January 9th, 2012
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Words and Actions

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

You are the God of wonder, the God of the everyday. I praise You for the miraculous and the routine.

Read LUKE 4:31-44

[31] Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. [32] They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. [33] In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, [34] “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-the Holy One of God!” [35] “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. [36] All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!” [37] And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. [38] Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. [39] So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them. [40] When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. [41] Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ. [42] At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. [43] But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” [44] And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Meditate

Consider the ways God has shown compassion towards you over the past year, and give him thanks for his never-failing love.

Think Further

These verses are packed with activity. Having controversially announced his mission in his home synagogue, Jesus starts implementing it in Capernaum, Simon’s town, where he finds a much warmer welcome. Imagine the sounds, the smells, the crowds jostling to get help or a better view, and the sheer drama of it all. There are voices calling for attention, demons shouting out his name, groups huddled together speculating about the source of his authority. There’s a sense of momentum but his quiet authority over demons and sickness speaks volumes. Even where the evil nature of a demon is emphasized (33) and it tries to cause harm when dealt with (35), the supremacy of Jesus is clear.

His kingdom manifesto comes vividly to life as we find him with those on the margins (people demonized or sick, and women), focusing on their individual circumstances and not merely offering sympathy but bringing transformation. His words and actions come together, each validating the other. He moves purposefully from one situation to the next—from the synagogue to a family home to a solitary place (cf: Mark 1:35), and then on to other towns. There’s urgency in his preaching about the “kingdom of God” (43)—the first use of a phrase that is found over thirty times in Luke’s Gospel. Having been sent, he demonstrates a clear sense of what he’s come to do, and so refuses to be diverted, however pressing the immediate circumstances (33,34). As I write, horrific pictures of natural disasters are filling the TV screens, but by the time you read this something else will have taken its place. Whatever the situation, it’s easy for our senses to become dulled, to feel distanced from the needs of others. Jesus, though, started his mission right in the midst of human need, always purposeful, always loving.

Apply

Tune in to the news regularly. Pray about what you hear, asking Jesus to show you how to respond.

Closing prayer

Lord, life with all its complexities can drain the joy and hope from daily living. Give me strong shoulders to carry my burdens and help with the burdens of others.

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