How hatred came from those who worshipped practice over lifestyle

By Dean Collins

I guess if your opening sermon stirs wrath in the listeners, you probably realize your ministry will likely experience serious tensions and may not be sustainable. I doubt many pastors stirred wrath from church members after their first sermon!

I preached my first sermon at age 16 while I was the summer youth director at a church in Cocoa Beach, Florida. I worked on my sermon all summer. The senior pastor offered lots of advice and encouragement as I prepared. The audience was mostly families from the nearby space industry. The church was small but filled with well-educated and faithful saints. I had supportive smiles looking at me as I preached for about 11 minutes. No one was angry when I finished, but I think they were as relieved as I was when I offered the old-fashioned invitation hymn. No one came forward to follow Jesus, but neither did they get mad and try to throw me into the ocean.

A remarkable claim

When Jesus shared his announcement in the synagogue he was making a remarkable claim. He declared himself as the fulfillment of a beautiful promise written by the revered prophet Isaiah. The local folk in the synagogue embraced Jesus kindly, just like the people in Cocoa Beach did for me that summer. But the religious scholars could not believe the warm reception he got that day. Some in the crowd commented on his gracious words and marveled at what he said. I’m guessing that was not the reaction the other rabbis received after a routine reading of Scripture on the Sabbath. Jealousy can stir wrath. And if you believe the new teacher in town has tripped a line of heresy, then things can get hot very quickly. And they did.

The religious authorities didn’t just feel angry. They acted on their anger. Here, on the day Jesus declared his public ministry, he was literally run out of town and nearly pushed off a cliff. Jealousy is a strong mixture of fear and anger. This strong reaction came from what Jesus said and claimed. In the coming days, things would get dramatically better for many as Jesus performed miracles of healing and cast out demons. But as many found hope and help at the hands and words of Jesus, the Pharisees were increasingly agitated by him. As the reports of Jesus spread rapidly, so did the desire to be done with him.

Prayer and purpose

Day by day the crowds grew larger. Everywhere Jesus went the local people would find him. So Jesus turned to desolate places where he could spend time alone with his Father. Prayer is a vital part of both spiritual refreshment and in creating spiritual sustainability. Jesus knew that if he was to do his Father’s will, then he must live his Father’s way. Finding times to rest and pray allowed Jesus to be fully present in his daily ministry.

Jesus understood his purpose. His purpose was to pay for the sins of humanity and make possible both the salvation and restoration of all people and all places. It was only through his death and resurrection that the purposes of God would be accomplished. God’s great love for the world sent Jesus first to earth and ultimately to the cross.

Jesus knew what was ahead and that he would need his followers to continue to spread the good news of his kingdom after he ascended to Heaven. Jesus chose an unusual group of mostly fishermen as his ambassadors. None were formally trained and educated as were the scribes and Pharisees. The new covenant called for new leadership. The focus of the kingdom of God would be love. Jesus came to teach that when we learn to love God and love others as he does, we are set free from rule-keeping. The religious leaders had focused so much on rules that they had forgotten that God wanted a relationship with his creation.

Spiritual discipline and lives of obedience

In this season of Lent, many choose to reset their spiritual disciplines. Some of us fast and pray more. Some increase times of Bible reading, and others increase or add new ways of serving others. These are good and even godly things to do. But we must be careful not to let our spiritual disciplines become the things we worship. Our discipline should always result in our increased willingness to see what God is doing, to serve, and to love others.

Those who became the angriest and upset with Jesus during his earthly ministry were those who were so focused on their spiritual disciplines that they forgot to love and serve others. I pray in this season that the seeds of spiritual discipline we sow would burst with the fruit of his Spirit. May our love for others overflow all around us and wash away all fear. May our love be so strong that the anger apparent in our world would soon be covered with forgiveness and that God’s work of restoration would be visible everywhere a follower of Christ dares to love and share the good news of this new kingdom.

Your time with God’s Word
Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬-‭29, 31‬, ‭33‬-‭37, ‭42‬-‭44‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Photo by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash

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