Epiphany 4 Luke 4:31-44 Jesus the Priest
Jeremiah 1:4-17 1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13 Luke 4: 31-44
There was once a man who was very spiteful. Well this man was hateful, malicious, mean, down-right nasty, unpleasant, unkind, hurtful, and horrid! But most of all this man was spiteful. Now as you can imagine, this man was not well liked. Since he had very few friends, he tried to surround himself with things that would make him happy. One day he went out and bought himself a brand new luxury car which he really could not afford. People who did not know him would compliment him on his very beautiful and very expensive car. The fine-looking car made him happy and he took very good care of it. As a matter of fact he spent a great deal of time keeping it washed, waxed and running flawlessly.
He did however fail to make any of the car payments, not even one. Finally after many requests for payment, the bank sent him a notice that they were going to repossess his gorgeous car.
So the day before the bank was going to tow it away, he climbed on top of it and jumped up and down on the hood, the roof and the trunk, leaving big dents and small scratches on it. Then he got a hammer and dented in the sides. He hit all of the windows, taillights and headlights just enough to crack them. He spiked holes in the radiator, drained out the oil from the engine and ran it until it overheated. He took a small pocket knife and cut small holes in the interior of the car. He continued with his destruction until he had done as much damage as he could. Then he left it outside for the bank to take as the notice required.
Ever since that day and until the day of his death, whenever the man saw any employee of that bank, he would hurl insults and curses at them. Did I mention to you that this man was spiteful?
He reminds me of the spitefulness of the demon in our lesson for today. Let me read that part again.
“(Jesus) went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, "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." 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.” Luke 4:31-35 (ESV)
So Jesus enters into His Father’s house and He begins teaching the people the Good News about the kingdom of God. But unlike the Pharisees and teachers of the law who quote the teachings of Moses and the Prophets, Jesus is speaking with His own authority. Rather than speaking the teachings of others, Jesus speaks the Word of God firsthand. With His speaking, Our Lord is fulfilling His role as the great High Priest.
The demon who had taken possession of a man in the synagogue recognizes Jesus as the One who has supreme authority and power. He cries cried out with a loud voice, “I know who you are— the Holy One of God.” Now it is very rude and arrogant to yell in the synagogue, even if you are acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah. (If you don’t believe me, try it sometime.)
The evil spirit’s possession of the man is a direct assault upon God and His works of creation. Jesus as the great High Priest came to destroy the works of the devil, and Jesus had a right, therefore, to set free the man held captive. Nevertheless Satan still considers it an infringement of his rights when God frees a “sinner” from bondage and destroys his influence over their soul. So he still remains spiteful, malignant like a cancer and poisonous like a serpent who spreads his anger and strikes out viciously at all who come too close.
The demon was no different than his master. Still spiteful, though obliged to obey the divine will of God, the demon submits because he had to, not because he chose to. He exerted his last power, inflicted all the pain he could, and then bowed to the Son of God and came out. Although he sent the man into convulsions, (Mark 2:26) and threw him down in the midst of them, probably with the intention to take away his life, our Lord did not permit the spirit to injure him.
Whether it belongs to evil spirits or man himself, such is the nature of an evil disposition. Though compelled to obey and prevented by the command and divine intervention of God from doing the evil it desires, yet in seeming to obey, it does all the harm it can, and makes even the appearance of obedience the occasion for increased crime and misbehavior.
Demons and those possessed by evil have no choice in their wicked thoughts words and deeds. The word, iniquity is a noun which means gross injustice, a wicked act or thing; uneven, bent or twisted. Iniquity is the word that surely applies to demons and to sinful mankind. Demons and men who continue in iniquity will also continue to despise the power and authority of Jesus Christ. Demons are trapped forever in iniquity. Man however, has a way out.
Perhaps one of the reasons that people cling to iniquity so stubbornly is because they sense that once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with the painful realization of the wrongs they have done to those around them. In our epistle lesson Saint Paul calls those who continue to behave in hateful and spiteful conduct, ‘childish.’ For some, especially those who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior, it is very hard to swallow pride and admit sinfulness. Pride is what caused Satan to be cast out of heaven and stubbornness causes many people to persist in disobedience to God.
In contrast to Satan being cast down upon the earth in disobedience, hatred and spitefulness, Jesus came down from heaven in love and obedience to His Father. Jesus came to earth for the very purpose of paying the bills owed to the Father for your iniquities and sins.
Jesus took the bills for your sins and paid the cost with His very own body and blood so that you could be free from the guilt over your iniquities and to relieve you from the burden of sin.
When you humbly turn to Jesus in faith, believing that His death on the cross accomplished your salvation, you are enabled to confess your sins and ask that your debts be forgiven. He freely gives you pardon and peace to those who love Him. Jesus enables you to stand upright before Him as he removes your iniquities so that you are free to serve Him. In doing do, Jesus makes you Holy.
He makes you holy in your Baptism. Pastor Rosburg and Carrie, today we celebrate the baptism of little Ashton. At his baptism, Jesus cleansed his very soul. Just as the man possessed by a demon could not ask for help, little Ashton did not ask to be cleansed; neither one was in any position to save themselves. But because of your love for Aston, you brought Him into Christ’s presence and according to God’s promise Aston has been cleansed. But there will be days when you will wonder if the devil himself is still living inside your little boy. On those days remember to make the sign of the cross.
Luther says regarding baptism and making the sign of the cross, “It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.” You duty as parents is to help your son know that even though he is still a sinner, he has baptized into the kingdom of God and has been set aside for God’s work. Baptism saves all who do not reject it, from their first day until they are called into their home. But those who do not remember their baptism or reject it also reject the work of Jesus Christ and their own salvation.
Not only does Jesus set you aside for work in His kingdom by declaring you Holy in baptism, He also protects you from Satan with His baptismal mark on your forehead and on your heart. No demon can possess those who bear His mark. Only those who reject their baptism and invite evil into their lives can be touched by evil.
Saint Peter sums it all up for us, “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.”
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 3:13-21 (ESV)
Satan came to this world to destroy God’s creation. Jesus came into this world to repossess it from Him. You were not born into this world as a sinner, possessed by sin and under Satan’s control. Jesus came with power and authority to free you from sin and every evil. You are now free to live the life God intended for you to live. God does not mean you should live for yourselves only, but you are to a life giving glory to God, and to do good in the time given to you to be here on earth out of your love of Jesus Christ.
Evil Men; servants and worshippers of Satan will still taunt and harass you because of their hatred of Jesus Christ. But remember every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord; some to everlasting glory and others to everlasting condemnation. So until that day, let us live in faith, hope and love; as those possessed by Christ. In the Name of and to the glory of Jesus Christ, Amen.