Jackpot! (4:14-30)

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Luke 4:14-30

Everything seemed to be going fine. Jesus read a few verses from Isaiah that talk about the Lord’s servant. He tells the crowd that this scripture has been fulfilled. They are amazed at his gracious words. Then…it turns ugly. Jesus seems to turn against them. He tells them, basically, that he isn’t welcome there. The crowd takes him out to the hill to stone Him. What happened?

What happened was the people of Nazareth thought they had hit the jackpot. God had sent His Servant, and He was from Nazareth of all places! Imagine what it would be like to have Jesus from your home town! It would be amazing! And if He’s doing such great things in Capernaum (On the northern shore of the sea of Galilee), just imagine what He’s going to do for His hometown folks! Nazareth thought they had life in a bag. They had hit the jackpot because the Son of God was theirs and He was going to do great things for them.

Don’t we feel this way sometimes? Jesus is our Jesus and so we are set. Jackpot! If Jesus is doing such great things for others, just imagine what He’s going to do for us. But the reality of faith is that Jesus isn’t just our Jesus. God doesn’t look with special favor on us because of our faith; He shows us special favor because He loves us. And He loves others as well. Maybe we should too.

Simon the Caterpillar

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This is a story I wrote for a storytelling class in seminary. I hope you enjoy it!

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Once, there was a big furry caterpillar named Simon. Simon was not only big, but he was the biggest caterpillar in the forest. He could stretch the length of a maple leaf, and when he curled up, he looked like a big furry button. Simon was the envy of all the other caterpillars, who saw Simon as the biggest and bravest caterpillar that ever lived. When summer would end, while all the other caterpillars were building their cocoons, Simon would prance around bravely. “Oh you poor little caterpillars!” He would say, “You aren’t big and brave like me. I do not hide myself during the winter, because I am the biggest and bravest caterpillar in the forest!” “We are not hiding,” they would always say, “We are going to be butterflies!” Simon would laugh and laugh. “Do you really believe that? I have seen butterflies, and they are not fuzzy and are not little, like you.” He would say. But even with all his work, no one ever stayed with him for the winter, when he sat sadly around, waiting for the spring.

One summer, Simon met the prettiest caterpillar he’d ever seen, Nancy. She was short and plump and had the softest silver fuzz. They became the best of friends and spent the whole summer playing among the flowers of the field. Soon, however, it came time for caterpillars to go into their cocoons. Simon refused, “I won’t go! I’m not afraid of the winter!” Nancy pleaded, “Please Simon, don’t be afraid!” Simon’s furry little face turned red. “I’m not afraid…I just don’t know how,” he admitted. “Have you ever tried?” Nancy asked. “No, but I know what the winter is like, it is cold and there’s no food. I’m big and I barely survive. I know I won’t survive in a little cocoon!” He said frantically. “ But how will you ever be a butterfly?”, Nancy asked. “You don’t actually believe that, do you?”, he asked back. “You’ll never know until you try.”, she said, and with a long sigh they both began to make their cocoons.

That winter was the coldest winter ever. Snow was thick in the trees and the lakes were paved with ice. But it is said that that next spring you could see a plump little yellow butterfly fluttering among the flowers of the field, with the biggest, brightest, orangest butterfly the forest has ever seen right beside her.

If we don’t step outside or our comfort zone and try something new, we will never fly.

Do You Trust Me? (4:9-13)

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Luke 4:9-13

Scripture is a powerful thing. It tells us of the greatness of God’s love and grace towards us. It speaks freedom to our souls. It gives us eternal hope. So why is it that the devil can use it to create a wedge between us and God? Why is it that the devil can use God’s own words to cause us to mistrust God and to test His love?

This is what the devil tries here. Surely scripture is right that God would protect Jesus. But there is a difference between trusting that God will protect and testing that protection. The temptation – mistrust. Did Jesus really trust God enough to protect Him? If so, then why not test it out?

Testing, it would seem, would be a healthy way to know that God is there. But throughout history this has never worked out. While the devil wants us to believe that testing is a sign of faith, what it really is a sign of disbelief. If we really trusted God we wouldn’t have to test that trust.

How do we overcome it? Simply trust in God. Don’t test whether He will love and protect us. This is His promise that He will not break. True faith is a faith that trusts without being tested.

This isn’t My Father’s World? (4:5-8)

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Luke 4:5-8

Is this really God’s world? The devil doesn’t think so. The devil thinks the world and all the kingdoms therein are his to give away. And they could all be yours, Jesus, if the price is right. And what’s the price – only bow down and worship the devil.

How is this even a temptation to Jesus? How was he supposed to be tempted by such a ludicrous offer? The temptation here is to take the easy way. Jesus knew that the world would be redeemed through Him. He knew that He would sit on the throne of judgment in eternity. But He also knew the price. The price was His taking on the sins of the world and dying on the cross. But the devil offers an easy way out. Jesus could skip all the pain and death and have the kingdom’s now. All He had to do was turn His back on His Father and pledge His allegiance to Satan.

The temptation – impatience. It’s one of the hardest temptations for us to overcome. We are all looking for the great things in life, but we don’t want to do the things that will bring them. We want them now instead of in God’s time.

How do we fight it? Trust in God and in God alone. Trust that God will give us exactly what we need in His time and in His way. That’s the only way we will truly get what God has planned for us.