The Danger Of Knowing Too Much - When We Know Too Much!

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.