Day 17 - The Calling of Jesus 

Luke 4:14-30

The Focus of this Week is the Grace-filled model of Jesus

PAUSE –
Take a deep breath, offer this time and your focus to the Lord with the Psalmist

      Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
      Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. 
      When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long...
      Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.
      I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”                               Psalm 32:1-3,5

REJOICE in his goodness with Psalm 32:11

      And you forgave the guilt of my sin…
      Rejoice in the Lord and be glad you righteous; sing all you who are upright in heart!

As we continue to reflect on the Grace expressed in word and by example through Jesus, today we will consider his sense of calling.  If indeed I am a disciple (or apprentice) of Jesus, then my calling is to become like the Rabbi. How does my sense of calling align with the calling of Jesus? Discipleship is not just for elite Christians, who somehow rise above the average.  It is the invitation for all who would hear, receive, and follow Him. How does his calling become my calling? How is grace reflected in the calling of Jesus in our reading today?

Read and REFLECT on Luke 4:14-30

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes o      everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”  All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. 

 Now, if we continue reading this text we realize how quickly the people turned on him when he began to speak about a prophet being without honor in his own hometown. But our focus today is on understanding the calling of Jesus.

• Jesus, filled with the Spirit and ready to begin his ministry, declared that he was here to proclaim good news to the most needy, the most desperate, the least advantaged people and groups within the cultural system. 

• He was not hob-knobbing among the politically powerful, networking with the influential leaders, nor seeking the accolades of the religious elite. 

• As we will see in the next few days Jesus had a tendency to align himself with marginalized individuals and groups, and that alignment often shocked and offended those around him. At times he even seemed to violate both the social norms and the purification laws laid down by the Pharisees and in the Torah. 

This is our rabbi. Our teacher. Our grace-giving Savior.  Imagine the places Jesus would have to go and the people he would need to encounter to fulfill this mission of deliverance, healing, and grace-filled restoration in our culture today.

Reread and REFLECT on our text again. 

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”  All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. 

Picture yourself in the synagogue when this young, unproven apprentice stands up, opens the Scriptures to this profound passage of hope and deliverance, and then declares that this Scripture is fulfilled today in Him.  Imagine the reactions of the people. The reactions of the local Rabbi.

As I read this through again, I was impressed with the primary themes in the text and the final statement of Jesus.

      He was anointed to preach and proclaim:

• Freedom – of those held captive, imprisoned

• Recovery – of sight for the blind (restoration of what once was)

• Release – of those held in bondage, trapped, with no rights or resources

• Favor – Jubilee, the year/season of forgiveness of debts and new beginnings

And then Jesus declares that this fulfillment begins Today!

If I am a disciple/apprentice of Jesus, am I also to be engaged in this type of ministry? If so, where might I have to go to fulfill this calling? Prison? Hospitals? The border? And what people am I likely to be seeking out? This is a risky calling to accept. 

ASK –
Who are the marginalized, the oppressed, the trapped in bondage in our culture today? Am I willing to go to them in the grace of Jesus? How might I pray for freedom, recovery, release, and favor for those who are powerless, blind, and in bondage? Pray for God’s favor over the weary and desperate, in your community and world. 

YIELD –
Take time to pause and invite the Spirit to “show you any offensive way in you”, or any hardness of your heart towards “the other”. Is the Lord prompting any repentance? Any call to step out of your areas of comfort? To take any risks?

         I Speak Jesus

         I just wanna speak the name of Jesus – Over every heart and every mind

         ‘Cause I know there is peace within Your presence - I speak Jesus 

         I just wanna speak the name of Jesus – ‘Til every dark addiction starts to break

         Declaring there is hope and there is freedom – I speak Jesus

Lord give me a generous heart toward those I encounter today.