboard for Jesus' public mission?

2. Luke 4:34 mentions a demon that claims to know who Jesus is. Taking this idea into consideration, is simply knowing the story of of Jesus enough to complete our salvation? Use John 5:24 for reference.

3. In Luke 4:43 we eventually see Jesus mention the need for Him to leave and preach the good news in other places because He was sent for that purpose. In Matthew 28:19-20, we see a similar calling coming from Jesus to His followers. What are some practical ways that you can answer the call?