Jesus twice explained the ability of those who in prayer ask God for something and they will receive it. Of course these statements have been discussed many times. In fact, as time goes on, modern people have less and less understanding of what Jesus promises and delivers rather than having more and more faith or scholarly based understanding. Further, when someone "prays for something" and "does not get it," they use these powerful statements of truth and faith in the One God to question God's reliability, constancy, power, mercy and even his existence... and even go so far as to cast doubt on Jesus. This is unacceptable. If generations of unlettered and unschooled people who lived in great poverty understood what Jesus said (and the Apostles explained, in general, in the writings of the New Testament), there is no excuse for not understanding in these modern times. Further, there is no reason for the clergy to be on the defensive and abashed when challenged by someone who "prayed for something" and "did not receive it."
So instead of wading through the scripture and explaining it (following the routes of many who do indeed "get" it) definitively, I have (yes!) an analogy, made for just the modern person, especially the young people (hi there, have not forgotten you at all). So I've going to reverse order this time by giving you the analogy first, and then the scriptures.
A man lives in a small town, in a remote area, so there are no other towns or cities nearby at all. There is only one bank in town and knowing that there are no other sources of loans, the bank has a sign on the front of the building saying "No request for a loan will be turned down."
This man needs a new plow for his field, so he goes to the bank and asks for a loan. With a smiling face and much genuine graciousness the bank officer gives to him the loan, right on the spot. Instead of looking happy, though, the man looks puzzled and alarmed as he stares at the money in his hand. The officer asks him, "What is the matter?" The man replies, "You gave me the money in our local currency!"
The officer is astonished because she replies, "What else would we have to give to you?" The man then petulantly says, "I did not plan to buy this plow locally! I planned to use a mail order to a foreign land and thus I need their currency!"
Thus the man received his loan as promised, in good faith, by the bank, but he refused to use it.
***
Well, what have we here? We have a bank, in this analogy, that in fullness of generosity far beyond "business sense" or "economics" gives in immediate cash loans to anyone of the residents of this small town and remote region who make his or her way to their door and asks. So the bank is not only blameless but generous beyond understanding. Everyone in the area not only understands what a gift this bank's attitude, policy and gift is, but glorifies it (I bet that bank receives some nice gifts of fruit baskets left at their door!)
Yet we have a man who is so wrapped up in his own desires that he can live there and understand how generous the bank is and then still be astonished when they cannot accommodate him in a secular theoretical matter far from their given generosity. He thinks this small poor bank is like a magic box that can read his mind and have "voila!" the foreign currency waiting for him so he can not patronize the local merchants (his own family, neighbors and community) so he can mail away and "give the business" to some unknown land.
This is how you must understand asking God for anything. You are entering "God's bank" and "God's kingdom" when you enter his bank of prayer. This is why Jesus each time says one must ask "in prayer." Prayer is not a magic formula, a ritual that one must say aloud or think in organized thoughts to God because "that's how it works" and "that's how God knows what you are asking for." Prayer means you have accepted being a resident of the kingdom of God. As a resident of the kingdom of God you are only asking for what God in his perfect generosity knows is good for you and most important of all, good for humanity's participation in God's kingdom. Needless to say, it is an obvious egregious mistake to ask God for anything that is counter to being in communion with God as a believer. But this is also why you cannot ask in "good faith" many things of God and expect to receive in the way you expect. You see, even if you "believe" and ask in "good faith," if your asking is a form of "testing God," as the analogy man did, you demonstrate that your desire may be to be of the kingdom of God, but you are not in your mind and heart really there.
Understand the correct mindset by reading this:
And on being asked by the Pharisees, "When is the kingdom of God coming?" he answered and said to them, "The kingdom of God comes unawares. Neither will they say, 'Behold, here it is," or 'Behold, there it is.' For behold, the kingdom of God is within you."
(Luke 17:20-21).
Now, notice that Jesus is not speaking of either 1) the end of times (for the Pharisees were asking when God will rule the world in justice, not when the world will end in final judgment) nor 2) of God himself literally living like some pagan spirit within a person (for many unbelievers think that they command "powers" because they have "a part of God within them." What Jesus is making clear is that everyone shares in making on earth the reality of the kingdom of God "within" them and, further, the kingdom of God creeps unseen within someone's heart because it is not achieved by works but by grace and faith.
So now that you understand that in my analogy the bank and the small remote region are like the kingdom of God as Jesus explains it in Luke 17:20-21, now I will close this message with the two scriptures that are those where Jesus promises the answer to prayer.
And I say to you, ask and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks it shall be opened. But if one of you asks his father for a loaf, will he hand him a stone? or for a fish hand him a serpent? or if he asks for an egg, will he hand him a scorpion? Therefore, if you, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Good Spirit to those who ask him!"
(Luke 11:9).
But Jesus answered and said to them, "Amen I say to you, if you have faith and do not waver, not only will you do what I have done to the fig tree, but even if you shall say to this mountain, 'Arise, and hurl thyself into the sea,' it shall be done. And all things whatever you ask for in prayer, believing, you shall receive."
(Matthew 21:21-22).
Jesus also refers to the Second Coming and his return, when all who are worthy and thus in God's book of life will be fully in the Kingdom of God and thus can ask for anything but will not need to as they will already have all of God's goodness.
And you therefore have sorrow now; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one shall take from you. And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Amen, amen I say to you, if you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you. Hitherto you have not asked anything in my name. Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.
(John 16:22-24).
Showing posts with label Book of Luke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book of Luke. Show all posts
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Bible Reading: Luke 1:46-55
And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid; for, behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed; because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
and his mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy
and his mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Bible reading: Luke 1:51-52
He has shown might with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Bible Reading: Luke 20:45-47
Then within the hearing of all the people, he said to [his] disciples, "Be on guard against the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and love greetings in marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive very severe condemnation."
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Bible Reading: Luke 9:46-49
Now a discussion arose among them, which of them was the greatest. But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their heart, took a little child and set him at his side, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child for my sake, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives him who sent me. For he who is the least among you, he is the greatest."
But John answered and said, "Master, we saw a man casting out devils in thy name, and we forbade him, because he does not follow with us." And Jesus said to him, "Do not forbide him; for he who is not against you is for you."
Monday, July 21, 2008
Bible Readings and commentary
There is a basic about Bible reading and comprehension that many who have not been well formed in their faith do not realize. When one reads the Bible, there are many little footnotes per page, in the tiniest reading (I need glasses AND my magnifying glass to read them myself!) Many Bible readers ignore them, and for quick looking up of a passage and enjoyment that is fine.
Others assume that the footnotes are the way modern books indicate "if you want more information, go here." And so people mostly assume they don't need more information and think that that is that.
Still others glance at the footnotes and in the Gospel, seeing they reference other Gospels, assume that the footnotes just point you to the same events that you are reading about, referenced in one of the other three Gospels, or cited by the Apostles in the Epistles. Or they assume, and this is also often true, that the footnotes are provided by the Bible scholars to point back in the Old Testament to prophesies that pertain to Jesus so you can see the event as being one of those prophesied by the prophets.
But here is an extraordinary thing that everyone once knew, and many have forgotten, which is that the footnotes help you read exactly the scripture that Jesus himself quotes from! Jesus preached daily in the Temple (when in Jerusalem) or in the local synagogues. So Jesus did much more preaching than is recorded, obviously, in the Gospel. Nothing important is left out, but I am teaching you that Jesus did what many do today, which is to preach and to abundantly "quote scripture!"
Here is one of the most famous of the sayings of Jesus, evidence of what I am saying that he preached daily, and further, I want to help you understand the solid scriptural foundation of what Jesus said, and how he constantly referenced to the Old Testament prophets and the teachings of God.
Luke 19: 45-48
And he entered the temple, and began to cast out those who were selling and buying in it, saying to them, "It is written, My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves."
And he was teaching daily in the temple.
But the chief priests and the Scribes and the leading men of the people sought to destroy him; but they found nothing that they could do to him, for all the people hung on his words.
Just about everyone knows about Jesus kicking the moneychangers out of the temple. And many know that he made "a quote." But if you do not look up the footnote, you will miss seeing the actual scripture that Jesus is quoting, and its full glory! Jesus is not just repeating some saying. Jesus quotes either God or one of the prophets directly from holy scripture. So when he quoted, trust me, the faithful recognized what he was saying and recognized directly the source. So when Jesus quoted My house is a house of prayer read from where he is quoting:
Isaiah 56: 1, 7
Thus says the Lord...
them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; their holocausts and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
Jesus is quoting God in the scriptures.
But hold your hats, wait until you see the second section of scripture that Jesus is citing. Follow the footnote in your Bible to Jer 7:11.
Jeremiah 7: 1, 11
The following message came to Jeremiah from the Lord...
Has this house which bears my name become in your eyes a den of thieves?
See, if you follow the footnotes and read the Old Testament that Jesus is citing, you not only know more clearly what he is saying, and you see his authority as he not only teaches but preached with more knowledge to even the wise, but most importantly you hear and comprehend Jesus exactly as a pious and devout listener would have heard him. He was not just giving some rabble rousing political or spiritual speeches, as those who try to detract today in modern times from Jesus like to allege. When you read the actual parts of the scripture that Jesus is citing in its fullness, you recognize that the listeners of his day knew right away what passages he was citing and the authority from God that he was invoking. That rocked the world.
See, many Jesus detractors today think people came "just for the miracles," assuming of course that the miracles "actually happened." And yes, many, many people brought their sick to be cured. But they stayed and listened, and THIS is the type of thing that they heard. It is what Jesus said, not what miracles he performed, that changed the world. You see, the ability to perform miracles came from God, and so he performed miracles out of love for their suffering, but also to show in a way that everyone could understand the authority he had received from God. Because, obviously, only God could provide the ability to perform the type of miracles that Jesus performed for the benefit of thousands of people.
But Jesus equally powerfully asserted his authority through words, by quoting God and the prophets and then fulfilling those words. THAT "wowed" the people and demonstrated his authority just as much as the miracles.
Go back to the first reading. Notice something? Jesus is not performing miracles in the temple at all. He is preaching, and he is packing them in. "And he was teaching daily in the temple... for all the people hung upon his words."
Do you see more clearly why the chief priests and the Scribes hated and feared him so? He was able to fulfill admonishments from the Lord God himself to keep the temple a house of prayer, and not a den of thieves, and then literally move in there and preach the authoritative word of God day after day, packing the people in (who prevented his enemies from making a move to harm him) and all without the use of miracles.
Ha, ha, now you can really savor what happens next. I won't type it in here, but if you read the beginning of Chapter 20, you will see just what I am saying happens. Jesus goes on preaching day after day, until finally the chief priests and Scribes regrouped and challenged him. And what do they say? "Tell us, by what authority dost thou do these things? Or who is it that gave thee this authority?"
See, they recognized all that Jesus preached and knew full well whose authority he was citing, as all the priests and Scribes would know by heart what Jesus cites. So that is why they use the word "authority" in their challenge to him, because they knew absolutely very well whose authority Jesus invokes. They try to trap him into saying so, but Jesus eludes them with a counter-question, which they cannot answer.
I hope you find this helpful, on several levels. It deepens your faith to understand what exactly Jesus is saying, and how he established his authority through not just miracles, but by sound and firm scriptural references that resonated with all the people who thronged to listen to him. He took over the temple, essentially, preaching to the crowds but not in a "praise and worship" kind of way that many modern Christians think of when they hear "preaching." Jesus preached the word of God as already revealed in the scripture, and pointed out the failure of the chief priests and Scribes to remain true to what God has commanded. So you can better understand Jesus and all the events, plus deepen your faith by seeing the continuity between what was said and prophesied in the Old Testament and how Jesus cited and fulfilled it day by day, not just at his death and resurrection. Also, you can "take your place in the crowd," by hearing the words Jesus said just as how he would have meant them and how the faithful would have recognized what he cited of God's word and how people can implement and be faithful to what God truly wants from them. This is how Jesus performed his ministry.
Others assume that the footnotes are the way modern books indicate "if you want more information, go here." And so people mostly assume they don't need more information and think that that is that.
Still others glance at the footnotes and in the Gospel, seeing they reference other Gospels, assume that the footnotes just point you to the same events that you are reading about, referenced in one of the other three Gospels, or cited by the Apostles in the Epistles. Or they assume, and this is also often true, that the footnotes are provided by the Bible scholars to point back in the Old Testament to prophesies that pertain to Jesus so you can see the event as being one of those prophesied by the prophets.
But here is an extraordinary thing that everyone once knew, and many have forgotten, which is that the footnotes help you read exactly the scripture that Jesus himself quotes from! Jesus preached daily in the Temple (when in Jerusalem) or in the local synagogues. So Jesus did much more preaching than is recorded, obviously, in the Gospel. Nothing important is left out, but I am teaching you that Jesus did what many do today, which is to preach and to abundantly "quote scripture!"
Here is one of the most famous of the sayings of Jesus, evidence of what I am saying that he preached daily, and further, I want to help you understand the solid scriptural foundation of what Jesus said, and how he constantly referenced to the Old Testament prophets and the teachings of God.
Luke 19: 45-48
And he entered the temple, and began to cast out those who were selling and buying in it, saying to them, "It is written, My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves."
And he was teaching daily in the temple.
But the chief priests and the Scribes and the leading men of the people sought to destroy him; but they found nothing that they could do to him, for all the people hung on his words.
Just about everyone knows about Jesus kicking the moneychangers out of the temple. And many know that he made "a quote." But if you do not look up the footnote, you will miss seeing the actual scripture that Jesus is quoting, and its full glory! Jesus is not just repeating some saying. Jesus quotes either God or one of the prophets directly from holy scripture. So when he quoted, trust me, the faithful recognized what he was saying and recognized directly the source. So when Jesus quoted My house is a house of prayer read from where he is quoting:
Isaiah 56: 1, 7
Thus says the Lord...
them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; their holocausts and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
Jesus is quoting God in the scriptures.
But hold your hats, wait until you see the second section of scripture that Jesus is citing. Follow the footnote in your Bible to Jer 7:11.
Jeremiah 7: 1, 11
The following message came to Jeremiah from the Lord...
Has this house which bears my name become in your eyes a den of thieves?
See, if you follow the footnotes and read the Old Testament that Jesus is citing, you not only know more clearly what he is saying, and you see his authority as he not only teaches but preached with more knowledge to even the wise, but most importantly you hear and comprehend Jesus exactly as a pious and devout listener would have heard him. He was not just giving some rabble rousing political or spiritual speeches, as those who try to detract today in modern times from Jesus like to allege. When you read the actual parts of the scripture that Jesus is citing in its fullness, you recognize that the listeners of his day knew right away what passages he was citing and the authority from God that he was invoking. That rocked the world.
See, many Jesus detractors today think people came "just for the miracles," assuming of course that the miracles "actually happened." And yes, many, many people brought their sick to be cured. But they stayed and listened, and THIS is the type of thing that they heard. It is what Jesus said, not what miracles he performed, that changed the world. You see, the ability to perform miracles came from God, and so he performed miracles out of love for their suffering, but also to show in a way that everyone could understand the authority he had received from God. Because, obviously, only God could provide the ability to perform the type of miracles that Jesus performed for the benefit of thousands of people.
But Jesus equally powerfully asserted his authority through words, by quoting God and the prophets and then fulfilling those words. THAT "wowed" the people and demonstrated his authority just as much as the miracles.
Go back to the first reading. Notice something? Jesus is not performing miracles in the temple at all. He is preaching, and he is packing them in. "And he was teaching daily in the temple... for all the people hung upon his words."
Do you see more clearly why the chief priests and the Scribes hated and feared him so? He was able to fulfill admonishments from the Lord God himself to keep the temple a house of prayer, and not a den of thieves, and then literally move in there and preach the authoritative word of God day after day, packing the people in (who prevented his enemies from making a move to harm him) and all without the use of miracles.
Ha, ha, now you can really savor what happens next. I won't type it in here, but if you read the beginning of Chapter 20, you will see just what I am saying happens. Jesus goes on preaching day after day, until finally the chief priests and Scribes regrouped and challenged him. And what do they say? "Tell us, by what authority dost thou do these things? Or who is it that gave thee this authority?"
See, they recognized all that Jesus preached and knew full well whose authority he was citing, as all the priests and Scribes would know by heart what Jesus cites. So that is why they use the word "authority" in their challenge to him, because they knew absolutely very well whose authority Jesus invokes. They try to trap him into saying so, but Jesus eludes them with a counter-question, which they cannot answer.
I hope you find this helpful, on several levels. It deepens your faith to understand what exactly Jesus is saying, and how he established his authority through not just miracles, but by sound and firm scriptural references that resonated with all the people who thronged to listen to him. He took over the temple, essentially, preaching to the crowds but not in a "praise and worship" kind of way that many modern Christians think of when they hear "preaching." Jesus preached the word of God as already revealed in the scripture, and pointed out the failure of the chief priests and Scribes to remain true to what God has commanded. So you can better understand Jesus and all the events, plus deepen your faith by seeing the continuity between what was said and prophesied in the Old Testament and how Jesus cited and fulfilled it day by day, not just at his death and resurrection. Also, you can "take your place in the crowd," by hearing the words Jesus said just as how he would have meant them and how the faithful would have recognized what he cited of God's word and how people can implement and be faithful to what God truly wants from them. This is how Jesus performed his ministry.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Bible Reading: Luke 1:46-53
Luke 1:46-53
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid; for, behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed; because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name; and his mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly…”
Bible Reading: Luke 7:31-35
“The Stubborn Children” (A commentary by Jesus)
Luke 7:31-35
“To what then shall I liken the men of this generation? And what are they like?
They are like children sitting in the market place, calling to one another and saying, ‘We have piped to you, and you have not danced; we have sung dirges, and you have not wept.’
For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a devil.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold a man who is a glutton, and a wine-drinker, a friend of publicans and sinners!’
And wisdom is justified by all her children."
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Bible Reading Luke 2, 22. 24.
"They [Joseph and Mary] took him [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord... and to offer a sacrifice... 'two young pigeons.'"
***
What should be such a joyous day, the Presentation of the Lord, celebrated on February 2, shows the use of two mentally disabled women in Baghdad being used by terrorists as human bombs in the pet market, blowing apart innocent people and pet pigeon doves alike.
How could there not be a clearer sign that faith has been horribly twisted by some?
***
What should be such a joyous day, the Presentation of the Lord, celebrated on February 2, shows the use of two mentally disabled women in Baghdad being used by terrorists as human bombs in the pet market, blowing apart innocent people and pet pigeon doves alike.
How could there not be a clearer sign that faith has been horribly twisted by some?
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Bible Reading: Luke, about Jesus' ministry
Luke 4:14-15
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee; and the fame of him went out through the whole country. And he taught in their synagogues and was honored by all.
This passage occurs right in the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. First he was baptized by St. John the Baptist, and then Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit that appeared during his baptism, went into the desert for forty days of fasting and prayer. It was during this time he was “tempted,” which means the devil “offered” Jesus dominion in the physical world, if he would only not worship God, i.e. fulfill his mission as Messiah. He and the devil and he quoted scripture back and forth and the devil could not prevail so he departed. So immediately after Jesus completed his forty days of fasting and prayer, he returned to Galilee and “the fame of him went out through the whole country” and “he taught in the synagogues.”
Now, I point out this passage to teach something that many people miss. Notice that Jesus is preaching and has fame before he performs his first miracle. Many people assume that Jesus gained his reputation, attention and fame through his miracles. But actually, he was first an itinerate preacher, teaching in the synagogues and being honored before assembling the Apostles and before performing his first miracle.
Why is this important? Think about it-that in a time of many scholars, scribes, preachers, and would be messiahs, Jesus distinguished himself immediately in his ministry by preaching and teaching in the synagogues. He did not have to “pull in” followers or earn honor, praise and fame by performing miracles. He did so solely with the power and truth of his message, conveyed with the authentic “power of the Spirit.” Jesus started his ministry, as was sampled in advance when he was the twelve year old boy found teaching in the Temple of Jerusalem, as a teacher of the Kingdom of God. He very quickly, in a matter of weeks, came out of nowhere and established himself as a teacher and preacher, “through the whole country” and was “honored by all.”
In fact, his first opposition was when he returned to his home town to preach in Nazareth. He had to flee the town. Yet that was the only “blip,” although an instructive one as people pondered his words, “No prophet is acceptable in his own country” (Luke 4:24.) For immediately upon leaving Nazareth:
And he went down to Capharnaum, a town of Galilee. And there he was teaching them on the Sabbath. And they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority (Luke 4:25.)
So this is a little subtly of timing, but I think pointing this out will help those of you who strive to know who Jesus truly was by thinking about this with some care. He was a reputed and honored teacher first; and he did not have to “launch” his mission with the Apostles or by performing miracles. He drew an audience and fame, even to the point of teaching on the Sabbath, by sounding teaching and preaching, and people were astonished at his word of authority. What this means is he did not bracket or context his teaching as theology or interpretation of the Torah, but he spoke simply and with authority about what the true meaning of the Kingdom of God and the prophecies were. People could tell that he was speaking with the certainty of truthful knowledge and this astonished the listeners. People were not impressed with his entourage, as he had none, or his miracles, as he had not performed any yet, but recognized immediately that he was such an authoritative teacher, a rabbi, the likes of which they had never seen before.
Sometimes in discussion you might talk to people who question your faith, and you find yourself in an apologist role. Often the entry point for skeptical discussion is whether or not Jesus performed miracles. The implication is that people believed in Jesus only because of purported miracles. While he did perform many miracles, beyond those recorded in the Gospels, as the Gospels say that he performed many more than they could record, the foundation of his mission was his role as a teacher. He impressed and transformed people by what he taught, and the light he illuminated on the mysteries of who God is, what God expects of people, and how to achieve the Kingdom of God. Some skeptics attack Jesus based on some sort of scoreboard about miracles, but that totally does not represent the foundation of his ministry, which was to teach in the synagogues, and eventually large masses of people, about God and God’s will with the authority of one who thoroughly knew God. Jesus performed miracles because of the abundance of grace within in, because he was compassionate, and because he knew that this would aid in people’s belief, and so God gave him the power to heal physical and mental ailments. But people who think that this was the sole basis for his following would be wrong.
The bulk of his mission was teaching, which he did by teaching people how to pray, how to obey the commandments, by giving them the beatitudes, by showing people devotion through example, by explaining the nature of God either directly or through parables, and by teaching and forming the Apostles and disciples. If you think about it, history would have gone the same way if all Jesus did was to teach, until he provoked the Jewish authorities with his teaching, was crucified, and resurrected, with the only miracle being that of his death and resurrection. St. Paul makes that very clear in his writing, that it is all about Jesus crucified and arising. Jesus neither needed to perform the curing miracles nor did the Apostles need to “make up” stories about the miracles to impress. What impressed the people (positively) and the authorities (negatively) were the authority of his teaching, and then his rising from the dead. So you can have one hundred percent confidence that Jesus performed the miracles exactly as they are written in the Gospels, because they were not pivotal to his mission, so there would be no reason to lie about them. Skeptical scholars simply are not being logical when they argue that the miracles were propaganda. Everyone and his cow were claiming to do miracles, at least in ancient times, when the Old Testament prophets wrangled against idolaters and magicians. So no Gospel writer would make up miracles thinking anyone would be hearing something totally new. What was new was the miracles actually did occur as presented in the Gospels. They aided the people’s faith and alleviated their suffering, which is why Jesus performed them. But you can read quite clearly that the heart of the ministry of Jesus was his teaching, and his resurrection from the dead.
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee; and the fame of him went out through the whole country. And he taught in their synagogues and was honored by all.
This passage occurs right in the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. First he was baptized by St. John the Baptist, and then Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit that appeared during his baptism, went into the desert for forty days of fasting and prayer. It was during this time he was “tempted,” which means the devil “offered” Jesus dominion in the physical world, if he would only not worship God, i.e. fulfill his mission as Messiah. He and the devil and he quoted scripture back and forth and the devil could not prevail so he departed. So immediately after Jesus completed his forty days of fasting and prayer, he returned to Galilee and “the fame of him went out through the whole country” and “he taught in the synagogues.”
Now, I point out this passage to teach something that many people miss. Notice that Jesus is preaching and has fame before he performs his first miracle. Many people assume that Jesus gained his reputation, attention and fame through his miracles. But actually, he was first an itinerate preacher, teaching in the synagogues and being honored before assembling the Apostles and before performing his first miracle.
Why is this important? Think about it-that in a time of many scholars, scribes, preachers, and would be messiahs, Jesus distinguished himself immediately in his ministry by preaching and teaching in the synagogues. He did not have to “pull in” followers or earn honor, praise and fame by performing miracles. He did so solely with the power and truth of his message, conveyed with the authentic “power of the Spirit.” Jesus started his ministry, as was sampled in advance when he was the twelve year old boy found teaching in the Temple of Jerusalem, as a teacher of the Kingdom of God. He very quickly, in a matter of weeks, came out of nowhere and established himself as a teacher and preacher, “through the whole country” and was “honored by all.”
In fact, his first opposition was when he returned to his home town to preach in Nazareth. He had to flee the town. Yet that was the only “blip,” although an instructive one as people pondered his words, “No prophet is acceptable in his own country” (Luke 4:24.) For immediately upon leaving Nazareth:
And he went down to Capharnaum, a town of Galilee. And there he was teaching them on the Sabbath. And they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority (Luke 4:25.)
So this is a little subtly of timing, but I think pointing this out will help those of you who strive to know who Jesus truly was by thinking about this with some care. He was a reputed and honored teacher first; and he did not have to “launch” his mission with the Apostles or by performing miracles. He drew an audience and fame, even to the point of teaching on the Sabbath, by sounding teaching and preaching, and people were astonished at his word of authority. What this means is he did not bracket or context his teaching as theology or interpretation of the Torah, but he spoke simply and with authority about what the true meaning of the Kingdom of God and the prophecies were. People could tell that he was speaking with the certainty of truthful knowledge and this astonished the listeners. People were not impressed with his entourage, as he had none, or his miracles, as he had not performed any yet, but recognized immediately that he was such an authoritative teacher, a rabbi, the likes of which they had never seen before.
Sometimes in discussion you might talk to people who question your faith, and you find yourself in an apologist role. Often the entry point for skeptical discussion is whether or not Jesus performed miracles. The implication is that people believed in Jesus only because of purported miracles. While he did perform many miracles, beyond those recorded in the Gospels, as the Gospels say that he performed many more than they could record, the foundation of his mission was his role as a teacher. He impressed and transformed people by what he taught, and the light he illuminated on the mysteries of who God is, what God expects of people, and how to achieve the Kingdom of God. Some skeptics attack Jesus based on some sort of scoreboard about miracles, but that totally does not represent the foundation of his ministry, which was to teach in the synagogues, and eventually large masses of people, about God and God’s will with the authority of one who thoroughly knew God. Jesus performed miracles because of the abundance of grace within in, because he was compassionate, and because he knew that this would aid in people’s belief, and so God gave him the power to heal physical and mental ailments. But people who think that this was the sole basis for his following would be wrong.
The bulk of his mission was teaching, which he did by teaching people how to pray, how to obey the commandments, by giving them the beatitudes, by showing people devotion through example, by explaining the nature of God either directly or through parables, and by teaching and forming the Apostles and disciples. If you think about it, history would have gone the same way if all Jesus did was to teach, until he provoked the Jewish authorities with his teaching, was crucified, and resurrected, with the only miracle being that of his death and resurrection. St. Paul makes that very clear in his writing, that it is all about Jesus crucified and arising. Jesus neither needed to perform the curing miracles nor did the Apostles need to “make up” stories about the miracles to impress. What impressed the people (positively) and the authorities (negatively) were the authority of his teaching, and then his rising from the dead. So you can have one hundred percent confidence that Jesus performed the miracles exactly as they are written in the Gospels, because they were not pivotal to his mission, so there would be no reason to lie about them. Skeptical scholars simply are not being logical when they argue that the miracles were propaganda. Everyone and his cow were claiming to do miracles, at least in ancient times, when the Old Testament prophets wrangled against idolaters and magicians. So no Gospel writer would make up miracles thinking anyone would be hearing something totally new. What was new was the miracles actually did occur as presented in the Gospels. They aided the people’s faith and alleviated their suffering, which is why Jesus performed them. But you can read quite clearly that the heart of the ministry of Jesus was his teaching, and his resurrection from the dead.
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