Many years ago – in the confines of a barracks room a young sailor decided not to go out partying with his friends. He invested that evening reading the Bible - very specifically – reading the Gospel of John. The room was mostly dark except for the light of the little study desk in the room. Up until that time, religion and church had not occupied much of this young fella’s time or energy. In fact, up until then, reading the Bible had been only about finding the contradictions and the problems in it so that he could throw these in the face of a Christian friend.
Well, if you haven’t guessed it by now – that young sailor was me. I read the entire Gospel of John that evening. When I got to chapter 20 and read about Mary Magdalene going to the tomb and finding it empty and then Jesus appearing to her and talking to her -- something happened. Jesus finally became real to me. He was no longer just a story or some fairy tale or fable or Sunday School lesson. It finally sunk in that Jesus was alive. In fact, that reality became so overwhelming that it seemed to me that Jesus was in that dimly lit barracks room. That night – in that mostly dark barracks room, I was amazed by Jesus and He made me one of his followers.
Being amazed by Jesus is quite the norm. We find all sorts of people being amazed by Jesus. Sometimes that amazement is an awestruck recognition of Jesus’ identity. – Like when the disciples were absolutely stunned when He calmed the seas just by saying, “Be still.” Or when they witnessed him transform into a radiant being on the Mount of Transfiguration. Or when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
But sometimes that amazement isn’t because people are thrilled with Jesus. Case in point - today we read about Jesus going to the synagogue at Capernaum – a city more than 20 miles away from his home. Anybody remember why He was going to church so far from his hometown? Jesus was in Capernaum because the people from his own hometown had run him off. You see, a little earlier Jesus had gotten up to read this prophecy at his hometown synagogue: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to aproclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
And when Jesus said, “Today these scriptures are fulfilled in your hearing,” the townspeople were amazed – but not in a good way. They were amazed that Jesus had the nerve to claim to be Messiah. Isn’t this the son of Joseph and Mary? Haven’t we seen this boy grow up here among us? When Jesus showed his true identity, they couldn’t handle it. They got in a tizzy and ran Jesus out of town - in fact, they tried to throw him off the side of a cliff. And so we find Jesus in Capernaum – in a synagogue far from home – teaching and amazing people.
Let me ask you something: Does Jesus amaze you? [Read page 233 from Blue Like Jazz] What was it about Jesus that so overwhelmed Dr. Bright?
Remember when Jesus first called Peter into ministry? Peter and his companions had been fishing all night and caught nothing. Jesus said, “Throw your nets over and when they did, the haul was so large that the nets were straining and the boats were almost swamped. Peter fell before Jesus and said to him, “Lord, go away from me for I am a sinful man.” Does Jesus amaze you that way?
You know, sometimes I’m scared for those who get to know church from behind the scenes. If you have had to fight the battles; if you have had to be there when the brethren argue; if you’ve had to square off with somebody over the budget; if you have gotten involved in the worship wars – like the folks at the Nazareth synagogue who ran Jesus out of town because they were defending the traditions; if you’ve been involved in or witnessed the power struggles – I’m concerned for you. I’m concerned because when we see that side of the church – it’s so easy NOT to be amazed by Jesus.
Have you been there? Have you been at that place in life when everything seems so plain and mundane that even the Lord of all creation seems to blend into the scenery? So I ask you again dear brothers and sisters – does Jesus still amaze you?
What was it about Jesus that caused people to be amazed by Him? Let’s read together the first two verses of the Gospel Lesson: "They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law."
The first thing that just grabbed people about Jesus was what He taught. His teaching came to the people like a fresh breeze on a sweltering summer day. He brought the Word of God to life. The commandments were no longer just musty, dusty rules that were used to pound people over head. By the way – Jesus didn’t try to make the commandments easier either. He made them even tougher. Jesus took the commandments and kicked them up a notch – kinda like chef Emeril – “BAM!!” No longer was murder just the taking of a life – Jesus said that when we hate we’ve committed murder in our hearts life. Adultery was no longer sleeping with the neighbor’s spouse – but he said that we commit adultery when we have lustful thoughts. Jesus did this so that we would not try to kid ourselves about our need for forgiveness. He did this to get us to realize that our only hope is God’s love and freely poured out for us on the cross.
And this amazed the people, because they were used to being told what to do, when to do it and how to do it in order to earn God’s favor. And if you live this way, don’t you know that pretty darn soon – you will lose that zest and amazement for God. But if you live in the awe and wonder of how much God loves you; if you focus on how willing God is to embrace you and care for you; if you are aware that no matter where you are or where you go, the Holy One who made you and all the heavens and the earth -- is with you – doesn’t that just ratchet up the amazement factor a notch or two or three? When we think about how God pours out forgiveness like a humongous waterfall (like at baby Laura’s baptism) or like He will at the Lord’s Table today – then beloved, we can’t help but be amazed by Jesus.
Let’s read the next part of the Gospel text: "Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.”
There it is – the Creator God wrapped in frail humanity - in a face down with a rebellious creature. And it was no contest. The evil spirit recognized Jesus and knew that Jesus could destroy it. It was not a difficult task for Jesus sort this matter out. He just said, “Be quiet.” Then it was a simple matter of saying – git! “Come out of him.” And the man that had been possessed was free of the oppressive spirit. The kind of authority that Jesus demonstrated left the people at the synagogue in complete awe. “What is this? A new teaching – and with authority!”
Jesus demonstrated this kind of authority over and over again. There was water turned into wine; there were amazing healings; there were different times when he showed dominion over nature; there were several people raised from the dead. There was so much that Jesus did to demonstrate his unique authority that it absolutely amazed and overwhelmed people.
It hasn’t stopped friends. He still does that today. He does it in incredibly amazing ways using simple things: his Word, bread, wine and water. And he does it through – you! Paul compares believers to jars of clay that have the light of Christ within them. Have you ever stopped to think how Jesus has taken these cracked pots – us – and has glorified Himself through them? It is through our weakness – the cracks in the pots – that God’s power is clearly demonstrated. Jesus amazed people as the glory of God shown through the humanity veiled it! When that glory shown forth – what does the last verse in our text say? -- News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
News about Jesus also spreads over the entire region of Irving and Dallas and Fort Worth and Texas and throughout the world as God’s people let the light of Jesus shine forth. And others will watch in amazement as they see people loving and serving: coming into church at night after a long day at work to prepare a meal for others; teaching a class a couple of nights per week; coming to practice the music that will be offered to God’s glory during a worship service; investing the time and the energy to pitch tents and serve food and teach wacky science lessons that honor God as a community is served at a Pan American fair; packing bags of schools supplies for children and inviting to be blessed before they return to school. When Jesus’ people serve him that way – others are amazed – and the news of Jesus spreads quickly over the whole region.
Be amazed by Jesus, my dear brothers and sisters. This humble carpenter’s son is the Lord who made us, who died and rose for us, who promises never – ever to leave us or forsake us. The quotidian struggles of life and church are exactly the opportunities that Jesus uses to show us how amazing He really is and how overwhelming his love and forgiveness are. Amen.
