하나님께 가까이 함이 내게 복이라(시편73:28)

Luke 4:16-21

American Baptist Seminary of the West

Student: Hakizimana Appolinaire

Course: Preaching

Professor: Dr. Samuel Park

scripture Luke 4:16-21

The theme : Today is the day of freedom

When I was young, my parents used to tell me about the story of colonization and what happened during 1962, the year of my country independent, when my country was freely from Belgium colonization.

Freedom is an action of being freely from under control, or being released from under control power, it can be trough someone’s effort, or someone helps him to get that freedom, or the ruler who is oppressor can decide himself to give freedom to the one who was arrested or oppressed.

(Luke 4:16-21) gives us the story of Jesus where he proclaimed the freedom of his listeners. Luke as only gentile among the authors of the gospel, he focused more to the poor, women , and children than other gospels authors, and Luke shows us Jesus as redeemer, Healer, Savior, and Messiah who came to set free his people from their difficulties.

-The authors of the synoptic Gospels, placed this story of Jesus’ proclamation of Good of news of freedom as the beginning of his ministry, just after Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist and defeated the devil’s temptation immediately he heard that John the Baptist was arrested, then Jesus returned in his village where he started his mission in the synagogue.

But I believe that Jesus’ first ministry after being baptized by John Baptist, and being testified by the heaven and John Baptist, and to call some of disciples was to clean the temple in Jerusalem (John 2:13-22). I believe that Jesus did ministry for 8 months in Jerusalem after to clean the temple, it is in this time Jesus met Nicodemus. Then when the Pharisees heard that he was baptizing more people that John Baptist (John 4: 1-2) they planned to kill Jesus, that is one of reasons which caused Jesus to return in his village of Nazareth through Samaria (John 4) (Gentiles)or mix people. The bible says that ,”so many Samaritans believed him”( 4:39-42), and Jesus continued his Journey to his village of Nazareth when Jon Baptist was in Prison .

This is Jesus who stood up in Synagogue in his village (In Luke 4: 16-21), when read (Isaiah 61) Synagogue Jesus was already the famous person; he had disciples already and followers, he was already testified by John the Baptist, and heaven, he was already changed water to be wine in Cana of Galilee, and he was already cleaned the Temple in Jerusalem, he was already preached and believed by so many people in Samaria. In Samaria Jesus was already introduced himself as Messiah whom was waited by Israel for their freedom and Salvation. He was no longer a young boy, the son of Joseph, but a great leader and famously person anointed one .

This Jesus who introduced himself and his mission through (Luke 4: 16-20)as Messiah to his people who were ready to reject him, because they knew already about what he did in Jerusalem, than Jesus said” Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (verse 21). This is Jesus brothers and sisters who I present to you today, He is able to salve you and me, but also he is able to salve this entire world, He is the one who we deserved.

Brothers and sisters let me remind you about the Jesus’ people’s situations during Jesus’ ministry. Palestine was under control of Roman Empire, people were very poor because of many different things, but the major of them were; the taxes, people used to pay so much tax to Roman Empire, plus the tax of the Temple. Another reason which caused people to be poor was the persistence war, the war of freedom from Roman Empire, especial the group of Maccabaeus. Moreover people were slaves, they used to work for others without salary, people were sold as animals, people were oppressed by their rulers, their religious priests, country rulers, and other nation like Rome. Brothers and sister could imagine how these people were looks like? Could you imagine about their children? How about women? People were died spiritual and Mentality, they were hopeless who deserved real Messiah, redeemer and Savior who is able freely his people from all kind of bondages, spiritual and physically as Jesus.

Brothers and sisters I believe that there is not big different from Jesus’ time and our time, because we have so many oppressors and enemies who put our people in prison and uses them as slaves. One of these enemy who is the front line there is devil who kill our people and control them, there a sin, also as another oppressor, who control most of our people. There is poverty the serious enemy who oppress our people, to be window, to be orphan. Brothers and sister most of our people are hopeless, and distressed, most of place this world there is no peace, people are escaping from one place to other place to seek the peace, food , and salve the lives.

Brothers and sister we are called by our Lord Jesus to freely our people, but not just in our village but whole world. We are able brothers and sisters to freely our people, we are able to build a freely kingdom, where everyone has enough room (John 4:16), where there is no war and conflicts because everyone has he is enough food. It doesn’t matter about how people will respond to you, it is not in our business, our business to convey the good news, the news of redemption which brought by our Lord Jesus, the real Messiah, redeemer, and Savior of his people. Brothers and sisters today is the day of freedom.

Let us pray please,