My dear readers,

(Extracts from RPG, Jan – Mar 1998, Edited by Dr SH Tow)

1. MESSIAH ON THE MOVE
Luke 4:31-44; 2 Kings 5:1-14

In all our readings, let us never lose sight of the primary purpose of our Lord's ministry: to "preach the kingdom of God," ... "for therefore am I sent" (v 43). Seen in this light, verse 18 takes on new and profound meaning: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor ... to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

His own people at Nazareth having violently rejected Him, He moved on to Capernaum and each sabbath He taught the people in the synagogues. "And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power". Was it any wonder that Jesus did so? Recall that the Son of God at the tender age of twelve astonished the doctors of the law at the temple in Jerusalem with His wisdom and knowledge (Luke 2:47).

As we follow the progress of our Lord's ministry, let us also observe one thing: to prove His origin from God, Jesus backed His supernatural doctrine with supernatural acts. This formed the basis of His appeal to the unbelieving Jews. Again and again He pleaded with His own people: "the works that I do ... they bear witness of me" (John 10:25). "Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake" (John 14:11).

As Son of God and the Son of Man, Jesus was endued with the Father's power. Therefore by that power He cast out evil spirits, abated "a great fever", and healed all those "sick with divers diseases". Is any thing too hard for the Lord? Messiah was come with wonder-working power, but the people saw only the miracles, so "they sought him ... and stayed him, that he should not depart from them".

Popular appeal (Satan's temptation and snare) did not side-track our Lord from His task. To preach the Kingdom of God to all Israel was His mission. So the Messiah moved on to finish the work of the Father.

QUESTION: What is the primary function of the Church?

2. A NOTABLE MIRACLE
Luke 5:1-11; Psalm 126

An unlikely command. Fancy a carpenter from inland Nazareth telling a fisherman of Galilee how to catch fish! And what more, it was after a night of fruitless toil. Simon Peter and his companions had fished all night and had caught nothing. While Simon was "devoid of fish" he was not devoid of faith! Thank God, he obeyed our Lord's command to launch out into the deep, and let down the nets for a draught.

A marvellous catch. Peter did not resent a non-fisherman teaching him his trade. "At thy word I will let down the net". Obediently he did as the Master said. Immediately they caught a great multitude of fishes which burst the net and filled two fishing boats to over-full. The miracle shook Peter as he realised his sinful and wretched condition in the presence of the Son of God.

A confirming sign. How should we explain the miracle? The unbelieving liberal theologian would dismiss it as mere good fortune – extraordinary luck. The man of faith sees differently. Here was Jesus the Almighty Creator at work. "All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:3). By his unsearchable wisdom and infinite power, Jesus had made everything.

An Almighty Creator. For Him who made the fishes of the sea, should it be difficult to also control their movements at a word of mental command? The fish of the sea obeyed His will no less than the frogs and flies which plagued Egypt through the hand of Moses. It was good that Peter also obeyed the Lord. As a result, the Lord called him to be a "fisher of men". This launched Peter "into the deep", in the divine business of "men-catching". At Pentecost in one day he and his friends netted 3,000 souls!

QUESTION: Who will forsake all to become a "fisher of men"?
THOUGHT: Trust and obey, for there's no other way!

3. FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT
Luke 4:14-30; 1 Kings 17:8-16

During a synagogue service it was customary to have seven men read the Scriptures each sabbath: a priest, a Levite, and five Israelites of the synagogue. For many years Jesus had been a member of the synagogue at Nazareth. On this particular sabbath, "as his custom was, he went into the synagogue" (v16), and the worship leader "deliver unto him the book of the prophet Esaias" (v 17).

Standing up Jesus turned to Isaiah 61 and read verses 1 and 2, a passage which foretold the Coming of the Messiah, the Anointed of God. It was a familiar passage read by a familiar figure. The Jews all knew Jesus, the carpenter's son. Then Jesus declared, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears". The congregation heard the words with disbelief and astonishment. "Joseph's son the Messiah? How utterly ridiculous! Preposterous claim!" Familiarity had shut their minds to the truth.

Our Lord then proceeded to teach the unbelieving Jews a lesson. God's blessings through His chosen prophets were not necessarily always confined to the Jews. Gentiles were also included even to the exclusion of the Jews. In the days of Elias (Elijah), God's salvation mercy through His prophet was shown to a poor Gentile widow during the famine years. Similarly, God's grace was shown to Naaman, another Gentile, through Eliseus (Elisha), to the by-passing of many other lepers in Israel.

These words of Jesus were meant to shake the Jews out of their racial pride and self-conceit, and their haughty ideas of Jewish exclusivism. "Away with him, young upstart!" These words would well describe the anger and hostility of the congregation which rose as a man to destroy Jesus (v 29). But our Lord's miracle-working powers saw to His safety, so that "he passing through the midst of them went his way."

QUESTION: Does familiarity still breed contempt today?

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,
Dr SH Tow, Founding Pastor