Title: Jesus is the Good News … and for you!
Text: Luke 4:42-44
42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
The great Hungarian concert pianist Andor Földes tells the remarkable story of the watershed moment in his rise to world renown. He was 16 years old and already a veteran of years of intense practice and performance. The pianist Emil von Sauer, Franz Liszt's last surviving pupil, came to Budapest and asked young Andor to play for him. Having listened intently to him playing Bach's Toccata in C Major, von Sauer requested another piece. Andor put all his heart and skill into playing Beethoven's "Pathetique" sonata.
Finally, after a long pause, von Sauer slowly rose, took the young man's head into his hands, and kissed him on the forehead. "My son," he said tenderly, "when I was your age I became a student of Liszt. He kissed me on the forehead after my first lesson, saying, 'Take good care of this kiss—it comes from Beethoven, who gave it to me after hearing me play.' I have waited for years to pass on this sacred heritage, and now I feel you deserve it."
From: Andor Földes, "Beethoven's Kiss," Reader's Digest, November 1986, 145
As Christians we have the sacred heritage of having the same message passed on to us that was the message of truth being passed on in our Gospel lesson in Luke today.
This Gospel, from the one who is “the way the truth and the life,” was earlier rejected in his home town of Nazareth when He got up in the synagogue and proclaimed:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim 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,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them,
“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
This is the same Jesus who cast out the unclean spirit’s who cried out:
34 “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”
And this same Jesus, who then went in to see the mother-n-law of Simon who was ill and, rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. And as word spread, all who were sick, diseased or possessed of demons came to Him … and He healed them.
This brings us to the place in the Gospel for today where Jesus … departed to a desolate place. It reminds me of the look on the face of a surgeon who has just completed a delicate operation. Everything went well … he is well satisfied in the results and can now make an encouraging prognosis and give a good report. But he also looks tired, drained from his work and in need of a little time on his own to rest, regroup and to give thanks for his skill, training and God given talents.
But in this desolate place, those who were following Jesus and saw the healings continued to seek him out. Because as the text says, and would have kept him from leaving them. These who saw the healings wanted this man of extraordinary means to stay with them. They would have kept Him from leaving.
“No, you can’t go away from us!” It is as if you can hear them call to this Jesus … this Christ … this one who brings power over sin, death and the working of the Devil … this destroyer of Demons.
But, we are told by Jesus himself:
“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
Jesus is the Good News … and for you!
Just a few weeks ago, I was sitting at church and it was a Wednesday. Heinz Hoffman was having surgery and I went over to St. Joseph Mercy Care in Pontiac, hoping to see Heinz and offer a prayer before he went in for the operation. I walked in to the surgery wing after being told that Heinz was in pre-op, I was met by Erica who was coming out and she said that they had just wheeled him back for surgery.
Well, as a new pastor I was a bit disappointed to miss the opportunity to offer a prayer with Heinz but I sat with Erica and talked while the surgery was going on. When it was completed we were escorted into a consultation room to meet with the surgeon. He gave us a very good report of a successful operation. And, looking every bit the part of a man that God has blessed with skill, training and God given talents he in a diligent and detailed way talked of the recovery time and the good news of renewed life with less back pain for Heinz.
But then Erica asked him about his trip and vacation. “Oh, it’s not a vacation, he said. I’ll be going on a medical mission trip to the poorest part of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico where we donate our services for these people who could never afford the care that we have here. I love to use my skills to help others in need, he continued … but I really go so I can tell them the Gospel and to share the Good News about Jesus with them.”
And while we talked I could almost hear: And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
Jesus was sent for this purpose. But we too have opportunities to speak of God and his gracious working in our lives, his sacrifice and gift of faith. Whether it is from the pulpit or in conversation with friend and family members or in sitting in a consultation room we can all tell the Good News to those who in spiritual poverty need to hear.
Jesus is the Good News … for them … and for you!
Christ Jesus … 31 … went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.
This word that possessed authority to drive out demons, to heal the sick and to free the sinner from their sin is this same Christ Jesus who would, according to God’s plan, take away the sins of the world.
The demons knew, “I know who you are—the Holy One of God,” they cried but Jesus commanded them to “Be silent and come out of him!” This word of God made flesh is God over all. He commands freedom from sin, death and the power of the Devil for the world but the world asked then:
“What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”
Earlier in the Gospel lesson of Luke those from His hometown too asked:
“Is not this Joseph's son?” How could this same son of Joseph they wondered, speak and teach with such authority? But the demons that were demanded to “come out” cried all the more: “You are the Son of God!”
Jesus is truly Good News!
What these demons proclaimed and what you also can know for certain is that this Jesus that called you to believe when you were conceived and born in sin, is this same Carpenter’s son who healed the sick and those with diseases brought to him, when they were healed simply by His touch and the laying on of his hands.
He, Jesus, was sent for this purpose for you too, so that His touch through the water and the word in your Baptism might wash you clean of sin as He Himself covers you with His spotless righteousness.
He, Jesus, was sent for this purpose for you too, so that by His touch through his true body and blood received in and with the bread and wine might be given for you for the forgiveness of sins.
He, Jesus, was sent for this purpose for those in poor communities that have so little, that they might receive the greatest gift of all … the Good News brought to them, in the wilderness of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, by the witness of a doctor sent to heal a temporal illness but bringing also an eternal cure.
He, Jesus, is the Good News … for all who hunger for righteousness!
Emil von Sauer, Franz Liszt's last surviving pupil said:
"My son," 'Take good care of this kiss—it comes from Beethoven, who gave it to me after hearing me play.' I have waited for years to pass on this sacred heritage, and now I feel you deserve it."
But Christ says:
“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
You have heard the Good News preached! You are forgiven! You are Christ’s child! In Him you do not receive what you deserve but you receive that sacred heritage that you don't deserve!
May this blessed Good News by the power of the Holy Spirit in you comfort you now and forever!
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
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