Sunday School Lesson for January 17, 2021 - Called in Authority - Mark 2:1-12 NASB

 Mark 2:1 NASB

1 When Jesus came back to Capernaum a few days later, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer space, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them.

Jesus was preaching throughout Galilee with great success. People were being healed, demons were being cast out, even lepers were ceiling cleansed. And.. the Gospel was being preached. The response was so overwhelmingly positive that Jesus would have to leave the cities and retire to the countryside to find peace, to recharge, to commune with His Father in heaven. It is after one such Sabbatical that Jesus ‘comes back’ to Capernaum. 

Take a moment. Israel was a theocracy. It always has been. What was so different about the religious message of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day .vs the Gospel of the Kingdom that Jesus preached? Very simply, the message of the religious leaders, over time, had devolved into a message based on a system of bartering. In essence, an exchange. An exchange that no one could live up to. It was ‘Do something to Be something” or, “Do something to Get something.” And, as it turned out, very few people could live up to the standard put forward by religious leaders who had effectively ‘monetized’  their message. 

Jesus' message was simple: “Come to me all ye that are burdened and heavy laden and I will give you rest. His presentation was of God, who looks down from Heaven and … cares. That message, that “Gospel”, that ‘Good News’, if you will, did not require an offering from those who had nothing, but offered healing, deliverance, and hope to all who simply believed and received His message of faith. Take, for example, the following episode…

Matthew 11:28-30 NASB

28 “Come to Me, all [v]who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find [w]rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.”

---------

Mark 2:3 NASB

3 And some people *came, bringing to Him a man who was paralyzed, carried by four men.

Oftentimes, when a department store is going out of business, they have what is called a ‘CLEARANCE’ sale. What normally happens is the prices of normally very expensive items are ‘slashed’ drastically in order to empty the store of all inventory before the store closes permanently. During these ‘CLEARANCE’ sales, a sense of urgency develops in the community because people want to take advantage of the reduced prices in order to purchase a previously unaffordable item. Additionally, time is critical because once the item is sold, it won’t be replaced. So it’s important to get in early to take advantage of the ‘CLEARANCE’ sale. 

I imagine that something like that was going through the minds of many who were following Jesus throughout Galilee. The ‘Windows of Heaven’ had suddenly opened with the preaching of this young Nazarene. Suddenly, God was ‘hearing’ the pleas of those who previously had no voice because they could not find favor in the current religious system. Who could know how long such an outpouring of miracles would last? There was a sense of urgency that developed in the community. They sought out the Master with an expectancy that their pleas to Heaven would be heard. Such was the expectancy of the four men who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus. They fully expected that if they could get him to Jesus, he would be healed.

Mark 2:4 NASB

 4 And when they were unable to [a]get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof [b]above Him; and after digging an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralyzed man was lying.

Such was the urgency of the four friends of the paralytic, that when they were confronted with a crowd so large that they might never get to Jesus, they came up with a bold plan, they would remove the roof and lower their friend in. Sounds like something out of a movie, doesn’t it? Again, what do we observe here? Urgency. Expectation. Faith!

Mark 2:5 NASB

5 And Jesus, seeing their faith, *said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Imagine the smile across Jesus' face. Right away, He recognizes something in the men and their paralytic friend that He recognized in Abraham, in Jacob, in Joseph and David. In Elijah and Elishah. Faith. The same faith that had felled giants, called down fire from Heaven, freed the Israelites from Egypt. Yes, Jesus immediately recognized … their faith and responded accordingly. “Son, your sins are forgiven!” Now, imagine how sweet those words were to Jesus’ hearers, particularly the four friends and the paralytic. The forgiveness of sin is a benefit to every citizen of Heaven, the inheritance of every ‘son of the King’. This was understood by every son and daughter of Abraham, every soul born of Israel. These words or something like them were the reasonable outcome for any who called on the name of the Lord, based on the lessons learned from the observations taken from the annual celebration of Day of Atonement. Lessons associated with the recent celebration of the beginning of this Year of Jubilee. Israel’s history was rife with the concept of restoration to ‘sonship’. The forgiveness of sin signaled restoration to right covenant relationship to God by his people. Literally a gift, with everlasting consequences, from God.

Mark 2:6-7 NASB

6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking it over in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God alone?”

Before you give the scribes and religious leaders a hard time, take a moment to get the setting. The scribes and religious leaders are gathering from two separate areas. Some are from the local synagogue and some are from Jerusalem. What you find typically, is that the local religious leaders have a symbiotic relationship with both the local roman sentries who are assigned to northern Israel and, interestingly, with Jesus.

sym·bi·ot·ic

adjectiveBIOLOGY

1. involving interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association.
   "the fungi form symbiotic associations with the roots of plant species"

• denoting a mutually beneficial relationship between different people or groups.
  "the reader can have a symbiotic relationship with the writer"

It has been my observation that the three conflicting entities, the Romans, the religious leaders, and Jesus got along better the further they were from Jerusalem. When you take verses six and seven in that context, you see that there is no outright rebuke of Jesus' proclamation of forgiveness, but rather, a quiet inward reflection that what they are seeing and hearing does not align with what they understand from their years of study of the Holy Scriptures. These are scribes. They are the equivalent of religious ‘lawyers’. They were the experts at interpreting Scripture. What Jesus is doing, according to their understanding, is blasphemy. In their eyes, Jesus is diminishing the authority of God by making himself ‘equal’ with God. Blasphemy.

Mark 2:8 NASB

8 Immediately Jesus, aware [c]in His spirit that they were thinking that way within themselves, *said to them, “Why are you thinking about these things in your hearts?

Jesus immediately discerns their unspoken thoughts. Rather than strike an adversarial pose, Jesus simply questions the thoughts that cloud their hearts. Similarly, when faced with a situation that challenges our faith, the Holy Spirit challenges us to remove the obstacles of our faith and simply believe. Any test of our faith is an opportunity for a ‘teachable moment’.

Mark 2: 9 NASB

9 Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He *said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet, and go home.”

In order to ‘teach’ the teachers, Jesus poses a question, a thought experiment, if you will. 

“Which is easier to say to the paralytic man?”

1. ‘Your sins are forgiven’

2. ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’?

Thoughts?

1. To say, “Your sins are forgiven” is to say, “You are hereby restored to your rightful place as an heir to the richness of your Father’s Kingdom. You are a son of Abraham and, as such, you have the right to receive the promises and blessings of Abraham. Example:

Luke 13:16 NASB

16 And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for [g]eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this restraint on the Sabbath day?” 

2. To say, “Get up, take up your pallet and walk” is to say something so fantastical that it boggles the mind. “Rise up and be healed”. How many people do you know that will speak those words, fully believing that what they say will come to pass? Example:

Acts 3:6-7 NASB

 6 But Peter said, “I do not have silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!” 7 And grasping him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened.

Can you see how Example A would be so much easier to operate in from a faith standpoint for most believers? Beloved, our job is to bless. To speak God’s blessings upon a dying world.. Can you understand how, that in order for you to complete your holy assignment here on earth, God will give you the tools and the ability to do His will on earth? Do we understand the power that God has bestowed upon His children by virtue of the spoken word? 

But, can you see how both Example A and Example B accomplish identical results when spoken in faith? Listen Beloved, Jesus’ words never, ever fall to the ground void. Did he have to say, “Take up your bed and walk” because, “Son, your sins are forgiven” wouldn’t work? Of course not. In this teachable moment, Jesus was giving His ‘students’ options. One way, or the other, the paralytic was going to be healed. Surely you agree.

Since I have gone here, let me give you a little more to work with. This recounting of the healing of the paralytic is recorded in Matthew and in Luke. Let’s take a look at Luke’s rendering…

Luke 5:17 NASB

17 [f]One day He was teaching, and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the Law sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing.

Notice that the Scripture says, “the power of the Lord was present for Him (Jesus) to heal. This word ‘power’ is translated from the Greek, ‘dü'-nä-mes”, which is the very same power promised to every believer after the promise of the Holy Spirit comes upon them. Look it up.

Acts 2:8 NASB

8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”

Beloved, Luke 5:17 can be taken a number of ways. Our natural response is to take the path of least resistance. That path is a path of reason that argues that Jesus was God, thus the miracles that He performed were solely based on His will and His way. 

The less-traveled path of reason surmises that Jesus had the aid of the Holy Spirit working through Him with every miracle performed. In essence, the Holy Spirit did the work. This is where I’ll probably lose half my audience. No worries. Faith comes by hearing. This truth will eventually dawn on them. For the rest of you, let’s press on.

That less-traveled path of reason will eventually lead to the reasoning that … the Holy Spirit does the work. In every case. In all cases. The Holy Spirit does the work one hundred percent of the time. What a relief. Beloved, our job is to preach the Gospel. The Holy Ghost does the miracles. There is a second factor to consider in this impromptu teaching session Jesus is conducting.

Mark 2:10-11 NASB

10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He *said to the paralyzed man, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet, and go home.”

Throughout the Book of Mark, Jesus refers to Himself as, “the Son of Man”. In doing so, he identifies completely with humanity. Everything we understand about Jesus forces us to understand and accept that He could only complete His final and greatest accomplishment, the Cross, as a man. A man, who, without sin, would be the acceptable sacrifice before God so as to redeem all of mankind to God: whosoever would believe in His Name. Don’t worry. I am not confused. I know, good and well,  that Jesus is both fully God and fully man. However, by identifying fully with mankind in the hearing of His voice, He is telling His audience that they are both qualified and equipped to continue His work on the earth with the guidance and aid of the Holy Ghost. Did you catch that? Beloved, as a believer, you are both qualified and equipped to do the work of the Kingdom of God on the earth in these last days. Isn’t that good news?!

Mark 2:12 NASB

12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

I like Luke’s version …

Luke 5:26 NKJV

 26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”

Beloved, when the work of God is no longer strange to you but entirely credible, nothing will be impossible for you.

John 14:12-14 NASB

12 Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

Class Dismissed! 😎

(or, rather)

Selah,

wb

Sunday School Lesson for January 10, 2021 - Called to Follow - Luke 5:1-11 NASB

 

Luke 5:1 NASB

1 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him (Jesus) and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; 

Jesus is now preaching in Galilee. He has drawn a great deal of attention to himself, in that He has preached with such authority that His following is now substantial. By now, John, the Baptist is imprisoned and Jesus is the lone conduit of the gospel of the Kingdom. And the people of Israel are responding. They are coming in drove to hear, as stated above, ‘the word of God’. In essence, many who hear Him are thoroughly convinced that His words are from God.

Luke 5:2-3 NASB

2 and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little distance from the land. And He sat down and continued teaching the crowds from the boat.

It is morning and the men are done fishing and are now cleaning their nets and preparing them for use for the next evening. Meanwhile, on the shore, Jesus is having trouble making Himself heard over the press of the crowd. He sees the boats on the shore and asks Simon to allow Him to use them in order to create space between Himself and the crowd so that He might be heard more clearly. I appreciate the fact that Jesus uses what is on hand to enhance His effectiveness in ministry. 

Luke  5:4-5 NASB

 4 Now when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon responded and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but [a]I will do as You say and let down the nets.”

Jesus wraps up His sermon, but He is not done ministering. Rather than taking up an offering, Jesus will leave one. He implores Simon to go out into the deep part of the lake and cast out His nets. This catches Simon off guard and he responds accordingly. You can see the directional shift in his thinking as he begins his response by rebuking Jesus but catches and corrects himself. Jesus and Simon have met before, but Simon’s response indicates that He is not yet fully committed to the ministry of the Kingdom. 

Compartmentalization. In Christiandom, the term refers to our very human tendency to segment and prioritize the various aspects of our lives. How do we balance our family .vs our job? What takes priority, our spousal relationship, or our collective responsibility as parents? Where is Christ in all of this? Is He Lord, or is He Lord just on Sunday? It’s obvious that Jesus and Simon have a relationship, but at this point, Simon is not fully committed.

Luke 5:6-7 NASB

6 And when they had done this, they caught a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to tear; 7 so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, to the point that they were sinking. 

Jeremiah 1:12 NASB

12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am [b]watching over My word to perform it.”

One of the remarkable components of the preaching of the Gospel is the occurrence of miracles that surround it. Miracles were part and parcel of Jesus’ ministry. They served the dual purposes of confirming the preached word of God and intersecting the lives of the hearers in meaningful, impactful ways. That is the case here. Jesus intends to bless Simon and his partners for the use of their equipment. He also intends to do it in a way that deepens their faith. There are many observations that can be made concerning this particular miracle, but I’ll just make this point: Simon and his partners blindly obeyed Jesus with no expectation that the result would be so great. In a very short time, they caught more fish than they had ever caught before in a single outing. And suddenly… a change… of heart.

Luke 5:8 NASB

8 But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

While not every conversion is precipitated by a miracle, every conversion to Christ is a miracle. Simon has witnessed something that he can neither explain nor even understand. What he sees with his eyes, Simon is unable to explain. The only thing that Simon seemingly comes away with is that Jesus is no mere preacher. Nor is He just a man. The epiphany that Simon is experiencing is that he is having an encounter with God.

Luke 5:9-10 NASB

9 For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and likewise also were [b]James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear; from now on you will be catching people.”

Did you catch it? Jesus’ response to Simon’s confession. “Fear not.” That’s it. “Fear not.” The most beautiful words anyone can hear when they understand that they have stumbled into the presence of Majesty. Jesus calms Simon’s fears, then informs him and his partners, James, John, and Andrew that from that moment on, they will be fishers of men.

Luke 5:11 NASB

11 When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

The response of the fishermen is beautiful. They demonstrate their change of heart by a change in their behavior. Suddenly, they are not concerned with nets or fish, boats or tides. The bible says that they “left everything behind…” In this moment, Jesus was no longer an afterthought, He was their only thought. “Emmanuel” had come near. Suddenly, all else paled in comparison. When God showed up, joy appeared. Hope appeared. Faith appeared. Love appeared. Love so pure it could not be resisted. Isn’t that how it goes? Beloved, there is nothing in all of the universe that can compare to the matchless love of God. When you encounter God, fear is the natural response of the sinful heart. But when God, then assures you that He means you no harm, you suddenly experience Mercy, Grace, Love, Joy, Faith, and Peace. Peace that surpasses all understanding. In this moment, Jesus becomes Lord. Lord of everything about you. You take His yoke upon you…. permanently. And there is nothing more joyous!

Selah,

wb

Sunday School Lesson for January 3, 2021 - Called to Proclaim - Luke 4:14-22a NASB

 

Luke 4:14 NASB

14 And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding region. 

After Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, he was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. This would have occurred either in the desert south of Jerusalem or east of the Jordan river, in the wilderness. Afterward, Jesus remained in the vicinity of Jerusalem, where he encountered and called the disciples. Scripture records that after the disciples were assembled, Jesus began to minister and baptize at the Jordan with a message very similar to John the Baptist’s message, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” While their messages were very similar, the words spoken by Jesus carried very different ramifications. Because of the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ proximity when He preached or taught, the power of God was literally present to heal. So then, the difference was one of tense. John preached of the Kingdom to come. Christ preached that the Kingdom had come and was being revealed in His appearance on earth. His sermon of note during this time would have been the sermon on the mount.

After ministering for some time in the vicinity of the Jordan river, Jesus carried his message northward, toward northern Israel, the place Jesus called ‘home’. He went through Samaria, directly north of Jerusalem, where He encountered the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. He went on into Galilee, then Cana, then Capernaum, preaching, baptizing, healing, and delivering all along the way. The closer He got to Nazareth, which He called home, the larger the crowds grew. His fame and notoriety exploded around the entire region of Galilee.

The importance of this opening narrative surrounding Jesus’ ministry is that you get a feel for the status of Jesus’ ministry upon His arrival in Nazareth. He was baptized by John at the Jordan. He was baptized by the Holy Spirit immediately afterward. . He was tested with hunger and by Satan in the desert. Then, He preached at the Jordan, thus testing and tempering His message over those first few months. By the time He reached Galilee, He was a seasoned preacher of this new gospel of Grace.

Luke 4:15 NASB

15 And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.

By now, Jesus had developed a somewhat favorable reputation. So much so, that the religious leaders began to invite him to speak to their local congregations. (Note: The church started in the highways and byways and worked its way indoors. Not the other way around.) Synagogues developed out of the diaspora of the Jews during the Babylonian exile. During that time, they would have gathered together in small groups to continue education and worship according to the Jewish culture. When they returned to Israel after the exile, without a temple, they did not immediately have centralized worship available. They gathered locally in what would become synagogues. That practice endured into and beyond the time of Jesus’ ministry into New Testament times when Jews were dispersed into Europe and Eurasia after the day of Pentecost. Jesus was regularly invited to speak, as the religious leaders of His day wanted to hear this young preacher who was having such an impact on all of Israel.

Luke 4:16 NASB

16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 

Finally, Jesus arrives in Nazareth. He has been in the synagogue before. And… He had stood before the congregation to read or teach from the scriptures in the past. I have not been to a Jewish synagogue before, but I have attended service at a Jewish Messianic congregation here in Dallas. Messianic congregations typically mirror the practices of the Jewish synagogue, except that, as Jewish Christians, they believe in and preach Christ. Not coincidentally, they still observe the Sabbath on Saturday.  It would have been a normal occurrence for Jesus to read from the Torah or from the Prophets. It then would have been the responsibility of the local Rabbi to bring a related message. 

Luke 4:17 NASB

17 And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. And He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

The normal practice in the synagogue is that Scripture is read from scrolls. Additionally, the scrolls are read from chapter to chapter throughout the year, so that, in the course of a year, the entire scroll is read completely through. At Rosh Hashana, the beginning of the Jewish new year, the scroll is unrolled and restarted. Thus, when Jesus unrolled the scroll, it is probable that He unrolled the scroll handed to Him to a preselected place according to the schedule of reading for that week. Why is this important? Because it displays God’s providence in the proclamation of His Son as...the Messiah.

Luke 4:18-19 NASB

18 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives,

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set free those who are oppressed,

19 

To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

It is at this juncture that I pause and offer a reflection. The Standard Lesson writers whose lessons I review weekly have melded a couple of different ingredients into today’s lesson. As is their custom, they always observe the traditional Christian and American holidays in the theme of their lesson when the opportunity presents itself. They all offer respect to the Jewish roots of Christianity by cycling the Standard annually every September. The significance therein is that Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year occurs every year in September. The observant bible student will recognize and appreciate this small acknowledgment. The reason this has bearing on today’s lesson is that this is the week that New Year’s is celebrated worldwide according to the roman catholic calendar observed today by the entire world. So let me say it here.

Happy New Year!

Some may be thinking, “Wayne, that was an awfully big detour to take your ‘two cent’s worth’ on, but I would respond that it was necessary in order to continue the lesson. You see, in that Jesus was reading from the prophet Isaiah, chapter 61, during worship service, in a synagogue, there is every indication that this reading occurred during the observance of the beginning of the Year of Jubilee, or as the prophet Isaiah referred to it, “The acceptable year of the Lord”. So in essence, Jesus was proclaiming, “Happy New Year!” That’s right, Jesus was ringing in ‘Rosh Hashana”, the Jewish New Year. But this was not just any New Year, this was the year of Jubilee, which occurs only once every fifty years, So, then this was an amalgamation of two different Jewish Holy Days. The amalgamation doesn’t end there. There are two other Jewish Holy observances that must be mentioned here, in that, they contribute to Jesus’ train of thought as He stands before the congregation in Nazareth. The first is Shmita, which is the Sabbatical year. The Sabbatical year occurred every seven years and conjuncts in the seventh Sabbatical year, with Jubilee. The second is Yom Kippur, or The Day of Atonement. 

So the way this works is, in the Jubilee Year, Rosh Hashana, and Yom Kippur and the year of Shmita are all concurrent. What that means is that: Rosh Hashana begins the year, Yom Kippur purged the nation of sin, then, at the same time, Shmita folds itself into Jubilee. What sets Shmita and Jubilee apart is they both provide for the poor and foreigners within the community and they both provide a period of rest for the earth from sowing and harvesting. Thus they display an environmental justice concern along with compassion for their neighbor and for the foreigners in their midst. Finally, they both demonstrate a requirement for faith, in that, they had to trust God to provide for them during the years of no planting or harvesting. Jubilee carried additional components regarding the release of indentured servants and a one-time forgiveness of all debt.  

Finally, the Day of Atonement was a solemn observance that required a time of introspection and self-reflection. It was a time for contrition and repentance for sin. Yom Kippur set the table for what would be required of the nation of Israel over the next several years, as they cared for the poor and the oppressed, forgave debt, freed prisoners, and trusted God for their provision. So then, These observances combined to prepare God’s people for a ministry, with a leaning toward environmental and social justice.

Jesus reads aloud the selected passage. The passage is from Isaiah 61 with a nod to Isaiah 58 and points to a time when God would send the Messiah to Israel to restore them, as a nation, to return them to a place of prominence on the world stage. Theologians will argue that Isaiah was prophesying or foretelling the coming of the ‘Church age’. While that eventually became fact, we cannot ignore the immediate impact that Jesus’ presence, under the power of the Holy Spirit, had on Israel during His earthly ministry. Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the Messiah. Then He set about preaching a gospel of deliverance from sin, eternal rest through salvation. Those that received His message were exactly the people that Isaiah described in Isaiah 58 and Isaiah 61. They were poor, oppressed, and broken-hearted. They were taken advantage of by the wealthy and powerful. They had no hope. Jesus’ message was one of liberation, of fairness, of justice. He also provided a model for the Church. A model that could communicate the love, faith, and hope that Heaven desired to communicate to earth. But he also provided a model for social, environmental, and economic justice

Luke 4:20-22a NASB

20 And He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all the people in the synagogue were intently directed at Him. 21 Now He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your [a]hearing.” 22 And all the people were [b]speaking well of Him, and admiring the [c]gracious words which were coming from His lips…

In His proclamation, Jesus leaves his listeners with some decisions before them. First, they must accept that He is the Messiah. Next, they must be willing to embrace the work that Isaiah outlined some seven hundred years prior. That work would be for social justice.

Isaiah 58:6-9 NASB

6 

Is this not the fast that I choose:

To release the bonds of wickedness,

To undo the ropes of the yoke,

And to let the oppressed go free,

And break every yoke?

7 

Is it not to break your bread [c]with the hungry

And bring the homeless poor into the house;

When you see the naked, to cover him;

And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

8 

Then your light will break out like the dawn,

And your recovery will spring up quickly;

And your righteousness will go before you;

The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

9 

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

You will cry for help, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

If you remove the yoke from your midst,

The [d]pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,

Isaiah 61:3-4 NASB

3 

To grant those who mourn in Zion,

Giving them a garland instead of ashes,

The oil of gladness instead of mourning,

The cloak of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.

So they will be called [d]oaks of righteousness,

The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

4 

Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins,

They will raise up the former devastations;

And they will repair the ruined cities,

The desolations of many generations.

 

Isaiah 58: 10-12 NASB

 

10 

And if you offer yourself to the hungry

And satisfy the [e]need of the afflicted,

Then your light will rise in darkness,

And your gloom will become like midday.

11 

And the Lord will continually guide you,

And satisfy your [f]desire in scorched places,

And give strength to your bones;

And you will be like a watered garden,

And like a spring of water whose waters do not [g]fail.

12 

Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;

You will raise up the age-old foundations;

And you will be called the repairer of the breach,

The restorer of the [h]streets in which to dwell.

 

Exodus 23: 9-11 NASB

9 “You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the [g]feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.

The Sabbath and the Land

10 “Now you shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield, 11 but in the seventh year you shall let it [h]rest and lie uncultivated, so that the needy of your people may eat; and whatever they leave the animal of the field may eat. You are to do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.

 

Selah,

wb

 

(My apologies for the lateness of this lesson. There was a lot here that I wanted to communicate. Blessings!)