Pr. DFD : Epiphany 4 Series C

Sunday, January 23, 2022

Epiphany 4 Series C

Epiphany 4 Series C

Jeremiah 1:4–10 (17–19)

1 Corinthians 12:31b—13:13

Luke 4:31–44

Almighty God, You know we live in the midst of so many dangers that in our frailty we cannot stand upright. Grant strength and protection to support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord

Jesus Has Authority to Forgive Your Sins and Give You Life

Jesus was sent to “preach the good news of the kingdom of God” (Luke 4:43). His preaching is an epiphany or manifestation of God, because His Word reveals the authority of His Cross and Resurrection, by which He has atoned for the sins of the world. By the preaching of His Gospel in every place, He silences the unclean spirits and casts out demons, heals the diseases of body and soul, and restores life and health to His creation (Luke 4:40–41). For the sake of His divine love, He is “patient and kind” toward us; He “bears all things,” “endures all things,” and “delivers up His body” to save us (1 Cor. 13:3–4, 7). So also for the sake of His love, He calls and sends His prophets, as ministers of His Word, “to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer. 1:10).

“For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and out they come!” (Luke 4:36)

Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Demon

Luke 4:31

Καὶ κατῆλθεν εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ πόλιν τῆς Γαλιλαίας. καὶ ἦν διδάσκων αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς σάββασιν•

And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath,

Luke 4:32

καὶ ἐξεπλήσσοντο ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ ἦν ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ.

and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.

Luke 4:33

καὶ ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ ἦν ἄνθρωπος ἔχων πνεῦμα δαιμονίου ἀκαθάρτου, καὶ ἀνέκραξεν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ•

And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,

Luke 4:34

Ἔα, τί ἡμῖν καὶ σοί, Ἰησοῦ Ναζαρηνέ; ἦλθες ἀπολέσαι ἡμᾶς; οἶδά σε τίς εἶ, ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ.

“Ha![a] 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.”

[a] Or Leave us alone

Luke 4:35

καὶ ἐπετίμησεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγων• Φιμώθητι καὶ ἔξελθε [b]ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ. καὶ ῥίψαν αὐτὸν τὸ δαιμόνιον εἰς [c]τὸ μέσον ἐξῆλθεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ μηδὲν βλάψαν αὐτόν.

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 4:36

καὶ ἐγένετο θάμβος ἐπὶ πάντας, καὶ συνελάλουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους λέγοντες• Τίς ὁ λόγος οὗτος ὅτι ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ καὶ δυνάμει ἐπιτάσσει τοῖς ἀκαθάρτοις πνεύμασιν, καὶ ἐξέρχονται;

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!”

Luke 4:37

καὶ ἐξεπορεύετο ἦχος περὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς πάντα τόπον τῆς περιχώρου.

And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

Jesus Heals Many

Luke 4:38

Ἀναστὰς δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν Σίμωνος. πενθερὰ δὲ τοῦ Σίμωνος ἦν συνεχομένη πυρετῷ μεγάλῳ, καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτὸν περὶ αὐτῆς.

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.

Luke 4:39

καὶ ἐπιστὰς ἐπάνω αὐτῆς ἐπετίμησεν τῷ πυρετῷ, καὶ ἀφῆκεν αὐτήν• παραχρῆμα δὲ ἀναστᾶσα διηκόνει αὐτοῖς.

And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.

Luke 4:40

Δύνοντος δὲ τοῦ ἡλίου ἅπαντες ὅσοι εἶχον ἀσθενοῦντας νόσοις ποικίλαις ἤγαγον αὐτοὺς πρὸς αὐτόν• ὁ δὲ ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ αὐτῶν τὰς χεῖρας ἐπιτιθεὶς ἐθεράπευεν αὐτούς.

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.

Luke 4:41

ἐξήρχετο δὲ καὶ δαιμόνια ἀπὸ πολλῶν κραυγάζοντα καὶ λέγοντα ὅτι Σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ. καὶ ἐπιτιμῶν οὐκ εἴα αὐτὰ λαλεῖν, ὅτι ᾔδεισαν τὸν χριστὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι.

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

Luke 4:42

Γενομένης δὲ ἡμέρας ἐξελθὼν ἐπορεύθη εἰς ἔρημον τόπον• καὶ οἱ ὄχλοι ἐπεζήτουν αὐτόν, καὶ ἦλθον ἕως αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατεῖχον αὐτὸν τοῦ μὴ πορεύεσθαι ἀπ’ αὐτῶν.

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,

Luke 4:43

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὅτι Καὶ ταῖς ἑτέραις πόλεσιν εὐαγγελίσασθαί με δεῖ τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅτι ἐπὶ τοῦτοἀπεστάλην.

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.”

Luke 4:44

καὶ ἦν κηρύσσων εἰς τὰς συναγωγὰς τῆς Ἰουδαίας.

And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea. [b]

[b]Some manuscripts Galilee

Jesus goes to Capernaum, the center of His Galilean ministry. The crowds are astounded at the authority of His teaching. They are amazed at the power demonstrated in his healing. Who is this Jesus? To what extent is he our authority, our standard for truth? What do we known of his power?

Jesus enters into His Father’s house and He begins teaching the people the Good News about the kingdom. But unlike the Pharisees and teachers of the law who quote the teachings of Moses and the Prophets, Jesus speaks by His own authority. Rather than speaking the teachings of others, Jesus speaks the Word Himself. With this speaking, He fulfills His role as the great High Priest.

Satan being cast down upon the earth in disobedience, hatred and spite has one of his demons take possession of a man in the synagogue. He 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.”

The evil spirit’s possession of the man is a direct assault upon the Father and His work of creation. Jesus as the great High Priest came to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus had the right, to set free the man held captive. Satan still considers it an infringement of his rights when God frees a “sinner” from bondage and destroys his influence. He still remains spiteful, malignant like a cancer - poisonous like a serpent - spreading his anger. He’s vicious. Striking out at all who come too close.

This 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, inflicting all the pain he could, and then bowed to the Son of God and came out.

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 iniquity disobedience and sin. Jesus took the bills of your sin and paid the cost with His very own body and blood so that you could be free from the guilt over your iniquity and to relieve you from the burden of your 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. His gifts He offers to all who love Him. Jesus enables you to stand upright before Him as He removes your sin so that you are free to serve Him. In doing this, Jesus makes you Holy.

He made you holy in your Baptism. This is what our students have learned in Morning Prayer. What does Baptism with water signify? “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 arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.”

You are now free to live the life the Father intended for you to live. Your heavenly Father does not mean for you to live for yourself. You now live giving glory to God, as you serve your neighbor in the time given to you.

Sunday, January 23, 2022

Epiphany 4 Series C

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