Recently I preached a Sermon based on Luke 4.19-30 and the visit of Jesus to the synagogue in his home town of Nazareth (synagogue video).
“All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.” (Luke 4:28–30 NIV11)
Where did his bravery come from? In Luke chapters 3 and 4 I can see four sources of his bravery. If we can understand them, they can help us with our growth in spiritual courage. The first one is God’s approval, the second is God’s refining and the third is:
God’s Word
God’s word gave Jesus courage in the wilderness. His response to the devil was: “It is written…it is written…it is said…”
He clearly had the Word in his heart, not just as head knowledge. This is the difference between simply reading the Word and being devoted to it. His love and knowledge of scripture were such that when temptations came they were deflected by the word already seated within him.
What does it mean to you to be devoted to the Word? What would that look like in your own life?
Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.
Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.
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God bless, Malcolm
PS: If you would like some coaching in spiritual disciplines, look me up here.
PPS: You might also be interested in my book: “An elephant’s swimming pool”, a devotional look at the Gospel of John
