David Bahn - Reflections

Things are not always as they seem. That includes also Jesus' intent in challenging his hometown folks. He isn't interested in inciting a riot. He doesn't want merely to make them angry. He wants to point out their need for a different attitude toward God, faith, repentance, and grace.

Sometimes we live under the illusion that we are in control of all things. In fact we have control over very little. And the sooner we recognize this, and align ourselves with God's truth and purposes, the sooner we will experience the abundant storehouse of God's grace. He is not only in charge. He is full of grace and truth and love and faithfulness. I, for one, am glad he's in charge.

My question is what do you focus your eyes on as you think of Jesus? What do you hear him say? Do you listen for his word in humility? Do you seek to see who he really is? And when your heart is revealed to be broken, corrupt, and faithless, do you try to throw him off the cliff? Or does this take you to a place of repentance at the foot of the cross? Do you seek his mercy and rejoice in God's favor shown in Jesus? And do you let him reveal his true self to you and seek to hear his full counsel?

Sadly we will show our brokenness all too often in the face of Jesus' teaching and truth. But the fullness of that truth is seen in how Jesus really did fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah. It would cost him incredible pain and suffering, and even his very life. But this was the means of God's favor coming to us.

That's what I want to see and hear. Lord Jesus, open my eyes, ears, and heart by your Holy Spirit so that I may see and hear your grace and truth always! Amen.

Perhaps that's the lesson we are to learn when our prayers aren't answered while other's are. Our loved one is not healed, and someone far from God is. I don't think this is a punitive thing on God's part. But it may be a lesson to others about the far reach of God's grace and the breadth of his love.

When we do receive the special touch of God's grace we can be deeply thankful that God looked upon us with his favor. We don't deserve it. That's the nature of grace after all. But it is so sweet when we do receive it. That's because Jesus knew who he was, remained true to his true identity, and deeply connected with people who received his grace in humble faith.

Lord give me such a humble faith, so I can define myself as one loved by you and connected with you for all eternity.

We could spiritualize the things on the list Jesus references from Isaiah: spiritual blindness, captivity to sin, poverty of spirit. These are all real conditions we might consider in an honest moral self-inventory. I'll leave you to consider how that might apply to you.

But I want to suggest a different approach to how we hear and respond to Jesus' words here. There are people who are actually oppressed, poor, imprisoned, and blind. They need our prayers. They need Jesus' presence and deliverance. It all starts with the favor of God, and the Good News of his love and salvation through the life, death, resurrection, and final coming of Jesus. It might be that we pray for them to be delivered physically and spiritually from these ills. And as we do we might discover that we have been delivered from the blindness to others' needs, freed from the captivity of constant self-absorbed fretting, and enriched with the true treasures that are found in life in Christ.

I don't know too many people who presume upon God's grace. Or do I? Perhaps you and I do this all the time. Maybe we think we deserve special treatment because we're God's people. We think that because we believe in Jesus we get to go to the front of the line when it comes time for God to hand out favors. We might look at others less deserving in our own estimation thinking God owes us before he gives anything good to them.

One thing is for sure though. Jesus came to proclaim good news to the poor. He was sent to "proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” Unless we are willing to admit our neediness, and rejoice in God's favor to others in need, we will find no joy in Jesus' presence. If we do admit our need for his favor, and rejoice in that favor to others we will find great joy in Jesus' gifts of sight, freedom, release, and good news of God's favor - no matter what town we're from.

Jesus was led into the wilderness, the abode of Satan, the realm of wandering. When the Israelites were led into the wilderness to escape Egyptian slavery, they gave into temptation. They fashioned an idol of gold. They grumbled. They refused to believe. They criticized their leaders. Jesus is being led to face temptation by the devil and he will not give in to it. He will be all that Israel was supposed to be.

I'm thankful for that, and have an ever deepening appreciation for Jesus' stalwart faithfulness, the urgency of praying against temptation, and undying thankfulness for his help and presence in the face of Satan and his schemes.

We don’t have to be always in a defensive posture. It’s not that we wait for Satan to sneak up on us. We’ve got a calling to live under Christ in his kingdom and serve him in righteousness and purity (resisting temptation). But when Satan does come our way, we can stand firm with the armor of God, and fight him just as Jesus did with God’s word.

Whether it’s praying the Psalms, reading and memorizing Scripture, or meditating on God’s word daily, Scripture is a powerful weapon against Satan and his schemes. We may fail. We may give in. That’s why Jesus’ victory is so precious. For he is our Savior. He forgives us when we fall, and empowers us to get back up and live to his glory and toward our eternal destiny – all secured in Jesus.

Scripture interprets Scripture. There are some difficult passages in the Bible. Some even appear to contradict one another. The rule that Scripture interprets Scripture helps us here, pointing us to the clear teachings of the Bible in place of the sensational or confusing passages.

Satan will have none of that. He will use Scripture for his own purposes. He quotes from the Old Testament Scriptures. He twists truth to his own agenda: deceive Jesus, taking him down, thwarting God's plan. In every case - not just when Satan twists Scripture - Jesus appeals to the clear teachings of God's word.

Psalm 119:11 offers us great wisdom: I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Jesus' example shows how this actually works. We do well to let God's word speak to us so that we may resist temptation and thwart Satan's efforts to deceive us. God's word, after all, is a fountain of life-giving truth!

We cannot prevent the three enemies of our souls from intruding upon us. There is the devil. He will come and go. But we can use God's word to thwart his ploys. Then comes our own sinful nature, the flesh, in which "nothing good dwells" (cf. Romans 7:18). This we must daily drown by contrition and repentance, remembering that we are baptized into Jesus' death and resurrection, remembering that we are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:1-6). But the world is all around us. And everywhere we turn it will seek to force us into its mold. Against that we must renew our minds (Romans 12:1-5).

Satan will come again for Jesus. Peter will be his messenger (cf. Matthew 16:13-23). But we must remember that Satan's days are numbered. And the daily troubles and tribulations we experience are nothing compared with the glory that will be ours through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:18). He has overcome Satan - despite his relentless attacks, innuendos, and schemes.

Jesus is truth incarnate. And his word embodies truth in every letter. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He promises that if we continue in his word we will know the truth, and by that truth find true freedom. And here's the mystery and paradox of Jesus' truth: "If we say we are without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8).

To abide in Jesus' word and know the truth is to recognize our need for a Savior, to believe in Jesus of Nazareth as the one and only Son of God. It means that we recognize the reign and rule of God in Jesus, repent and believe the gospel. Then we hear him say, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). And believing that we dare not hold to anything that is not truly true. That means holding to Jesus.

On this Valentine's Day, rejoice in the true love of God - shown in Jesus, and pure and good in every way.