Mar. 30,14 Luke 4:14-30 WORDS THEY DIDN T WANT TO HEAR I love the hymns we sing. What great testimonies we have captured in our hymnals. They re like seeing real people apply Bible faith, learning to trust in God, learning to trust in Jesus. They let us in on their struggles, their hard times, and most of all, they let us see their victories. Those hymns come from life experiences. The author of one of my favorite hymns, It Is Well with My Soul wrote this hymn because of a tragedy that happened in his life. Searching him out I found his faith had been tested several times. He and his wife had 4 daughters and one son. Their son died when he was only 4. A few years later during the great Chicago Fire Horatio Spafford lost most of the property he had invested in. Through all this God had been good to his family. Their faith was still strong. He was friends with evangelist D.L. Moody and Ira Sankey, the gospel hymn writer and great singer. When his wife s health was failing they thought a vacation to Europe with the 4 girls would be healing. While there Spafford was going to assist in the revival headed by Moody and Sankey. At the last minute Horatio had an emergency meeting but not to disappoint his family he sent them off telling them he would take the next ship he could book. But then disaster hit. Just about in the middle of the Atlantic, that ship was ramped my another and of the 307 passengers, only 81 survived. People waited for news of their loved ones much like those who have been waiting these past weeks concerning their loved one on that airplane flying from Malaysia. It was tough waiting. Finally, from Europe Horatio Spafford received a telegram from his wife. When he opened it, there were just two words. SAVED ALONE. That meant his 4 daughters were lost at sea. He booked passage on the next ship to Europe. Ships weren t fast so Mr. Spafford had time to think, time to pray, time to weep, time to perhaps be angry, time to question God, and I m
sure there were lots of things on his mind. This ship was taking the exact route the other ship did, so after a conversation with the captain when this ship came to about the same location that the other ship went down, it stopped to pay homage to those who had died. Mr. Spafford stood by the railing of the ship looking out at the ocean bottom, some 3 miles deep. His heart broken, tears whelming up in his eyes, he choked back the cries that he had penned up for these days since hearing the news. Then, in faith perhaps, with all the trust he had that his God and his Savior knew best, he bid farewell to his daughters, thought of his surviving wife, thought of his wonderful God, his wonderful Savior, and a peace came over him. He retreated to his cabin where words seemed to flow from his heart, from his mind, from his faith, from his lips and finally flowed to a piece of paper and these words emerged: When peace like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well, with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blest assurance control, that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and has shed his own blood for my soul My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul And, Lord, haste the day that my faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back like a scroll; the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, even so, it is well with my soul. It is well, with my soul. It is well, with my soul. It is well! It is well, with my soul. Later on these words became one of the favorites of Christians, even me. As most of us know, it is a lonely walk when a loved one is gone. I think of Lori Benner s family on the passing of her sister Robin the other day, and I think of Lucy, Linda, little Lucy and the others on the passing of our dear friend Leonard.
Tough times. And our nephew passed yesterday morning at age 55. Not easy roads to walk. This morning our choir sang how Jesus had to make that trip to the cross alone. It must have been a lonely one. All the way from the crib in Bethlehem, to the cross on Calvary covering around 33 years of his life, Jesus did it with the presence of his Father, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Oh, yes, he had his disciples. There were crowds who followed. But they didn t grasp the true meaning of that journey. Some came for what Jesus could do for them, not for what they could do for Jesus. Hear words from Isaiah that Jesus spoke one day in the synagogue recorded by Luke in his first sermon among the Jewish people gathered for church like we are today. People were looking for words of hope, for words of God s blessings and God s direction for their lives. They wanted to hear something they could grasp when the difficulties of life, which are many, hit them. Jesus, in the town of Nazareth where he grew up and had his carpenter s shop was asked to read the Scriptures. He picked up the scroll and came to Isaiah and read for all to hear: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord s favor. Then Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him as he began saying to them, Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. Isn t this Joseph s son? they asked. Jesus preached, though it was just reading scripture and then just saying, this applies to me I have been anointed by God to preach the good news, to give
freedom to the prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord. And then saying more to them they became furious. These words were not well received. They were words they didn t want to hear. Well, at least some of them. Those religious leaders couldn t believe their ears. In fact the last part reads, 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 down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. You talk about driving a preacher out of town because you don t like the words he s preaching, there is a good example. Jesus and Paul had that in common. They were driven out of town because they preached God s truth to the people. I bet some of those religious leaders wanted to tar and feather Jesus. Others wanted to toss him into eternity. For what? For preaching the good news, for telling them he came to help, and to share God s love and his healing power. But like we see today, that message was not widely accepted. You d think they would have joined his group, but instead he began that lonesome journey to the cross. When Jesus stood up to read Isaiah s text, those first words made his journey solid. The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me. Think about how lonely it must have been as the Spirit drove him into the wilderness following his baptism to be tempted by Satan. That guy with the forked tongue, because he speaks out of both sides of his mouth, promised Jesus everything he had in his possession to make Jesus bow down to him, to make Jesus deny who he was and to keep Jesus from doing what he came to do. to preach, to heal, to bring peace, to transform lives, to forgive the sinners and offer others the gift of eternal life through receiving forgiveness for their sins. Freedom! That s what Jesus came to offer the world. And Satan knew that
his days were numbered and the troubles he had caused were about to be challenged by Jesus. During those 40 days in the wilderness with nothing to eat, to drink, Jesus had to overcome many things. The journey he made there would prepare him for the journey to Jerusalem and the cross. The temptations he faced in the wilderness would prepare him for the temptations the devil would throw at him from time to time during the next three years as he tried to have Jesus turn from his mission. Even the temptation to call it all off. Even the temptation to listen to the people and come down from the cross to prove he was God s son. Yes, Jesus walked a lonesome road to that wilderness. Then we might say he walked a lonesome road throughout his whole ministry. Some he called joined the journey for a little while and then drifted away. Some picked up their crosses to follow but they abandoned their walk. So Jesus made that lonesome walk alone. And remember, those final few days he walked alone as the disciples scattered and went into hiding. Think how lonely a walk it must have been during what we can Holy Week. He travels the road with popularity because so many people heard what Jesus could and did do. Word got around of the miracles that happened when he was near. And now the latest. The calling back to life one who had died and was buried for 4 days. Yet, Jesus called him back to life and many saw this miracle and believed, while some of the religious leaders saw and rejected it. On the first day of the week beginning Passover Week, the road was lined with people yelling their praises, calling him king. And though they were shouting his praises, laying palms in front of him, calling him the Messiah, some of these same people in just a few days would be some who shouted for him to be crucified. As Jesus entered the city on the donkey riding right by the chief priest and his cohorts. Knowing his days were numbered, Jesus looked in their eyes, right to their scheming hearts and smiled.
Jesus knew what was going to happen but he didn t flee from what was to be. It was a lonely road to walk and Jesus mission was coming to an end. By the end of the week their world would be shaken, and so would the whole world. A trial, a cross, an empty tomb. But that was Friday and Sunday would be coming. Yes, Jesus walked a lonesome road. He walked it right up the streets of Jerusalem, right up the road to Calvary, right up to the cross where he was nailed to the cross. But the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. He was anointed for such a moment like this. He endured the pain and the suffering for one reason only. So that those who believe in him will not have to make their journey on this earth being lonely. That s us. He promised he would always be with us. He said he would never forsake us. Look around, look up, look down, look beside you, look behind you and even look ahead of you for Jesus is there through the Holy Spirit. He says follow in my footsteps. Come, take my hand and don t let go. Jesus is saying don t be afraid for he knows the roads. He knows the potholes to avoid. He knows the dangerous streets to avoid. He knows where the enemy likes to hide. Take my hand, precious Lord we can say, lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home we can continue to say as we walk with him on the road to salvation and glory. We won t be walking that road alone. Isn t that one promise of the 23 Psalm? Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Could we say there are at least two times that we have to make that journey alone? But I believe we aren t really alone. God is with us. Think of it, we come into this life seemingly alone. And then we leave this life alone. But the good news is this. We really aren t alone, for God ushers us into this world, and he ushers us
out. His messengers bring us into this world, and his messengers take us home again when this life is over. We don t have to walk this life alone because Christ provided the way. Thinking of that I thought of this song, that if we think of it brings us peace and reminds us of the power and glory of God. It comes at the end of the play Carousel where the father has died and appears to see his daughter who can t hear him but he wants her not to give up and live like he did. He wants to give her something to lean on, something that will let her know that she will never be alone as she goes through life. He sings, When you walk through a storm, keep your chin up high and don t be afraid of the dark. At the end of the storm is a golden sky with the sweet silver song of a lark. Walk on through the wind. Walk on through the rain, though your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart and you ll never walk alone. You ll never walk alone. There are many in this world today who need that encouragement. Some dealing with losing a loved one, or going through cancer treatments, or other health issues, struggling with relationships, even kids in college struggling to find themselves and what they are going to do. Those words from a non Christian song bring hope as well, and maybe, just maybe, can turn someone to God.walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain, though your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on, walk on with hope in your hearts and you ll never walk alone. So may it be with God s children no matter what we do, or where we go. God is always there. We never walk alone! No, we never walk alone! Let the people of God say amen!