On the Move
Preacher: Rev. Jack Meehan Series: Lectionary Category: Biblical Scripture: Luke 4:31–44
The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
February 2, 2025
Luke 4:31-44
“On the Move”
This whole Epiphany season is about Jesus, the Light of the world, going out farther and farther into the darkness of this world. As one of the opening verses of John’s Gospel proclaims: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). In the midst of things that perplex and confound us, things that we struggle with and lose sleep over, things that make us unsettled and uncertain, the promise of the Lord is sure and certain. Let us never forget that. Jesus is on the move! Today’s Gospel lesson begins as did last Sunday’s Gospel lesson, with Jesus in the synagogue. Last week, Jesus faced a hostile crowd from his hometown of Nazareth, and he was soundly rejected by the very people who had known him all his life. Today, Jesus is at Capernaum, about thirty miles away on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. In the three sections of today’s Gospel lesson, we see three things about Jesus: 1) He is all-powerful as he casts out an unclean spirit (Luke 4:31-37); 2) He is compassionate as he brings healing to Peter’s mother-in-law and then to all of those who came to him (Luke 4:38-41); and 3) He is missional as he focuses on the reason why he was sent: to preach the good news of the kingdom of God (Luke 4:42-44). Based on the Gospel lesson, today’s message is entitled “On the Move.” May the Lord’s rich and abundant blessing rest upon the preaching, the hearing, and the living of his Word for Jesus’ sake.
First, we see that Jesus is all-powerful as he casts out an unclean spirit. And this happened in the synagogue itself during the Sabbath worship service! We might wonder how such a thing is even possible, but we have to remember that our battle is not again flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12). The Word of God tells us that Satan even disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). The demon’s cry is one cringing terror and fear as it confronts the all-powerful Son of God: “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” (Luke 4:34). And that is who Jesus is: the Holy One of God. Jesus rebuked the demon, and with his own word of authority cast him out of the man. This is what blew the people away: Jesus spoke and acted with authority that they had not seen before. Sometimes we long to see that all-powerful Jesus act with authority today. We struggle with why evil, tyranny, injustice and corruption seem to increase and grow stronger while goodness, righteousness and justice do not. If Jesus is all-powerful, why doesn’t he step into this mess and turn it around? As hard as it is to understand this, Jesus’ purpose for his people remains for good, even when it looks and feels otherwise. The Word of God tells us that “all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Not just some things, but all things. Even the pain of loss and disappointments of life. Even the terrible tragedies that grieve our hearts. All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose. And so we hold fast to this truth. The all-powerful Jesus, whose command demons must obey, became powerless as he willingly submitted himself to suffering and death upon the cross, all for our sake. He did this in order to destroy the power of sin and death, so that we might know the power of his redeeming love that makes all things new. Truly, Jesus is on the move!
Second, we see that Jesus is compassionate as he brings healing to Peter’s mother-in-law and then to all of those who came to him. We’re not told the name of Peter’s mother-in-law, only that she had a high fever. We are in the season of flu and fevers right now. If these things worry us today, how much more for people in earlier times when there were no such things as Tylenol, Advil, or antibiotics. High fevers had the potential to be life-threatening; they still do today. As he did with the demon in the synagogue, so with the fever, Jesus rebuked it. The same word is used in both places (ἐπετίμησεν). Both are manifestations of the brokenness of God’s good creation that has been shattered by the effects of sin. But the sinless Son of God has power over all of this. He speaks that word of rebuke that casts out evil and restores life and health, not just to Peter’s mother-in-law, but to all the people who gathered outside the door after the sun went down on that Sabbath day. They came to Jesus with all of their ailments and diseases, and “he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them” (Luke 4:40). This tells us a lot about Jesus. He didn’t just speak a general word to everyone who was present; kind of a one-size-fits-all sort of thing. No, Jesus took the time and individually, person-by-person, he ministered to them, bringing healing of body as well as mind and spirit. That is Jesus and that is compassion. Truly, Jesus is on the move!
Third, we see that Jesus is missional as he focuses on the reason why he was sent by the Father: to preach the good news of the kingdom of God. After a busy Sabbath day of preaching and teaching, casting out demons, and healing, Jesus doesn’t take the day off. He goes off to a quiet place to pray. The text doesn’t actually say this, but similar passages in the other Gospels do tell us this (Mark 1:35). Jesus models for us the importance of the active life of faith as well as the quiet life of prayer and contemplation. It’s not either/or, but both/and. The local people wanted Jesus to stay with them, no doubt because they wanted him to keep on doing for them what he had already done for them. But Jesus knew that his mission was bigger than Capernaum. Jesus knew that his mission was for the whole world (John 3:16-17). It began at Nazareth, and then to Capernaum, and then to Judea, and then to Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Jesus’ concern is not just for a particular people, but for all people. We would do well to remember that. If Jesus gave his life for the whole world, then our concern needs to be so wide, so expansive, so all-inclusive that it reaches out to every people, tribe, nation and language. What Jesus began, we continue to do today, preaching and teaching the good news of the kingdom of God; the forgiveness of our sins, eternal life, and salvation that comes in Jesus alone. We support with our prayers and our offerings those who do this very thing in other places, both state-side and around the world. And why do we do this? Because, as the Word of God tells us, God our Savior “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Truly, Jesus is on the move!
In this season of Epiphany, in every season, we rejoice in Jesus, who is all-powerful, compassionate, and missional. And Jesus is on the move! Amen.
other sermons in this series
Feb 16
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Preacher: Rev. Jack Meehan Scripture: Luke 6:17–26 Series: Lectionary
Feb 9
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Surprise!
Preacher: Rev. Jack Meehan Scripture: Luke 5:1–11 Series: Lectionary
Jan 19
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More Than Enough
Preacher: Rev. Jack Meehan Scripture: John 2:1–11 Series: Lectionary