Many years ago in a far away land among the parched pastures of a little hillside hamlet in the middle of nowhere, there lived a woman who was known to everyone as “the weeping widow.” There always seemed to be a steady trickle of tears flowing down her grief-filled face.  The source of her sorrow was the untimely death of her beloved husband.

            The two had fallen madly in love with each and were inseparable. They married at a youth age and had their whole lives before them. Like twin oak trees in an ancient forest, they planned to grow old together and watch the years pass by under their shadow. They had plans of raising a large family and living a simple but satisfied life together. Even at their tender age they often discussed their visions of one day bouncing a bundle of grandbabies on their laps. But with the husband’s unexpected passing, their dreams and expectations were shattered.

            Not only was this widowed woman forced to persevere through the pain of losing the love of her life, but she also had to bear the burden of raising their one and only son alone as a single-mother. As a young widow, she worried about many things. How would she make enough money to make ends meet? Who would teach her boy the virtues of manhood? How would she do this on her own? Would this whole in her heart ever heal?

            I can only imagine that the death of a spouse is one of the most excruciating tragedies one can endure in this life. I have never experienced it myself, but I have watched many others go through it. Whether it happens after only five years or fifty years of marriage, it is incredibly difficult to adjust to life without your true companion. Some of you sitting here today are all too familiar with the sorrow of losing your lover and companion.

            Likewise, some of you know the challenges of being a single parent. I know hard and exhausting it is to raise a child with two parents; it must be exceptionally difficult to do it alone. May God bless all widows and single parents with an extra measure of his grace!

            Even though this weeping widow’s heart would be forever haunted by the anguish of unforeseen tragedy, she was strong and determined. She worked hard to provide for her son’s needs and extended family and friends from their rural village helped to fill in the gaps. In God’s providence, they discovered that their unfortunate circumstances forged an uncommonly close bond between mother and son. She turned out to be an exceptional mom and her only son grew into a fine young man.

A Mourning Mother

            As time went by and the widow’s tears almost fully dried, misfortune struck again. Her son had always been such an active and healthy boy. He was full of life and loved to do all of the things that small-town boys do. But one morning when he woke up to do his chores, he felt abnormally fatigued and his face was flushed. When his mother felt the fever on his forehead, she told him to go back to bed and rest for the day. She wasn’t particularly alarmed; she had seen dozens of fevers come and go before. But after a few days, the fever grew worse and other symptoms surfaced. She called for the country doctor, but the boy’s sickness was well beyond his skill level. Being in such a remote location, more advanced medical assistance was a long way off and they didn’t have transportation to get him there.

            As they passed through the night, the boy’s body was burning up inside. His poor mother was helpless; there wasn’t anything she or anyone else could do for him. He was, as they say “in God’s hands now.”

            As word spread throughout the village, family members and friends began to flock to the house. They brought food and offered prayers and support, but even these kind acts brought little comfort. The mother’s heart fell into the depths of despair; she could feel it in her soul; her only son was going to die. And sure enough, a few hours later, the boy closed his eyes and breathed his final breath, and the torrent of tears returned to his mother’s eyes. The weeping widow now became the mourning mother.

            As I mentioned earlier, it is hard to imagine the pain a person feels when they lose a spouse, but I can’t even fathom how it would feel to lose a child. From the time even before they are born, your whole life is invested in caring for their little body and soul. Nine months of pregnancy definitely changes your life. And once the child is born, you feed, snuggle, rock, bathe, and change countless diapers. You play, read, teach, and discipline them. You laugh with them, cry with them, and get ripped mad at them. As the years go by, you watch your child’s personality develop, and for better or worse, resemble your own likeness.

A Peculiar Funeral Procession  

            Soon after the young man died, the undertaker came with some of his men to take the body and make preparations for the funeral. The mother’s family and friends tried to console her as they watched the men wrap a white sheet around two crude wooden planks and lift her son’s lifeless body onto the makeshift stretcher and carry the body outside. The mother, along with the crowd of family and friends, followed the bearers to the cemetery which was located just outside the village. As was the custom in that community, they preferred to burry their dead on the same day that they died.

            When the funeral procession came to the town gate on their way to the cemetery, they were met by a crowd of strangers coming into the village. This was really odd. Their town didn’t get many visitors, certainly not a crowd of this size. As they bottlenecked together at the gate, the locals wondered what these outsiders were doing there.

            If this scene wasn’t awkward enough already, one of the strangers, a man who appeared to be the leader of the group, stepped right in front of the bearers and interrupted the funeral procession. After he took a moment to view the dead body on the bier, he approached the mourning mother. Even though she had never seen him before, he acted as if he had known her his whole life. His demeanor was compassionate, his words were desperately confusing. He gazed into the mother’s misty eyes and said, “Do not weep.” At first, everyone thought this man was out of his mind. What kind of lunatic would interrupt a funeral procession to tell a mourning mother not to cry? Can you imagine the audacity of this man?

            Then, adding insult to injury, the man went back to the stretcher, laid his hand on it, and said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” Everyone gasped in protest as they considered this despicable display of insensitivity. But everyone was shocked by what happened next! The boy’s eyes opened, color returned to his flesh, and he sat up in the stretcher, and began to speak. When the bearer saw a “dead man talking,” they were so terrified that they almost dropped him.

            How you would react if a dead person came back to life at their own funeral? What would you do if you saw the deceased sit up in their coffin and speak?

            As the strange man presented the boy to his mother and the crowds saw that he was really alive, they all began to shout for joy and sang songs of praise and glory to God. They recognized that they all had just witnessed an incredible miracle. They also recognized that the man who did this was a great prophet who was sent by God. In the days following, the people from that village scattered throughout the whole countryside and told the story of the marvel that they had seen.

            Who was this strange man who entered the Galilean village of Nain two-thousand years ago and brought back a widow’s son from the dead? You have probably figured it out by now; it was none other than our Lord Jesus Christ! This remarkable story is found in Luke 7:11-17.

The Reality of Resurrection

            This story showcases Jesus’ immense compassion for the brokenhearted and his great power over the enemy of death. This poor woman had the double misfortune of losing her husband and her only son. She experienced tremendous pain, but Jesus’ compassion met her in the midst of her sorrow. When Jesus told her not to cry, he wasn’t rebuking her or telling her that it was wrong to cry. He wasn’t minimizing her pain or tritely telling her to “buck up and get over it.” What he meant was “don’t cry…let me take your turmoil, let me carry your chaos…let me redeem your sadness!”

            Now I can’t promise you that Jesus will bring your loved one back from the dead, but I do know that he grieves with us when we grieve. I know that he wants to help us through our heartache, if we will let him. Unfortunately, I meet people all the time who don’t want Jesus’ help when they are grieving. They either blame God for their loss or they don’t think that Jesus has anything to offer them. They would rather suffer alone than turn to Jesus.

            If you are grieving the loss of a loved one today, whether recent or from a long time ago, give your grief to Jesus. He is a “Man of Sorrows” who is familiar with your pain. He knows what you are going through and he wants to help you.

             The crowds immediately recognized that Jesus was a great prophet because this miracle reminded them of the great Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha, who on separate occasions, raised a person from the dead. The crowds also verbally expressed that this miracle was evidence that they had been visited by God. Even though both of these statements are true, they failed to put them together and see that Jesus is God in human flesh.

            Although they witnessed his power over death, they did not know that himself would one day die on a Roman cross and that his lifeless body would be carried away on wooden planks. They did not know that the stone would be rolled away on the third day and that Jesus himself would be resurrected to new life. They did not know that Jesus did this to atone for our sins and offer us resurrection to eternal life through faith in him.

            Do you know this? Do you know that Jesus did all of this for you? Don’t make the same mistake that others have made about Jesus in the past. He is not just a great prophet—he is not just a good moral teacher—he is not just a marvelous miracle worker—he is God himself and he offers us eternal life.

            It is true that one day we will all taste death. Most of us will not be brought back to this life like the young man in the story, but we do have the opportunity to experience resurrection and eternal life in heaven forever. All we have to do is give our lives to Jesus today!

            If we stop to think about it for a moment, most of us have seen some pretty amazing things in our lives! I remember the first time I saw the United States Navy’s Blue Angels perform at the Chicago Air and Water Show. I was astounded by the squadron of F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets shooting across the sky in a tight diamond formation and executing synchronized aerial maneuvers at over 200mph with their wings only 18 inches apart from each other. It was absolutely amazing!

            I remember the first time I visited Niagara Falls. I gazed at the breathtaking beauty and felt the mesmerizing mist from the three waterfalls crashing against the rocks below. The largest of the three, Horseshoe Falls, is 2,600 feet wide, drops 188 feet, and cascades an average of 85,000 cubic feet of water per second. It is truly amazing!

            Of all of the amazing things I have seen in my life, the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed happened on August 10, 2013. I had made the long drive to my hometown outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to visit my grandfather, who was rapidly dying from aggressive lung cancer. This was going to be my last ditch effort to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with him before he breathed his final breath. Since he was the person who had persecuted me for my faith more than anyone else in my life, I braced myself for one more rejection. But when I broached the topic, instead of bludgeoning me with the expected barrage of bombastic and bitter words about my God, he humbled himself before the Lord, repented from all of his sins, and professed faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. I was utterly, completely, and totally amazed!

            Have you ever been amazed by something? Maybe a marvelous manifestation of natural beauty, a spectacular display of scientific ingenuity, or some divine demonstration of religious regeneration? I suspect that we all have some stories to share.

            But I want to ask you a fascinating theological question: Do you think that God is ever amazed by anything? Is it possible for an omniscient omnipotent being to experience astonishment? If this was possible, what do you think could amaze God?

            Well, today’s Bible story answers these questions for us. At this point, Jesus had come down from the mountain and finished his sermon on the plain, and he went back to Capernaum, the town located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus first launched his public ministry. While in Capernaum, this Jewish teacher has an amazing encounter with a Gentile soldier. Let’s take a look!

The Centurion’s Compassion (2-6a)

            As Jesus entered Capernaum, he was greeted by a delegation of Jewish civil authorities who were delivering a message from a centurion about his slave who was sick and about to die. Centurions were Roman military officers who were in charge of about 100 soldiers (it is roughly the equivalent of a Captain in the United States Army). They held significant authority and often accumulated a great deal of wealth. This particular centurion was probably stationed in Capernaum to keep the peace and oversee the collection of taxes for the Roman empire.

            Most centurions had a reputation for ruling with an iron fist and were hated by the inhabitants of the towns they occupied, but this unnamed centurion was different. He loved the nation of Israel, had a cordial relationship with the Jewish town elders in Capernaum, and was friendly toward their religion. Although we do not know if he converted from Roman pantheism to Judaism, we do know that he gave a generous financial donation to the building of a local synagogue, a gesture that the citizen of Capernaum deeply appreciated. Considering the political, racial, and religions tensions of the times, it is quite extraordinary that the Jewish elders would tell Jesus that this centurion deserves to have his servant healed.

            This centurion was also different in that he “highly valued” his slave and showed incredible compassion for his physical well-being—so much so that he asked the civil leaders to petition Jesus on his behalf to come and heal his servant. He had heard the stories about Jesus and knew about this Jewish teacher’s ability to heal miraculously. Indeed, it was extremely rare for a Roman centurion to express such compassion for the welfare of a slave.

            This centurion’s compassion for his slave ought to make us stop and think about how we care for people who are under our authority. Business owners and bosses, do we pay our employees fairly and treat them with dignity and respect? Organizational leaders, do we highly value our volunteers and look out for their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs? Others in positions of authority, to what lengths are we willing to go to show mercy and compassion to those under our care? How we treat the people who are under us is a true mark of our character!

The Centurion’s Humility (6b-8)

            As Jesus approached the centurion’s house, he was met by another delegation of the centurion’s friends. The centurion commissioned them to meet Jesus on the road and deliver a very specific message: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you.” (6b)

            Wow! What an unbelievable display of humility! This centurion, who bore the Roman imperial insignia on his breastplate, had more power and authority than anyone else in Capernaum, and yet he didn’t let any of it go to his head. Whereas the Jewish elders told Jesus that this man deserved to have his request fulfilled, the man himself said that he wasn’t worthy to have Jesus even enter his house. He wouldn’t even come out to meet Jesus in person. He declined to make any demands, he refused to throw around his authority, and he repudiated the idea of advocating for himself. Instead, he simply asked some friends to make a request of Jesus on his behalf.

            This centurion provides us with another wonderful example to follow. In addition to compassion, this Roman soldier forces us to measure our own humility. Do you know how annoying it is to hear someone brag about themselves? Have you ever been around a man who is always talking about how talented and tough he is? Have you ever been around a woman who is good looking and who knows it? Have you ever been around a teenager who can’t stop talking about themselves? It is hard to be around people like that! Don’t be that person! Be humble, and if there is anything in your life worth boasting about, let other people do it for you!

            Our sinful human nature tells us to “grab the bull by the horns, fight for our rights, advocate for yourself, use what you’ve got to get what you want, after all, you deserve it!” But this humble centurion shows us a better way!

            If this wasn’t amazing enough already, the centurion shows us the true depth of his humility in verses 7-8. He knew that it was not necessary to see Jesus face to face or even have Jesus enter his house for his request to be granted. He knew that all Jesus had to do was say the word and his servant would be healed. As a centurion, he had commanding officers above him and soldiers underneath him. He had the authority to command his soldiers and slaves to do anything and they had to obey. From his own experience with authority and from the stories that he had heard about the Jewish teacher, the Roman soldier recognized Jesus’ divine authority. He knew that Jesus didn’t have to be physically present to heal; all he had to do was speak the word and it would be done. True humility is knowing who we are in relation to Jesus’ authority.

            Do you recognize Jesus’ divine authority? Do you know who you are in relation to his authority? Do you know that Jesus is the one who has created us? Do you know that he the one who has given us everything that we have? Do you know that all of our days were divinely ordained for us and written in his book before one of them came to be? Do you know that Jesus is the one who commands our destiny!

            When we give up the egotism of striving to forge our own path in life and humbly submit to Jesus’ authority and plan, everything will fall into place and we will experience more peace and joy!

The Centurion’s Faith (9-10)

            Well, at the beginning of this sermon, I asked you if it is possible for God to be amazed. We find the answer in verse 9. When Jesus heard the centurion’s words “But say the word, and my servant will be healed,” he was amazed at him. And then he went on to say, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Yes, God can be amazed. Jesus was amazed when he found more faith in this Roman centurion than anyone else in Israel.

            This really is amazing when we consider that this centurion did not grow up knowing the Old Testament like his Jewish friends. Israel was God’s chosen people! They had the Law of Moses! They had the Psalms! They had the great stories of God’s faithfulness. They had the prophets who told about the coming Messiah. And yet, this gentile soldier exudes more faith than anyone else in their nation.

            This just goes to show us that the greatest faith is not always found in the people and places that we most expect. Sometimes the greatest faith is found in people who have the wrong social pedigree and come from the wrong religious background.

            How about you? Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ yet?

            As I conclude, allow me to quickly comment on verse 10. It is no surprise that when the centurion’s friends returned after delivering the message to Jesus that they found the servant completely and miraculously healed. I wonder if the centurion’s compassion, humility, and faith had anything to do with Jesus granting his request!

            You bet it does! Just think about when someone makes a request of you—if they approach you with a demanding tone or a spirit of entitlement, are likely to give them what they want? No way! On the other hand, if someone approaches you with selfless compassion and a spirit of humility, it makes you want to help them.

            The same is true in our relationship with Jesus. When we demand things from Jesus or declare how deserving we are, I wouldn’t look for too many answers to our prayers. Instead, let us exhibit compassionate toward everyone, especially those under our authority! Let us embody the virtue of humility by understanding who we are under Jesus’ authority. And finally, let us exemplify an amazing faith in Jesus’ ability and authority to lead our lives!

I want to tell you all a story about a Harper Valley widow wife
Who had a teenage daughter that attended Harper Valley Junior High
Well her daughter came home one afternoon and didn’t even stop to play
And she said, “Mama, I’ve got a note here from the Harper Valley PTA”

Well the note says “Mrs. Johnson, you’re wearing your dresses way too high
It’s been reported you’ve been drinkin’ and a runnin’ round with men and goin’ wild
Now we don’t believe you ought to be a bringin’ up your little girl this way”
And it was signed by the Secretary, Harper Valley PTA

Well it happened that the PTA was gonna meet that very afternoon
And boy, were they surprised as Mrs. Johnson wore her miniskirt into the room
And as she walked up to the blackboard I can still recall the word she had to say
She said “I’d like to address this meeting of the Harper Valley PTA”

Now there’s Bobby Taylor sittin’ there and seven times he’s asked me for a date
And Mrs. Taylor sure seems to use a lot of ice whenever he’s away
And Mr. Baker can you tell us why your secretary had to leave this town
And shouldn’t widow Jones be told to keep her window shades all pulled completely down

Now Mr. Harper couldn’t be here ’cause he’s stayed too long in Kelly’s bar again
And if you smell Shirley Thompson’s breath you’ll find she’s had a little nip of gin
And then you have the nerve to tell me as a mother you think that I ain’t fit
Well this is just a little Payton Place and you’re all Harper Valley hypocrites

No, I wouldn’t put you on because it really did it happened just this way
That day my mama socked it to the Harper Valley PTA

            Do you know any Franklin County hypocrites? Are you familiar with any two-faced frauds whose conduct constantly contradicts their claims? Do you know anyone who is quick to point out the sins of others but slow to remember their own sins?

            Well, Jeanie C. Riley’s 1968 Harper Valley hit describes exactly what Jesus was trying to teach his disciples in the final section of his sermon on the plain. He had just finished telling them how to love their enemies by offering mercy and grace to the very people who treated them badly. Now in Luke 6:37-49, he continues to tutor them in a godly response to sin. He broadens his lesson on living out the Golden Rule by avoiding acts of hypocrisy toward God and people.

Hypocrisy toward People (37-42)

            Jesus begins this teaching by prohibiting hypocrisy toward other people. He opens with four power-packed imperative commands which are immediately followed by corresponding consequences: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you.” By this, he does not want his disciples to be quick to criticize others or act in a judgmental or condemnatory manner. A judgmental person is someone who reaches unjust conclusions about someone else’s motives. Rather than being hypercritical, Jesus desires for his disciples to give people the benefit of the doubt, be quick to forgive, and to extend grace generously.

            To help his disciples understand the gravity of this, he makes it clear that God will treat us in the same manner that we treat our fellow sinners. If we judge, we will be judged. If we forgive, we will be forgiven. He presses the point in verse 38—“Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” This illustration is taken from the ancient marketplace, where a merchant placed grain in a container. Then he shook the container and pressed the grain down so that more could be placed inside. This is how God measures our grace (or lack of grace) toward other people’s sins.

            If this wasn’t enough, Jesus goes on to use a short riddle and a graphic word picture to drive home his point. He introduces the riddle with the humorous question: “Can a blind man lead a blind man?” The obvious answer is no because both men would end up in a pit. This is a reference to the Pharisees who were notorious for pointing out the faults of others while refusing to see their own errors.

Jesus’ illustration of the speck of sawdust and plank in the eye is one of his funniest and most famous word pictures. The meaning is plain—how can someone see the little faults in someone else’s life when they have a big blaring one in your own life that clouds your vision? He is essentially saying, “Instead of being preoccupied with other people’s sins, focus on correcting your own!”

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, once told about a man he had little respect for because he considered him to be miserly and covetous. One day when this person contributed only a small gift to a worthy charity, Wesley openly criticized him.

            After the incident, the man went to Wesley privately and told him he had been living on only parsnips and water for several weeks. He explained that before his conversion, he had run up many debts. Now, by skimping on everything and buying nothing for himself he was paying off his creditors one by one. “Christ has made me an honest man,” he said, “and so with all these debts to pay, I can give only a few offerings above my tithe. I must settle up with my worldly neighbors and show them what the grace of God can do in the heart of a man who was once dishonest.” Wesley then apologized to the man and asked his forgiveness.

            As we apply Jesus’ words to our own lives, hear Phillip Ryken’s reflection! He says:

Sadly, the same thing still happens in the church today. It happens when we are overconfident in the conclusions we reach about other people’s problems, without fully knowing their situation. It happens when we judge people’s motives, wrongly assuming that we know why they did what they did. It happens when we withhold forgiveness from people who have done us wrong. It happens when we keep our distance from people struggling with difficult sins like self-pity and sexual immorality. It happens when we shun people with messy problems like poverty and drug addiction. It happens when we criticize the sins that other people commit more than we repent from our own unrighteousness. It happens when we use angry slogans to condemn hot-button issues like abortion and gay lifestyle without befriending people and offering them grace. God forgive us. This is not the way Jesus taught us to treat people. (Ryken 284)

            Therefore, let us not condemn or be judgmental! Let us focus on removing the planks from our own eyes! Let us heed Jesus’ teaching about hypocrisy!

Hypocrisy toward God (43-49)

            Once Jesus tackled the issue of hypocrisy toward others in verses 37-42, he went on to expose the folly of hypocrisy toward God in verse 43-49. He introduces another word picture when he says, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.” (43-44)

            He employs this agricultural image to show that a person’s inner character is displayed through their outward words and actions. Whatever kind of fruit we produce—whether good or evil—is rooted in the condition of our souls. We can only produce the kind of spiritual fruit that is in our nature to produce. Our true colors will ultimately be revealed to others through our words and actions, and they are always known to God—that is why it is futile to be hypocritical toward God.

            After Jesus makes this point through figurative language, he makes it perfectly plain with his penetrating question in verse 46, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say.” The phrase “Lord, Lord” denotes both authority and affection. In essence, he is calling out their hypocrisy by asking them why they outwardly say that they love the Lord, yet inwardly they disregard, disagree, and disrespect his commands. Everyone in that crowd had heard Jesus’ teachings, but many refused to put them into practice—they still wanted to live on their own terms.

            Let me tell you about a man who exemplifies this! He made frequent use of Christian vocabulary. He talked about the blessing of the Almighty and the Christian confessions which would become the pillars of a new government. He assumed the earnestness of a man weighed down by historic responsibility. He handed out inspirational stories to the press, especially to the church papers. He showed his tattered Bible and declared that he drew the strength for his great work from it as scores of pious people welcomed him as a man sent from God. Indeed, Adolf Hitler was a master of outward religiosity—with no inward reality!

            There are many people who claim to be Christians, yet they hold to moral positions that deny Jesus’ teachings. There are many who maintain that they love God, but their life-styles completely contradict his word! Modern Americans love the idea of being spiritual, but they are uncomfortable with being a part of a religion that would put any moral demands on them. Some may even go to church and hear God’s word on Sunday, but they live however they want the rest of the week.

            I have actually heard people say, “I love God, but I don’t agree with everything the Bible says!” What? That is ludicrous! Who do you think wrote the Bible? God did! You can’t say “I a Christian” or “I love Jesus with all of my heart”, and not submit to his authority over your life.

            I am always amazed when I hear people say, “I would go to church, but I know some hypocrites who go there.” These are usually the same people who are quick to quote Jesus’ words “Don’t judge” as a justification for their own sinful behavior. Whatever we do, let’s not be hypocrites toward God! He is the Judge!

            Jesus brings this section and whole sermon to a dramatic conclusion by telling one last parable. He says that a person who hears his words and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a foundation of rock, but the person who hears his words and does not put them into action is like a foolish man who built his house without a foundation. When the flood comes, which one do you think will stand?

            The house in this parable is a metaphor for our lives and the flood represents the problems we face though out our lives. The foundation of stone is the person who builds his or her life on Jesus’ words. That person is able to stand against the disasters and adversities of life. On the other hand, the person who ignores Jesus’ words will be swept away physically and spiritually and their life will be ruined.

            What are you building your life on? Are you building on the solid foundation of Jesus’ words or are you building on societies’ ideas and your own ideals? If you hear Jesus’ words and put them into practice, you will avoid hypocrisy toward God and others, and your life will be able to stand against any problems that come your way!

            Most of us find it hard enough to love our friends! If we are brutally honest with ourselves, our desire for self-protection and self-advancement is so strong that we often fail to love the people we say we love as well as we should. We are willing to help our family up to a point, but we have our limits. We only have so much time, money, and emotional energy to spare. If we find it difficult to love our family and friends, how could we ever love our enemies?

            Ernest Gordon wrestled with this very question during World War II while he was suffering in the infamous Japanese work camp on the River Kwai. Harsh conditions had already brought him to the brink of death, and then he was headed to the dreaded “Death House,” a prison built at the lowest point of the camp. The heavy rains turned the floor into a sea of mud and sewage. The men suffered from a combination of lice, tropical ulcers, and open and untreated wounds. The place reeked from the smells of rotting human flesh. In his own words, “This was the lowest level of life.”

            In God’s providence, and through the compassion of his army buddies, Gordon did not die, but survived. More than that, he had many other men in his camp come to faith in Jesus Christ. They learned to love each other. Yet they still found it impossible to love their enemies. As Gordon writes:

We had learned from the gospels that Jesus had his enemies just as we had ours. But there was this difference: he loved his enemies. He prayed for them. Even as the nails were being hammered through his hands and feet, he cried out, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ We hated our enemies. We could see how wonderful it was that Jesus forgave this way. Yet for us to do the same seemed beyond our attainment! (Ryken 268)

            Whether it seems beyond attainment or not, today’s Scripture reading reveals that Jesus has called all of us to love our enemies!

Love Thy Enemies (27-28)

            Jesus is still preaching the sermon on the plain. After he pronounced his blessings on the down and out and his woes on the self-sufficient, he continues to highlight the new ethics of his kingdom by telling his followers to love their enemies. He begins this teaching with four power-packed imperative commands: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.”

            Look at the ways Jesus calls us to show love! To “do good to those who hate” is to love with our actions, doing good to those who do us wrong. To “bless those who curse” is to love with our speech, using gentle words of grace when people speak to us in anger. To “pray for those who abuse” is to love with our hearts and the benefit of the person’s soul.

            We can know whether or not we are following Jesus’ commands by asking ourselves some questions like, “When was the last time I went out of my way to do something kind for someone I don’t like? How do I respond when someone criticizes me or says something cruel? How often do I really pray for people who have hurt me?

            Who are your enemies? Fortunately, most of us are not engaged in a war with another person, but I would almost guarantee that everyone one of us has someone in our life who is difficult to love. Will you follow Jesus’ command? Will you actively love your enemies?

Turn the Other Cheek (29-30)

            After Jesus lays out his ethical commands to love our enemies, he presents some hypothetical examples of how to put his words into action.  He says, “If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes you cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.” These responses to insults and defrauding are the exact opposite of the natural human reactions. Usually, if someone verbally insults us or physically strikes us, our natural reaction is to insult and hit them back. But Jesus demands better from his disciples.

            Every time I read these verses I can’t help but think about that epic scene in Victor Hugo’s classic story Les Miserables where the hardened criminal Jean Valjean is aided by an elderly priest who gives him food and shelter. Then in the middle of the night Valjean steals all of the priest’s silver and runs off. When Valjean is apprehended by the authorities and taken back to the priest’s home to verify the charges, the priest tells the authorities that he gave the silver to Valjean as a gift. And then he says to Jean, “But you forgot to take the candlesticks.” The priest’s remarkable mercy and love becomes the turning point in Jean’s live.

            Friends, this is what it means to turn the other cheek! When someone insults you, can you return words of kindness? When someone steals from you, can you give them more? When someone treats you unjustly, can you show them mercy?

The Golden Rule (31)

            Everything that Jesus has said about loving our enemies is summarized in one simple statement, usually called “the golden rule.” “Do unto other as you would have them do to you” is has become one of Jesus’ most famous sayings. This proverb is the foundational ethical principle of his kingdom because it defines how he wants human beings to act in every situation in life.

            This is very different from the rule that most people follow. It is not what we typically see when businessmen are trying to close a deal, or when you get into an argument with your spouse, or when siblings are jockeying for position in the back of the minivan. The usual rule sounds more like, “Do whatever you have to do to get what you want.”           

            There once was a grandpa who lived with his family. As Grandpa grew older, he began to slobber and spill his food. So the family had him eat alone. When he dropped his bowl and broke it, they scolded him and got him a cheap wooden bowl. Grandpa was so unhappy. Now one day the young grandson was working with wood. “What are you doing?” Mom and Dad asked. “I’m making a wooden bowl,” he said, “for when you two get old and must eat alone.” Mom and Dad then looked sad and realized how they were mistreating Grandpa. So they decided to keep quiet when he spills his food and to let him eat with the family.

            Are you doing to others as you would have them do to you?

Amazing Love (32-36)

            After establishing the Golden Rule, Jesus goes on to make one final point about loving one’s enemies. He sets up a bunch of comparisons with the average love that is found in the world with the radical love that he calls for in his disciples. He makes the point that it is relatively easy to love someone who loves you; it is easy to do good to those who do good to you; it is easy to lend to someone who would lend to you—even wicked sinners do that. That is average love at best!

            But Jesus calls his followers to amazing love—to love people who don’t love us, to be kind to people who have not been kind to us, and to share with people who won’t share with us. This is unexpected love! This is amazing love!

            This is the kind of love that Jesus showed his enemies! Jesus loved the Pharisees who falsely accused him! He loved Judas who betrayed him! He loved Peter who denied him! He loved Pontius Pilate who condemned him! He loved the people who spit on him! He loved the crowds who mocked him! He loved the soldiers who scourged him! He even loved the men who pressed the thorns into his skull and pounded the nails through his hands and feet! Even while he was hanging on the cross in agony, he prayed, “Father, forgive them…” Jesus did good to those who hated him; he blessed those who cursed him; he prayed for those who abused him.

            This is where we learn to love our enemies: at the cross, where we were the enemies that Jesus died to forgive. It is only by the cross that we are able to be like Christ to our enemies—loving them without demanding anything in return. If we exhibit this kind of amazing love, we will be called sons of the Most High!

            Eventually, Earnest Gordon learned how to show this kind of love to his enemies, the Japanese. After the war ended, Gordon and the other POW’s from the River Kwai made their long slow journey back to Britain, traveling through Asia by train. Along the way, they ended up in a rail yard next to a train full of wounded Japanese soldiers. Gordon describes their pitiable condition:

They were in a shocking state; I have never seen men filthier. Their uniforms were encrusted with mud, blood, and excrement. Their wounds, sorely inflamed and full of pus, crawled with maggots…The wounded men looked at us forlornly as they sat with their heads resting against the carriages waiting fatalistically for death. They were the refuse of war; there was nowhere to go and no one to care for them. These were the enemy.

            Without a word, Gordon and most of his men unbuckled their packs, took out their canteens and rations, and went over to the Japanese train. They knelt beside the enemy to give them food and water and bind up their wounds. But not everyone was pleased with this remarkable display of compassion. One of the Allied Officers said, “What bloody fools you are! Don’t you realize that they are the enemy?” Of course the officers realized it: that was exactly the point! The dying soldiers were the enemy, but Gordon and his friends were called to love them and do good to them.

            They learned to give this king of love from the same place where we can learn to give it: at the cross of Jesus Christ. The Savior who died for us calls us to give his love to others, including the people who hate us. Who are the enemies God is calling you to love? Do good to them. Bless them and pray for them! Show them the love of God in Christ. (Ryken 278)

            The 1992 United States Men’s Olympic Basketball Team was infamously nicknamed “The Dream Team.” It was the first American Olympic team to feature active NBA players, and with the likes of Michael Jordon, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Karl Malone, and Sir Charles Barkley on the team, it is no surprise that they shredded all of their opponents by an average of 40 points a game and cruised to the gold medal platform. Since then, 11 of the 12 players and 3 of the four coaches have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Many American sports journalists and historians believe that this was the greatest sports team ever assembled.

            Whether it is the United States Olympic committee or an elementary school gym class captain picking players for a kickball game, everyone wants the biggest, fastest, and most talented athletes on their team. In business and politics, leaders try to choose the best and brightest to fill positions in their company or cabinet. Boards of directors try to recruit highly educated and broadly experienced leaders to run their organizations. If you were going to assemble a team, wouldn’t you want the very finest? Conventional wisdom and common sense motivates us to choose the people who are most qualified.

            That is why Jesus’ choice of apostles is so peculiar. As he began to face increasing hostility from the Pharisees and other religious leaders, he knew that it was important to form a team who would carry on his mission after he was gone.  

            But none of the 12 apostles Jesus chose were “Dream Team” material. They were not from prominent families or prestigious backgrounds, nor were they highly educated or especially talented. They were certainly not qualified to lead a religious revolution. They were as common as a vanilla ice cream cone. They were just average blue-collar guys, and perhaps even a little rough around the edges. This was definitely not a “Dream Team.” So, why did Jesus choose these chaps?

Praying through Big Decisions (12)

            The ministry of these 12 men was central to God’s plan of salvation. First the apostles would spend several years with Jesus, learning the ways of his kingdom. At the end of their training, they would witness his crucifixion and resurrection, which would finally prove to them that Jesus was the Christ. After this, they would go and preach the gospel to all nations, proclaiming the good news of salvation. And finally, most of them would be martyred because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

            Since the apostles would be the foundation of God’s work in the world, it was absolutely essential for Jesus to choose the right men. So Jesus sought the solitude of a lonely mountainside to pray to his heavenly father. He prayed privately, passionately, and dependently, spending the whole night seeking God’s guidance for choosing the right apostles. (Ryken 254)

            Jesus was always man of prayer. The gospels often portray Jesus going off to be alone and pray, but this is especially the case when he was faced major life decisions. And that is exactly what he does here before he chooses his apostles!

            From this example we learn our great need for prayer. Like Jesus, we need to go to our own mountain of prayer when we face momentous decisions. We need to seek a solitary place away from the noise and clutter of our lives so that we can hear the voice of the Lord! We need to fervently request the wisdom and guidance of our heavenly Father and earnestly ask for his will to be done. And we need to humbly accept God’s answer, even if it is not the one we want or the one that makes the most sense!

            I openly confess that I am not nearly the man of prayer that I would like to be or should be, but I am at least grateful that I have followed Jesus’ example of sustained solitary prayer when I have faced big decisions in my life. I remember spending countless hours in prayer when I was seeking God’s will on where I should go to college. He eventually opened the door made it clear that I should attend Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, where I not only received an excellent education, but it is also where I met Jennifer.

            A few years later, I remember spending a number of nights asking God if Jennifer was the woman that he wanted me to spend the rest of my life with. I certainly knew what I desired, but I wanted to be sure that she was God’s choice for me. He eventually answered those prayers by confirming his choice. (I guess that one didn’t turn out too bad!!)

            And during my seminary days, I was faced with another major life decision: should I follow conventional wisdom and stay in a great situation in Massachusetts or should I apply for the pastoral position that was open at a church in Franklin, Vermont? I fell to my knees again and sought God both day and night. Well, he made his will known and the past 11 years has proven to be one of the best decisions I have ever made!

            Are you facing any big decisions right now—college, relationship, spouse, kids, career, moving, retirement, health, or something else? Will you follow Jesus’ example and pray through these major life choices!

The Daydream Team (13-16)

            As I mentioned before, when we look at the list of men who Jesus actually chose to be his apostles, it doesn’t look anything like a “Dream Team.” As a matter of fact, we could probably dub this team of disciples “The Daydream Team” because the list makes us wonder if Jesus may have been daydreaming instead of praying.

            We have Simon Peter, who had some leadership qualities but also had a propensity for sticking his foot in his mouth. He was brash and outspoken, but didn’t back up his words with actions. He would go on to deny Christ three times when his own life was in jeopardy. Next, we have Andrew, who had been a disciple of John the Baptist, and introduced his brother Simon Peter to Jesus. Other than this, the Bible doesn’t tell us much about Andrew. He remained behind the scenes throughout Jesus’ ministry.

            Next we have James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Even though these two joined Simon Peter in Jesus’ inner circle, they were also the ones who exhibited selfishness when they asked Jesus to let them sit at his right and left hand in glory. These first four disciples were all Galilean fishermen by trade—not really dream team material!

            Then we have Philip, who introduces Bartholomew (Nathaniel) to Jesus, but who also showed a lack of faith when Jesus asked him where should they buy bread to feed the crowd of 5000 people. Although Bartholomew was a man of great integrity, he was the one who spoke the famous words about Jesus, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46) Neither of these two were dream team material either!

            Matthew (Levi) was a filthy yellow-bellied tax collector who sold out his own people to work for the evil Roman government. He made his fortune through extortion. Simon the zealot is also an odd choice. The term “zealot” identifies his as a Jewish nationalist, a militia group that sought to overthrow the Roman government. These two men came from backgrounds that generally hated each other, but Jesus chose both of them to be on his team. Dream team material? I think not!

            Thomas may have had the greatest potential of all of the apostles, but I doubt it!! Even today, 2000 years later he is still known as “Doubting Thomas” because he would not believe that Jesus was resurrected unless he could put his finger in nail scars. James the son of Alphaeus and Judas son of James are the most obscure of all of the 12 apostles. Other than being listed with the others, we hardly know anything about them. And finally, there is Judas Iscariot, the most well known traitor in the history of the world. He betrayed the Son of Man with a kiss for a mere thirty pieces of silver. Would you want any of these guys on your dream team?

            So, we return to the question, “Why would God choose men like this to carry on Jesus ministry? The answer is very simple: to display his awesome power! God doesn’t need people who are smart, talented, or charismatic to transform the world. All he needs is someone who is willing to follow Jesus and learn from him.

            Although it took them a while even after Jesus was gone, God used these 12 ordinary men to establish the Christian church and spread the gospel all over the world. He used this rag-tag group of disciples to start a movement that would 2000 years and become 3 billion people strong. 

            As we look at these apostle profiles, it makes us realize that these guys aren’t much different from us. We all have character flaws, inadequacies, and weaknesses just like them. Most of us are not dream team material, but if we are willing to follow Jesus and learn from him, God will display his power in us and use us to accomplish amazing feats for his kingdom.

            These 12 apostles act as a mirror for our own discipleship. If we look close enough, we will see a little bit of ourselves in these men. Is there anyone here like Peter—a brash, outspoken, loudmouth who is quick to act and slow to think. Have you even denied Jesus when you were under pressure? Do we have any James’ or John’s among us? Maybe you genuinely love the Lord, but you like to look out for your own interests too. Is there anyone here like Philip, Bartholomew, and doubting Thomas? Maybe you are following Jesus, but you are still struggle with doubts. Do we have any Matthew’s or Simon the Zealot’s? Do come from a dubious and destructive background? Do you have trouble overcoming your past mistakes? Maybe we have some people like Andrew, James, and Judas—is your life overshadowed by other family members or friends and you are sentenced to a legacy of relative obscurity? And finally, do we have any Judas Iscariot’s in our midst today? Is there anyone here who would be willing to sell Jesus out in the pursuit of money?

            Well, I doubt if there is anyone here today who is discipleship dream team material, but that is OK! God doesn’t need the best and brightest; he doesn’t need the most magnetic personalities or the most talented skill sets; he doesn’t need the most educated or experienced! All he needs someone who is willing to follow his son Jesus? Are you willing to be Jesus’ disciple?

            Ladies and gentlemen, I have some really bad news to share with you this morning. Rosco P. Coltrane is dead! He passed away last Monday from complications from pneumonia. He was 88 years old.

            For those of you who may not be familiar with Rosco P. Coltrane, he was the two-bit county sheriff on my favorite childhood show “The Duke’s of Hazzard.” Even though he was always pressed under the heavy thumb of Boss Hogg, his insufferable brother-in-law and the county commissioner, Rosco took law enforcement job very seriously (usually too seriously). In one episode of the Dukes, I remember watching Rosco issue a speeding ticket to a man for going 16mph in a 15mph zone.        

            Rosco spent his days enforcing the narrow laws of Hazzard County, but his primary function was keeping his keen eye on the good ole Duke boys because “t’dem boy had been in trouble with the law since the day they was born.” Rosco was always scheming some way to trick them into breaking their probation and putting them in jail. He was a legalizing legalist who was in love with the law. He even had a legal Beagle named Flash who rode with him in his police cruiser.

            Have you ever encountered anyone like Rosco P. Coltrane? Have you ever dealt with someone who let their little bit of authority go to their great big head? Do you have any self-appointed moral watchdogs keeping their eye on you? Do you know anyone who is a strict letter-of-the law person? Do you have some people in your life who are more interested in being right than doing what is right? People like this are obnoxious! They are hard to be around!

            Rosco P. Coltrane reminds me of the Pharisees that Jesus encountered in today’s Bible reading. The Pharisees were a group of self-appointed Jewish religious overseers who made sure that Israel kept all 613 statutes of the Mosaic Law. They were a band of high-brow brothers who took it upon themselves to make up a bunch of additional and arbitrary laws to ensure that no one broke the actual law. This brood of vipers snapped at Jesus’ heals throughout his ministry and was ultimately responsible for the false accusations that led to his crucifixion. They hated him because of his popularity and his undermining of their obsessive laws.

            Today’s Scripture reading recounts two confrontations that Jesus had with the Pharisees early in his ministry. Both of these stories deal with Jesus’ supposed breaking of the Sabbath law, but they really reveal that the Pharisees were people who were more interested in being right than doing right. Let’s take a look.

Harvesting on the Sabbath (1-5)

            As the news of Jesus’ powerful preaching and miraculous healings spread throughout Israel, the Pharisees were watching him like a hawk. One day, Jesus and his disciples were walking through some grain fields, and as they went along, they plucked some heads of grain, rubbed off the outer shell, and ate them. Ordinarily, this would not have been a big deal. The Mosaic Law demanded that farmers leave some stocks of grain standing in their fields to help feed the poor. Jesus and his disciples were simply gathering grain to fill their empty stomachs.

            The only problem was that it was a Sabbath, the holy day of rest. When the Pharisees saw what the disciples were doing, they immediately confronted and accused them of violating the 4^th Commandment—“Thou shalt keep the Sabbath Day holy.”  According to the Sabbath police, this menial harvesting of grain by hand was considered work, which was prohibited on the day of rest. So, the Pharisees charged them in the form of a question, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”

             Jesus answered their question by reminding them of a story from the life of King David. I love how Jesus heightened the tension by answering their question with another question about the Bible—“Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat.”

            The bread of the Presence was specially baked every week and set in the Tabernacle and consecrated to God. By law, the holy priests were the only ones that were allowed to eat it. But Jesus points out the fact that King David and his men were famished. Technically, for them to eat the bread was a violation of the law, but as the priest considered the total righteousness of God and the dire circumstance, he recognized his higher duty to meet a basic human need.

            Jesus recalled this story to show the Pharisees that doing what is right is more important than being right. Feeding the hungry was more important than keeping the letter of the law. What would grieve God’s heart more: harvesting a little grain on the Sabbath or letting someone starve to death? God always desires mercy more than observance of sacred rituals.

            Jesus could have stopped there. The legal precedent he cited from the Old Testament cleared him and his disciples from any wrongdoing, but Jesus went on to make the dramatic declaration that he is the Lord of the Sabbath. “Son of Man” is a messianic term that testifies to his humanity and deity, and this is why he has authority over the Sabbath. (Ryken 244)

Healing on the Sabbath (6-11)

            The second story also takes place on the Sabbath, but this time we find Jesus teaching in a synagogue. The text simply says that “a man was there whose hand was withered.” Now it could have been a coincidence that this man just happened to come to the synagogue that day, but I suspect that the Pharisees subtly orchestrated this meeting. After all, they were looking for a reason to accuse him, and they knew that Jesus had a reputation for healing on the Sabbath. Even though I can’t prove it, I think this was a deliberate set-up!

            Well, if it was a set-up, Jesus willingly took the bait. Whether it was by divine omniscience or the prompting of the Holy Spirit I do not know, but he knew exactly what they were thinking. So, he called the man with the shriveled hand forward and directed him to stand in front of the audience. Then he asked the crowd a brilliant question, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” This question turned the table on the Pharisees and backed them into a corner. If they responded that it was lawful to do good and save life on the Sabbath, then they would have no accusation against Jesus for healing them. On the other hand, if they said that it was lawful to do evil or destroy life on the Sabbath, they would show themselves as evil doers. Jesus was trying to teach them the doing what is right is more important than being right! He wanted them to see that life is better than legalism.

            As you can imagine, no one dared to answer Jesus’ question. Instead, an awkward silence fell over the crowd. (Then Peter and John bumped fists and said, “Boom! Take that you self-righteous hypocrites! No, I’m just kidding!) But I can only imagine wry grins appearing on the faces of Jesus’ disciples as the eyes of the Pharisees were flooded with fury. As the Pharisees began grumbling amongst each other, Jesus told the man to stretch out his hand, and it was miraculously and completely restored.

            Both of these stories are meant to teach us that Jesus is more interested in doing right than being right. They drive home the fact that Jesus cares more about meeting legitimate human needs than jumping through the hoops of outward holiness. Jesus desires mercy and compassion more than conforming to the letter of the law.

            How about you? Have you become so consumed with being right that you have forgotten to do what is right? Are you so concerned about maintaining your self-righteousness that you neglect ministering mercy to those who are in need around you? Are you a letter of the law type person? Is your personality so anal retentive that no one wants to be around you? Let me just say this: if Leviticus is your favorite book of the Bible, there might be something wrong with you!

            When your wife’s water breaks and she is screaming, “Get me to the hospital now!” don’t say, “Sorry honey, I have to slow down. This is only a 35mph speed zone!” Have some compassion! If your son or daughter is graduating from college on a Sunday, don’t say, “I’m sorry kiddo, I’ve got church on Sunday!” Be there for your kid! Church will be there next Sunday!

            Now please don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that we should have a flippant attitude toward the law: God’s law or our nations’ laws. As a faithful Jew, Jesus had the utmost respect for God’s law; it was just the legalism that he didn’t like. He understood that God’s original intent for these laws was to be a blessing to mankind, not a burden. He did not like when people heaped further restrictions on top of God’s laws.

            Take the Sabbath for instance! Why did God rest on the seventh day and institute Sabbath for his people. Well, it wasn’t because God was tired and needed a break; it was because he knew that our human bodies and minds need a rhythm of rest after six long work days. He commanded his people to rest from their ordinary work one day a week so that bodies retain their productivity and minds maintain their sanity. Workaholics (people who never take days off or go on vacations) eventually burn out and are detrimental to everyone around them.

            The principle of Sabbath rest is still relevant for the Christian today. For most Christians, Sunday is the day that is set apart for worship and rest. To go to church on Sunday morning and spend the rest of your day in recreation or relaxation is good for the spirit, mind, and body. But take me for instance, Sunday is seldom my Sabbath. It is usually my work day. Therefore, I usually take Monday as my day off. I try not to get involved with work related activities. I like to ski, fish, and kayak on Mondays. I take it pretty seriously!

            But if the telephone rings and I discover that someone is dying in the hospital, I don’t say, “Sorry, today is my day off. Gee, I sure do hope that they can hang in there until tomorrow morning!” That would be a complete contradiction of the Sabbath’s intention. That would be legalism, not holiness.

            Therefore, I urge you to take God’s laws seriously! I urge you to take our government’s laws seriously! I urge you to take the Sabbath principle seriously! But whatever you do, don’t ever let being right get in the way of doing what is right!

            Today’s Scripture reading recounts two miraculous healing stories. Even though the details of the two stories drastically differ, they share a main purpose of displaying desperate faith and divine authority. Let me begin by explaining what I mean by “desperate faith.”

Desperate Faith

            Both of these stories convey desperate faith! Even though Luke doesn’t tell us which city Jesus was in at the time, he does tell us that a leper came into the city to see Jesus. This may not seem like a big deal to us today, but this was extraordinary for Jesus’ day. Leprosy was a chronic and highly contagious skin disease which had no cure in the ancient world. Symptoms usually included severe itching and chaffing skin, disfigurement of the face and hands, and sometimes included neurological problems. Lepers were, by law, forced to leave their homes and families and were sentenced to live in leper colonies that were often located in caves. They were forbidden to enter communities or come into contact with healthy people, so they were reduced to standing along roadways in order to beg for food and charity.

            Even worse than the physical pain and itching was the social ostracism and religious stigma associated with the disease; leprosy was generally considered a punishment for sin or a curse from God. There was no known cure, and if contracted, people would often live with the dreadful and lonely affliction for the rest of their lives.

            This leper bucked up against the cultural customs and flat out broke they law when he entered the city, fell down at the feet of Jesus, and begged Jesus to heal him. But desperate times call for desperate measures—and his was a complete and utter act of desperatation. He threw all caution to the wind because he knew that Jesus had the divine power and authority to heal his body and restore his life. The only question was, “Would Jesus be willing to cure him?” Either way, this leper demonstrated a desperate faith in Jesus.

            The circumstances of the second story are different from the first story, but it displays the same desperate faith. While Jesus was inside a house teaching a large crowd of people, which included a group of suspicious religious leaders, there was a group of men carrying a crippled man on a stretcher. We don’t know how or how long the man had been paralyzed, but we do know that he was trying to get to Jesus for healing.

            When the men could not make their way through the horde of people, they were not deterred. They somehow hoisted the crippled man onto the rooftop, removed the ceiling tiles, and lowered him into the room where Jesus was teaching. Can you imagine seeing this? What extravagance! What desperation! What an act of faith! Jesus was so impressed with their desperate faith that he made the man walk.

            Isn’t it interesting to see how Jesus granted miracles to people who came to him in desperation? He did not heal everyone he ever met, but he consistently showed incredible compassion toward those who came to him in meekness and humility. When someone displayed a desperate faith in Jesus—that is when he met their needs and restored their lives.

            This makes me wonder if a lack of miracles in our lives today is related to our lack of desperation. When I stop and think about the times that God has shown up most clearly and dramatically, it is always when I am most desperate—when my resources were exhausted—when I had reached my whit’s end—when I had no idea what I was going to do—when I gave up control—and when I finally fell before the feet of Jesus and begged for his help.

            I can think of many examples of this from my own life, but let me share just one. When I was back in college, and everyone in my dormitory was heading home for Christmas break, I had to stay behind and work a few extra days. I was allowed to stay in my dorm room, but the dining hall was closed, which meant that I was on my own for meals. The problem was that I had just paid my school bill and my financial resources were completely exhausted. I had no food and no money. I couldn’t even scrape up fifty cents to buy a bag of peanuts from the vending machine in the lobby. It was the first time in my life that I ever faced a period of days without food.

            After the first day, I was hungry, frustrated, and scarred. I had already resigned myself to fasting for those days, but I prayed that if it be the Lord’s will that he would provide for me. It was indeed a prayer of desperation! About 10 minutes later, I heard a knock on the door. It was my good friend Scott Mooberry. He said, “I was supposed to go home yesterday, but it didn’t work out. I’m heading home now, but I wanted to stop by to say good bye and to tell you to help yourself to the pizza in the refrigerator. I ordered way too much last night and I’m not going to take it home.”

            As soon as he left, I ran into the lounge and opened the fridge—and to my great surprise, he didn’t just leave me a few pieces of dried out Domino’s pizza, but he left me a whole Giordano’s deep dish stuffed pizza—the best pizza in Chicago—the kind that weighs 20 pounds and costs $35 a pie. That miracle pizza sustained me for the next three days until I got home for Christmas. Scott never knew that his pizza was the immediate answer to my desperate prayer!

            How about you? When was the last time you really cried out to Jesus and fell before him in desperation? When was the last time you were either forced or willing to give up control over your own life? That was probably the last time you saw God do something amazing in your life. Desperate situations call for desperate faith!

Divine Authority

            Now that we have seen people come to Jesus with desperate faith, let’s take a look at his divine authority. In both stories, Jesus displays his divine authority to heal people’s lives physically and spiritually.

Physical Restoration

           These stories show Jesus’ divine authority to restore people’s physical lives. Notice how the leper knew that Jesus had the power to heal; it was not a question of ability, it was one of willingness. And in this case, Jesus was willing to heal.

            When Jesus healed the man with leprosy, he didn’t just cleanse his skin; he gave him his life back! He didn’t just deliver him from physical pain and discomfort; he delivered him from the agony of social ostracism. Now he could be reunited with his family, resume his career, and be involved in his community. Every aspect of his physical life was restored. What an incredible display of divine authority!

            The story of the crippled man also shows Jesus’ divine authority to heal. We don’t know how this man became a paralytic or how long he had been disabled. All we know is that he couldn’t walk and he had to rely on his friends to move him from place to place—remember, this was long before the days of prosthetic legs, wheelchairs, and physical therapy.

            Despite his handicap, he wasn’t going to let anyone stand in the way of him getting to Jesus. Why? Because he believed that Jesus had the divine power to heal him. And when Jesus restored his legs, is it any wonder that he went home glorifying God? Is it any wonder that the whole crowd glorified God and said, “We have seen extraordinary things today?” Everyone there recognized Jesus’ divine authority to heal and restore people’s lives.

            How about you? Do you recognize Jesus’ divine authority to heal? Throughout the gospels we see Jesus heal people from leprosy, paralysis, fever, blindness, deafness, and even raise people from death. Throughout my life, I have seen Jesus miraculously heal people from all sorts of aliments: pneumonia, stroke, cancer, drug addiction and many other maladies. Just like in these stories, the issue is never Jesus’ ability to heal; it is always with his willingness.

            So that leaves us with the question, “Why does Jesus choose to heal sometimes and not others?” That is a good question and I have to confess that I don’t know the answer, but I will say this: when he doesn’t heal, he has another plan. Sometimes he allows us to suffer physical pain and loss because he wants to mold our character, strip away our pride, and help us to see our need for him. When he chooses not to heal, we must trust that he has our best interest in mind and that he is accomplishing some other purpose in our lives.

Spiritual Restoration

            These stories also reveal Jesus’ divine authority to restore people’s spiritual lives. When Jesus healed the man from leprosy, he also restored his spiritual life. He told him to “go and show himself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing…” (13) In these days, the priests also acted as public health officers. They had to inspect any who claimed healing from a contagious disease and declare them clean before they could reenter the community. The leper’s condition prevented him from being able to worship God at the synagogue. Therefore, he could not hear the Word of God taught, sing psalms, or participate in the corporate rituals that brought glory to God. When Jesus healed his leprosy, it showed his authority to restore his spiritual life.

            The healing of the crippled really highlights Jesus’ authority to restore the spiritual life. When Jesus saw the man’s great faith, instead of just telling him to get up and walk, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven.” Jesus intentionally said it this way to point to the fact that his whole soul was healed, not just his legs. He is indirectly pointing to the priority of spiritual healing over physical healing. After all, it is perfectly possible for a paralytic to enter heaven

            The Pharisees and teachers of the law quickly picked up on Jesus’ phrasing. They accused him of committing the sin of blasphemy. They knew that only God had the authority to forgive sins, and Jesus by declaring the paralytic’s sins forgiven, Jesus was claiming to be God. Their assessment was correct. Jesus not only claimed divine authority by speaking these words, but he proved it by enabling the man to stand up and walk!

            Like the crippled man, many of us come to Jesus seeking some type of physical fulfillment, but hopefully we will walk away seeing that our deepest need is spiritual. More than anything else in this life, our greatest need is to be forgiven for our sins against God. After all, neither paralysis, leprosy, blindness, heart disease, cancer, nor any other physical disablement can prevent us from going to heaven when we die; but unrepentant sin can!

            Friends, Jesus is the only one who forgive us and free us from our sins. He was the only human being to live a perfect sinless life. He is the only one who could shed his blood to atone for our sins! He is the only one who can give us eternal life! He is the only one who has authority to restore our physical lives here on earth and the only one who can offer us paradise in heaven forever!

            Have you put truly put your faith in Jesus Christ yet? Are you still trying to control your life or have you given it to him? Have you experienced transforming joy of knowing that your sins are forgiven and that your eternal future is secure?

            Let me leave you with two rhetorical questions: Do you have a desperate faith? Have you experienced Jesus’ divine authority?

            A young enthusiastic soul-winning preacher came upon an old farmer working in his field. Being concerned about the farmer’s soul, the preacher asked the man, “Are you laboring in the vineyard of the Lord my good man?” Not even looking at the preacher and continuing his work the farmer replied, “Naw, these are soybeans.”
“You don’t understand,” said the preacher. “Are you a Christian?” With the same amount of interest as his previous answer the farmer said, “Nope my name is Jones. You must be looking for Jim Christian. He lives a mile south of here.”
The young determined preacher tried again asking the farmer, “Are you lost?” “Naw! I’ve lived here all my life,” answered the farmer.
“Are you prepared for the resurrection?” the frustrated preacher asked. This caught the farmer’s attention and he asked, “When’s it gonna be?”
Thinking he had accomplished something, the young preacher replied, “It could be today, tomorrow, or the next day.” Taking a handkerchief from his back pocket and wiping his brow, the farmer remarked, “Well, don’t mention it to my wife. She don’t get out much and she’ll wanna go all three days.”

            What is the moral of this story? If you want to talk to someone about their soul, you have to speak their language. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who uses a bunch of technical jargon? It’s frustrating! Educators are infamous for this! They say things like, “My PLC is having a meeting with the AOE about student IEP’s.” Medical doctors are also notorious for this. They say things like, “I’m sorry to tell you that you have an acute hematoma in your dorsal lumbar region” rather than just saying “You have a bruise on your back.” And even though I hate to admit it, preachers have a reputation for spouting off theological terms that most people do not understand.

            Jesus didn’t use many technical terms in his preaching and teaching. Instead, he preferred to tell parables—short stories from everyday life that illustrate spiritual truths. This is exactly what Jesus does in today’s Bible reading. When he wanted to confront people about the condition of their souls, he told them a story about a farmer.

            Now we all know that Jesus wasn’t a farmer. He was a carpenter by trade, but since he was raised in the agricultural village of Nazareth, he knew something about farming. He also knew that most of the crowd following him was farmers from the fertile plains of Galilee. Therefore, he used the parable of the soils to connect with the hearts of the people.

The Sower and the Seed (4-8)

            Jesus begins his parable by telling us that a farmer went out to sow his seed. In ancient times, before John Deere, Case International, or your preferred brand of agricultural equipment, farming was done by hand. A farmer may use a team of animals to plow a field, but when it came to planting, his only option was to sling a large sack of seek over his shoulder and walk through the fields and cast the seeds onto the soil with his bare hands. It was a laborious process and its success rate was often challenged by heavy winds. This is why the seed in the parable ends up in four different kinds of soil.

            Today it is easy for us to be judgmental against the famer in Jesus’ parable. We may ask, “Why didn’t the farmer just sow his seed in the good soil?” Well, that is a lot easier said than done. For one, it is not always clear which soil is good and which is bad. Secondly, it is almost impossible to hand sow with any accuracy if the wind is blowing.

            Have you ever tried to sow seed in the wind? I tried this once with grass seed when I lived at the parsonage. I had a large area of rough land that I wanted to turn into lawn. I pulled the stumps and roots and raked it until it was smooth. When it came time to lay the seed, I decided to sow it by hand rather than buy a spreader. I got a big old bag of grass seed and was ready to go to work. I even thought about Jesus’ parable as I began. I knew that there was a bit of breeze in the air, but I honestly didn’t think it would affect me very much—that is, until I tried to sow my first handful. Just as I threw out a big clump of seed, a gust of wind picked up and blew it right back into my face. Have you ever tried a mouthful of grass seed? Well, let me save you the trouble…it sure doesn’t taste like salted pumpkin seeds.

            I quickly learned my lesson and tried casting the seed against the wind, but this time the wind lifted it all the way across my yard into my neighbor’s lawn. This happened a number of times as I tried sowing at different angles and heights. The only way to get the seed to stay on the dirt was to throw it straight down, but that made it cluster too closely. I eventually gave up and waited until the next day when the wind died down. I also went to the hardware store and bought a spreader. It was the best $15 I ever spent!

The Soils of the Soul

            This parable is one of the easiest of all of Jesus’ parables for modern readers to understand. That is because after he tells it, he interprets it himself. He tells us that the seed represents the Word of God and therefore, the sower represents anyone who spreads the Word of God and shares it with other people. The four types of soil represent the various ways that that people respond to the Word of God. Let’s take a look at them.

Hard and Indifferent (12)

            The soil is hard and indifferent. In verse 8, Jesus said, “Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.” Here Jesus draws on a common experience for farmers in those days, when footpaths were cut through the fields. Inevitably, some of the seed fell along the hard pathway, where it never had a chance to germinate. Before long, it was either trampled by passersby or became easy prey for hungry birds.

            The same thing happens when the Word of God falls on the soul of the hardened sinner; it never penetrates the mind, touches the conscience, or affects the heart. It just seems to go in one ear and out the other. Such a heart is not prepared to receive the gospel. This soil describes the hardened atheist who denies believe in God—the stubborn sinner who refuses to repent and give up their wicked ways—the apathetic person who is holding a bitter grudge toward God because he didn’t give them what they want. Does this soil describe your soul? Are you hard and indifferent toward God? (Ryken 359)

Shallow and Superficial (13)

            The second soil is shallow and superficial. In verse 13, Jesus said, “Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.” Like New England farmers today, ancient Jewish farmers had to contend with soil that was shallow and rocky. A plant might sprout up in such conditions, sometimes quite rapidly, but it will not survive.

            This soil describes a soul who hears the gospel and makes a quick commitment to Jesus Christ without counting the cost. They get all excited about God for a while, but then trouble comes and their faith fades. This is the person who makes a bunch of promises like, “God, if you cure my disease, heal my injury, mend my marriage, fix my kid, provide my need, etc; then I will follow you forever. I’ll be in church every week!” It seems like genuine faith at first, but their enthusiasm dries up as soon as the Christian life becomes difficult. Their faith was shallow and superficial; it never took root. Do you know anyone like that? Is your faith shallow and superficial?

Thorny and Preoccupied (14)

            The third soil is thorny and preoccupied. This one seems to grow better than the other ones, but it still fails to produce any harvest. Look at verse 14! Jesus said, “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.”

            Oh how easy it is to apply this soul to our modern souls. This soil describes the person who has a good spiritual foundation (perhaps they grew up going to church, attended youth group, or even helped with various ministries), but then fell away from the Lord. God was placed on the back burner as other priorities became more important. Just as weeds can choke out good plants, preoccupation with work and worries or health and hobbies can suffocate a person’s soul.

            Has your faith become thorny and preoccupied? Do you ever say things like, “Well, I would go to church if I didn’t have to work so much” or “Sunday is the only day I have to relax and spend time with family” or “Maybe I’ll take God seriously when I have more time.” The problem with this type of thinking is that we never know how much time we have left. Please don’t make this mistake that so many others have made!

Fertile and Fruitful (15)

            The fourth soil is the only one that actually produces a harvest—it is fertile and fruitful. Verse 15 says, “As for that in good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” This good soil represents the person who hears God’s word and responds to it quickly and faithfully. They are the true believers who commit their lives to Jesus Christ and live their lives for him rather than themselves.

            When you hear God’s word, does it sink into the soil of your soul? Do you obey it and put it into practice? Does it take root in your heart and produce genuine faith in Jesus Christ? Have you committed your life to him? Have you experienced the joy of knowing that your sins are forgiven and the hope of knowing that your future is secure in heaven?

            Like other parables, the parable of the soils searches our souls. As Jesus talked about the different types of soil, and the different spiritual conditions they represent, I hope that you recognize that we are all in this parable somewhere. It forces us to ask, “Which soil am I?”

            Allow me to conclude by telling you about the day when I saw all four of these soils at the same time. A number of years ago I received a telephone call to go to the hospital to see a woman who was dying. When I went into her room, she was still awake and coherent, although her body was fading fast. As I shared God’s word with her and told her about Jesus Christ had done for her, she made a clear profession of faith—it was a true deathbed conversion. After we prayed together, she told me that her soul was now at peace and she thanked me for coming. She died just a couple of hours later.

            A few days later, at her funeral service, I preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and shared the story of her conversion. When the service was over and I was greeting people at the door, a young man came up to me (tears we running down his cheeks), and he said, “I’m a terrible sinner! What do I need to do to go to heaven?” I could tell that his soul was fertile and was ready to bear fruit for the Lord. Many others left the funeral and said, “Thank you for the message. I’m going to get to church one of these days.” They heard the word of God, but their souls were filled with rocks and thorns. And toward the end of the line, and older gentleman approached me and shook my hand. He got right up in my face (I could smell his breath), and spoke words that I will never forget. He said, “Son, that was an excellent presentation, but I don’t believe a word of it!” And he laughed out loud as he left the church.

            Later that day as I reflected on the funeral service, I was amazed at the vastly different reactions to the same exact message—all four soils were represented. Hard and indifferent! Shallow and superficial! Thorny and preoccupied! And fertile and fruitful! That type of soil is your soul?

            If you read the sermon title in this morning’s bulletin, a bit of curiosity may have crept into your mind. Any time a preacher titles his sermon “An Exorcism & My Mother-in-Law”, it tends to furl a few eye brows. There is a certain amount of risk involved in choosing a title like this; especially when the preacher’s mother-in-law is sitting in the congregation.

            The reason why a sermon title like this could be construed as controversial is because of the combination of the terms “exorcism” and “mother-in-law.” Some of you may be tempted to jump to the conclusion that I believe that my mother-in-law is possessed and needs an exorcism!

            Although some of you may feel like your mother-in-law is possessed by a demon and needs an exorcism, I don’t think that about my mother-in-law (and I never have). My mother-in-law is actually a real sweetheart. She is kind, compassionate, and loves the Lord deeply. She has a servant’s heart and is exceedingly hospitable. I have the best mother-in-law in the world!

            My sermon title simply alludes to the fact that I am going to tell you two stories today. The first story is about the first exorcism I ever witnessed. The second story is about a miracle that my mother-in-law experienced. It is rather ironic that both of these events just happened to take place on the same day.

My First Exorcism (31-37)

            Many years have passed since I witnessed my first exorcism, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Back then, I wasn’t even sure if I believed in demons or exorcisms. I had never seen a demon and I didn’t know anyone who had been possessed. Like most people where I grew up, I had heard some local folktales about these things existing, but honestly, I was pretty skeptical—that is, until I saw it with my own two eyes. I have been to a number of exorcisms since then, but the first one has a way of etching a permanent memory in your mind.

            I had only been a follower of Jesus for a few weeks and my hometown church was holding a special Saturday afternoon worship service. This service was a big deal for my little town because there we were hosting a prominent guest preacher, a man who had gained immense popularity in our area. He had earned a reputation for powerful and life-changing preaching!

            Word traveled quickly and it seemed like the whole town showed up to hear him. The place was completely packed—I had never seen it so full. And the preacher definitely lived up to the hype. No one had ever heard anything like it before. He wasn’t like the other preachers we had heard in the past. (You know how most preachers can bore you to death by rambling on and on!) This man didn’t waste a single word. He looked us straight in the eye and he spoke with such clarity and authority. Our ears hung on his every word and his message pierced our souls.

            But just as he was coming to the end of his message, the strangest thing happened. A booming male voice shrieked from the back of the room, “Ha! What do you want with us? Leave us alone!” A shocked silence fell over the whole sanctuary—you could have literally heard a pin drop.  It was one of the most awkward moments I had ever experienced. As I turned around to see who it was, I felt anger bubbling up inside of me as I thought to myself, “Who in their right mind would have the audacity to interrupt a preacher in the middle of his sermon, especially one as good as this?”

            But as soon as I looked at the man who so rudely interrupted the preacher, I instinctually knew he wasn’t in his right mind. It is difficult to describe—his face was contorted, his body was distorted, and his eyes were filled with evil. His voice was so deep that it didn’t even sound human. As I mentioned before, I had been pretty skeptical about demons and demonic possession, but when I saw and heard this man, I immediately knew he was possessed.

            After a long pause, the man looked at the preacher again and bellowed, “I know who you are Jesus of Nazareth; you are the Holy One of God.” O yeah, by now I guess you have figured out that the guest preacher that day was none other than Jesus Christ himself!

            As the man was shouting, Jesus cut him off and sternly rebuked him saying, “Be quiet!” The man immediately stopped talking and stood in a upright position. Then, Jesus approached him, looked deep into his eyes, and said, “Come out of him!” The man’s body twisted and he fell to the ground as if he was forced against his will. He laid there struggling for a few moments but was uninjured. My brother Andrew looked at me and said, “Simon, the demons have left him.”

            The man fell before Jesus’ feet in worship and thanked him for delivering him from the demonic spirits. Jesus took the man’s hand, helped him up, and sent him on his way. As the service came to an end that afternoon, everyone was amazed by what they saw and heard. The whole congregation kept saying, “What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!” As people left the gathering place that afternoon, they went throughout the area and spread the news about what had happened.

            As I watched Jesus perform that exorcism that day, not only did I learn about the reality of demons and demonic possession, but also I learned that Jesus had divine power and authority over demonic spirits and all of the forces of evil.

            Like me, there may be someone here today who is skeptical about demons and demonic possession, but I beg you to believe. They are real and they actively work to destroy people’s lives. And if you ever have an encounter with a demon, I hope that you will always remember that these forces can only be overcome through the power of Jesus!

            Also, in this one event, Jesus showed such compassion and control, meekness and might, pity and power! Even though I had already learned so much about Jesus, I realized that there was so much more to know! I hope that you will remember that too and actively seek to know him more!

My Miraculous Mother-in-Law (38-41)

            Well, now that I have told you the story of my first exorcism, let me tell you a little story about my mother-in-law. After the exorcism that afternoon, I invited Jesus, my brother Andrew, and my fishing buddies James and John, back to my house for supper. My mother-in law lived with my wife and me at the time, and she loved taking care of us. She always wanted to do the cooking and cleaning and would hardly let us do anything, which I didn’t mind all that much. She was a good cook too! I gained 15 pounds the first year she lived with us. She always had food cooking and she loved when we brought people over for supper. So, even though I didn’t check with her ahead of time, I knew it would be alright.

            When we got back to my house, my wife met me at the door in a panic. She said, “Simon, mama’s sick. She’s been running a high fever since early this morning and I’ve never seen one this bad. I’ve tried everything I can think of to bring the fever down, but nothing seems to work. I don’t know what else to do and I’m getting really scarred!”

            As I saw my mother-in-law lying on the bed in sweat and misery, I tried to think of something I could do for her. As a fisherman, I didn’t know much about medicine and I knew that there weren’t any doctors in Capernaum. Then, all of the sudden, it hit me! How could I be so thick-headed? I had just seen Jesus cure a man from demon possession; perhaps he could do something to help my mother-in-law.

            I went back outside and explained the situation to him. The tenderness in his eyes told me that he would help and he asked me if he could go in and see her. Everyone else stayed there, while Jesus and I joined my wife at my mother’s bedside. He very calmly bend over her, took her hand, and just as he did with the demon earlier that afternoon, he rebuked the fever and commanded it to leave her.

            In an instant, the fever was gone and strength returned to her body. It was a genuine miracle. She was perfectly well. She sat up, kissed Jesus on the cheek, and thanked him. Then she said, “You boys must be hungry; let me fix you something to eat!” My wife tried to protest, but Mama said, “Girl, don’t you tell your Mama what to do! You set the table and leave the cooking to me!” As she said it, she gave Jesus a wry wink out of the corner of her eye. Jesus just smiled back at her without saying a word.

            Man did we eat that night! Fresh baked pita bread! Rich mazza ball soup! And for dessert, the best date and fig bars I ever tasted! Mama really outdid herself. That was a dinner I will never forget.

            As we enjoyed the food and shared in delightful conversation together, I thought about how Jesus displayed his power disease. Did you know that Jesus has the ability and authority to cure any disease or physical ailment by just speaking a word or touching someone’s hand?

The Crowd and the Cure (42-44)

            As we finished our desert and mama began cleaning up the dishes, we heard a knock at the door and some voices outside. I opened the door and saw a large group of people. Somehow the news of the day’s events traveled all over the area, and now a large crowd of people came to Jesus seeking a cure. I had no idea what to do with all of those people, but Jesus quickly came to the door and surveyed the situation. He showed incredible compassion by dealing with every one of them personally. He talked with them and touched them. He healed every one of them from all kinds of maladies and delivered more from demonic possession. Meanwhile, the rest of us did what we could to help.

            As the night wore on, it seemed like people kept coming out of the woodwork. When we saw the sun peak out over the eastern horizon, Jesus said that it was time for him to retreat to a solitary place. He had ministered to people all night long, and even he needed to take a break. After a while, the people tracked him down and begged him to stay there with them, but he said that God had called him to preach the good news of the kingdom in the other towns too. And with that, he came back to the house, thanked my mother-in-law one last time, told us disciples to gather some supplies, and we headed off for Judea.

             As we walked toward Judea that day, I began to reflect on a few of the things that I had just learned about Jesus. I learned that Jesus’ preaching has the authority of heaven. I learned that Jesus has power over demons and diseases! I learned that Jesus has incredible compassion for people. I learned that even Jesus needs a break and retreat from ministry sometimes! And I learned that his utmost ministry priority was to preach the good news about the kingdom of God.

            By sharing these stories, I hope that you all have learned some of the things that I have learned about Jesus!

            Over the past year I have caught a few episodes of the PBS program Finding Your Roots, where noted Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. helps celebrities discover long-lost relatives hidden for generations within the branches of their family trees. Professor Gates utilizes a team of genealogists to reconstruct the paper trail left behind by their ancestors and the world’s leading geneticists to decode their DNA and help them travel thousands of years into the past to discover the origins of their earliest forebears. Among others, the show has highlighted the family histories of famed broadcaster Barbara Walters, author Stephen King, and former New York Yankees short-stop Derek Jeter (emphasis on the word “former”). Thank God for that!!!

            The immense popularity of the show is at least partially due to the renaissance of genealogical interest that has swept across America over the past decade or so. Contrary to many other cultures, Americans typically value things that are new over things that are old. While the average person from Britain or China can follow their family tree back hundreds and sometimes even thousands of years, most Americans, with perhaps the exception of those who are members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), can’t trace their roots back more than two or three generations. How about you? What do you really know about your great-great grandparents? How far can you trace the roots of your family tree?

            Our historical ignorance and cultural ambivalence has negatively affected our view of reading genealogies, especially biblical ones. That is why, when we come to long lists of peculiar names in the Bible like this one, we immediately react with thoughts like: “This is dumb!” “I can’t even pronounce these names!” “Why is this even here?” “This doesn’t make any sense!” “I’m not getting anything out of this!” “How is the pastor going to make a sermon out of this?”  

            But to the ancient Jewish mind, a person’s genealogy was critical for establishing their credibility. A person’s family line often defined their place in society, especially if they had royal blood. If a person could not find their family heritage, they were like a nomad wandering through the desert.

            Now I admit that genealogy may not be the Bible’s most interesting literary genre, but I assure you that they are always there for a good reason and they do bear great significance for our lives today. Just as our own genealogies help us understand our identities, Jesus’ genealogy helps us understand his true identity. In this passage, Luke combines a brief account of Jesus’ baptism with his genealogical background to highlight his role of Son of God and Son of Man—that is, his divinity and humanity.

Jesus’ Baptism (21-22)

            Luke only uses two verses to describe Jesus’ baptism. He is not interested, like the other gospel writers, in all of the dialogue leading up to Jesus undergoing the waters of baptism in the Jordan River; rather, he is interested in the two miraculous actions. Immediately after John brought him up out of the water, and as Jesus began to pray, the heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form as a dove. If this miraculous visible display wasn’t enough to astound the crowd, the audible voice that said, “You are my beloved son; with you I am well pleased” must have left them completely dumbfounded.

            The visible presence of the Holy Spirit and the audible affirmation from God the Father publically identified Jesus as own God’s son, thus declaring his deity. This is one of the few places in the Bible where we encounter all three members of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) at the same time.

            If John’s baptism was a baptism for the forgiveness of sins, it raises the question as to why Jesus wanted to be baptized. Jesus did not need to be baptized, nor did he need to be forgiven for any sins, but he deliberately chose to be baptized to endorse John the Baptist’s ministry and to identify with sinful humanity in their need to be forgiven. This decision would eventually lead him to the cross, the ultimate display of his own humanity.

            Jesus’ baptism reveals his true identity: He is fully God and fully man at the same time. His willingness to undergo the waters of baptism highlights his humanity. The miraculous appearance of the Holy Spirit and the Father’s affirmation demonstrates his deity! Why is this important? What is the significance of this? Just wait a few more minutes and I will tell you! But first, let’s take a look at Jesus’ family tree!

Jesus’ Family Tree (23-38)

            As I mentioned earlier, a person’s genealogy helps to reveal their identity. Like a carpenter who repeatedly hits a nail to solidify a structure, Luke places Jesus’ genealogy immediately after his baptism because he wants to drive home the fact that Jesus is both God and man. Luke has already told us the story of Jesus being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, but now he affirms Joseph as Jesus’ earthly father and traces his lineage all the way back to Adam and God.

            Most of the names in this list are unfamiliar to us. Nearly half of the 75 names listed here do not appear anywhere else in the Bible, but there are a few names that we do recognize. In accordance with Old Testament prophecy, Luke makes it clear that Jesus descended from the royal line of David, which shows us that he had the heritage of a king. He was also a descendent of Father Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people, which shows us that he was a true Israelite. His ancestry can actually be traced all the way back to Adam, the father of the human race, which affirms Jesus humanity! This genealogy shows us that Jesus is fully human, fully Jewish, and that he is a king!

            Before I press this point further, I also want you to notice that Jesus’ genealogy includes as host of heroes and scoundrels. On the hero side, Enoch walked with God and was no more. He is one of only a few humans who never tasted death. Noah was a righteous man and God used him to save the human race. Boaz was an honest business man and became the kinsman-redeemer who eventually established the line of King David. These were men of moral integrity and spiritual stalwarts! It is no surprise to find men like this in Jesus’ family tree.

            But consider the scoundrel side for a moment, Terah was an idolater; Abraham was a liar; Jacob was a cheater and thief; Judah was slave-trader and philanderer; David was an adulterer and murderer. They were men of sketchy character and moral malfunction. You may be surprised to find men like this in Jesus’ family tree.

            Just like Jesus, we all have some skeletons in our ancestral closets. The branches on our own family trees are budded with both heroes and scoundrels. If you have descended from a godly family that took you to church, read the Bible, prayed together, and taught you about the grace and love of Jesus Christ, praise God and give thanks. Continue the pattern in your own family!

            If you have descended from a family of liars, cheats, manipulators, alcoholics, abusers, and philanderers, be encouraged! So did Jesus! But may the cycle of sin stop with you! Clean the skeletons out of your family closet! Cast the demons out! Learn from their mistakes! Establish a godly heritage for your family! 

            Like most Americans, I don’t know a lot about my family tree. But I do know that I have descended from at least three generations of alcoholics on my father’s side. In my younger days, I was on the fast track to becoming a fourth generation alcoholic, but when I put my faith in Jesus Christ, he delivered me from the deadly addiction. Now I am very careful about how much I drink! I want the curse of my forefathers to be broken with me. I don’t want to become a descendant of debauchery to my children and grand-children; rather, I want to plant a new family tree that will reap of harvest of righteousness for generations to come!

            Well, let me get back to Luke’s main point of Jesus’ family tree. Luke presents this genealogy alongside Jesus’ baptism to affirm his deity and humanity. In verse 23, Luke begins the genealogy by asserting that Joseph was Jesus’ father, but then he inserts the little phrase “or so it was thought.” He does this to inform the reader that everyone thought that Joseph was in fact Jesus’ father, but we already know that God was Jesus’ real father. Then he goes on to present the rest of Joseph’s genealogy. Luke is making the profound theological point that Jesus had both a human and heavenly father and is, therefore, both human and divine.

Conclusion

            So, why is it so important that Jesus is both God and man? If Jesus was not fully God, he could not have lived a sinless life. If he did not live a sinless life, his death could not have atoned for our sins. And if his death did not atone for our sins, we still bear the burden of our sin and our souls are still sentenced to hell when we die. Do you see how the whole gospel hinges on the fact that Jesus is God? If Jesus is not God, then we have no hope for eternal life! Likewise, if Jesus is not fully human, he cannot be our representative before God—he could not take our place or bear the punishment for our sins.

            This is one of the key traits that separates Christianity from all of the other world religions. Mohammed was a man, but he was not God! Buddha was a man, but he was not God. Confucius was a man, but he was not God! Native peoples claim that the Great Spirit is God, but he is not a man! Jesus Christ is completely unique; there has never been nor will there ever be anyone like him again. He is fully God and fully man at the same time! He is the only one qualified to redeem our sinful souls and save us from hell!   

            Do you see? It is absolutely essential for Jesus to be both God and man. If he lacks either deity or humanity, we have no hope beyond this life. But thanks be to God for his great plan of salvation! Thanks be to God for allowing his only son, our Lord, to die on the cross for the forgiveness of all of our sins! Thanks be to God for bringing his Son back to life on the third day! Thanks be to God for conquering death once and for all! Have you put your faith in the God-Man Jesus Christ?