Defending the Defenseless
On January 28, the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, I was asked to preach a message to a congregation celebrating Life Sunday. The text I chose was Luke 4:31-44. In that narrative Jesus begins His ministry in Capernaum after having previously been driven out of His hometown, Nazareth. In this text Jesus teaches at the synagogue, casts out evil spirits, and heals the sick (including Peter’s mother-in-law). It occurred to me that the contrasts described in this text were incredible! For example, there’s a stark difference in how the people of Nazareth treated Jesus verses the reception He received in Capernaum. This text also points out huge differences between good and evil, between people (and unclean spirits) with a focus on self versus those having the Lord at their center.