Sermon – When We Know Too Much!
Luke 4:14-30 “Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. 15 He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 16 When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”22 Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”23 Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ 24 But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown. 25 “Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. 27 And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. 29 Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, 30 but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.”
Introduction: After the wilderness journey and overcoming Satan’s temptations, Jesus returns to Capernaum, his hometown. God highly favored this rural region to have Christ himself going on circuit through his hometown region. It is a great privilege to have the gospel preached in the place where we dwell. Everyone of us has a reason to rejoice when God sends a fresh word. Synagogue worship may not have been all that could be wished, but it was better than nothing. Our Lord sets a good example of faithful church attendance. The local assembly might not have been perfect, but they recognized and reverenced the Sabbath Day and met to worship and praise God. We should never forsake the assembling of ourselves together, even if they are only two or three.
Jesus was led to read the Scripture and selected a passage from Isaiah. His hometown crowd seemed to be impressed by the way Jesus seemed to command the Scripture. His presentation was outstanding. They could tell that must be well trained and had great confidence. 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
First, let me say that the Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach. I have all the gifts and graces upon me without measure. God, the Father gave me the commission to preach good news to the poor. I have come to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, those imprisoned by sin, sickness, and sorrow. I am here to proclaim the recovery of sight, spiritually, physically, mentally blind. I have come to give vision, insight and illumination. I have come bringing liberty, to proclaim the year of Jubilee. This is the acceptable year of the Lord. You can be free from indebtedness, bondage and struggling. I have come proclaiming peace on earth and goodwill towards men.
Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit and Power, glowing with faith and confidence, and their eyes were fastened on him. Everyone bears witness to the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. Then they said, “Is this not Joseph’s Son?” They ignored the message of Jubilee and the movement of the Spirit in their heart and became paralyzed by their personal knowledge of him. Even though they needed his message and sickness, poverty and disease were among them, they rejected Jesus. How can he help us, we know his family, where he was raised, his siblings, and the widow Mary. They had heard of his fame, but could not imagine it was the Jesus they knew, the Jesus everyone was talking about.
The story is so shocking all four Gospel record this event. The old adage is true, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” Many have the same attitude towards the Bible, the Church, and the Preacher. They reject the very help they need. Like the unemployed person who refuses to work for $13 an hour. Or the homeless who refuses to live in a shelter because he will not follow the rules. They rejected the help they needed. Jesus said, “no prophet is honored in his own country.” I have entitled the message When we know too much! Knowing too much can be called “The Joseph’s Son Syndrome.” It will cause you reject the help you need; overlook people you need and ignore the possibility of what could be. The hometown crowd rejected Jesus at Nazareth. Jesus grew up in Nazareth, attended their school, played in their streets, obeyed their instructions, when they should have embraced him, they rejected him. Knowing Too Much means that they close their eyes, closed their minds and hearts believing there nothing else they needed to know. This is a dangerous way to live. Why?
1. Knowing Too Much May Cause You to Reject the One You Should Embrace. Because they would not receive from God’s messenger, they missed his blessings and favor. They thrust him out and would have killed him. Why? He only wanted to give back to his community and bless his people. They knew his preaching was powerful and riveting. But He was Joseph’s son, a homeboy, uneducated by their school, was not a member of their group, he was not affluent or wealthy, he is a nobody! They knew too much about him.
2. Knowing Too Much May Cause You Overlook Value, Others Can Perceive. Jesus, feelings their rejection, proceeded with teaching a truth. He gives two familiar examples concerning two of their most notable prophets Elijah and Elisha. He spoke about a 3 ½ year drought, when hungry and lack plagued the Land. God chose to supply the need of a widow in Zarapheth who responded to God’s prophet with faith. She received bread enough to spare! What you reject, others will receive! Then Jesus mention Naaman, an enemy of Israel and Captain of Syria, but he had leprosy. There were many lepers in Israel, yet God healed a foreigner who acted on the word of God’s prophet. The prophets belong to Israel, was sent to Israel, but they were rejected by Israel. What you reject, someone will receive.
3. Knowing Too Much May Cause You To See Only Joseph’s Son, When He is So Much More! When John the Baptist saw him, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” When Jesus was baptized, Lu 3:22 said, “And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”
I afraid one of our problems is we only see him as Joseph’s son. He is just a good man, the son of a carpenter. He is more than Joseph’s son; he is Jehovah’s son. He is God manifested in the flesh, all power and all knowing. Like the poor widows and Lepers of Israel who overlooked God’s prophets choose to live in misery than go see God’s prophets. Strangers ate the children’s bread. Strangers received the children’s healing. They could only see Joseph’s Son. How do you see Jesus, His church, His word, and his church? How you see him will determine what you receive. With every action, you are receiving him or rejecting him. You are either for him or against him. He is more than Joseph’s Son, he is God’s son!
4. Knowing Too Much May Cause A Mob to Become Murderers. “28 When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. 29 Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, 30 but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.”
Those who had listened to His message, marveled at his delivery, are transformed into a mob of murderers. Right in the synagogue, saying Amen, but saying awe man! Let get him. Knowing too much prevent you from receiving new insight, new revelation, and new illumination. The crowd believe that they knew all that was to be known. No one could tell them anything. People like that kill the church, your reputation, your dream, and your hope. Don’t allow the crowd to make a killer out of you.
Jas 4:1, 2 “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.”
James helps us understand the source of wars, fighting, and quarrels. They reside in us and will rise up and rage against peace and calm. They were in the synagogue with lust in their hearts. All it took was a spark. They were willing to destroy the Prince of Peace. Lust was warring against their souls. This is the first seat of the war, but it can lead to against the church, the preacher, and your neighbor. Then it mores to war among men, man with man, king with king, nation with nation. Knowing Too Much May Cause A Mob to Become Murderers. Never close your eyes, your mind or your heart. God is still at work. He is doing a new thing.
Isa 43:18, 19 “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’
When We Know Too Much, you will not be open to God’s new thing! Stay open, live peacefully and lovingly!
