Today’s Passage: Luke 4:22-30

Luke stated that the purpose of his effort was that Theophilus would have certainty with what he had been taught—taught about Jesus. Jesus is the central figure, and Luke has laid out some very interesting assertions.

He has shown how those all around the events leading up and after Jesus’ birth saw this child of Mary as the long awaited Jewish Savior, the Jewish Savior who would not merely redeem the Jews, but be a Light to all the world—a big claim.

Jesus has burst onto the stage. People are impressed. Yet in the episode we read today we see two parallel tracks. We will see them over and over. We see Jesus about his business, unphased by whether he is complimented or criticized, acclaimed or attacked. We will see the world react in any number of ways, normally projecting onto Jesus what they want, rather than what he has come to offer.

Let me unpack that last statement. We will see people project onto Jesus what they believe they need: more food, healing from disease, freedom from Roman rule, validation of their religious beliefs…and more. Jesus will at times feed and heal, but he will never let them take hold of him, until his last days.

People will consistently, to his face, either challenge him in an effort to discredit him—or seek to have him redefine himself for their own self-validation.

If you know about the teachings and person of Jesus, what areas are you still struggling with? What is it, regarding Jesus, that you are certain and uncertain, about?