Archbishop Peter Jensen’s weekly online series on The Essential Jesus (the gospel of Luke). In each study the Archbishop will lead us through the book we intend on giving away to as many people as possible.
STEP 1: READING
Read Luke chapter 4, verses 14-44.
(In the Essential Jesus start near the top of page p18 where the text says 'Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee…" Read to the heading ‘Chapter 5’ on p20.)
STEP 2: REFLECTION
Jesus is now the centre of Luke's story. He is magnificent - and very different from the pale imitation Jesus that people today so often carry around in their heads. Jesus announces the coming of God's kingdom, that great moment when God will bring the whole world to rights and make it what it should be. This is what salvation and judgement are about. Here are the hopes and fears of all the years. But the secret is that Jesus himself is the king. He describes the wonders of his kingdom in the synagogue. He teaches with authority, breaks the grip of demonic forces on human beings, repels the power of death. He demonstrates what the new kingdom will be like. He attracts crowds, questions and rejection. But he does not stay. He moves on to announce its coming elsewhere, and to get people ready for it.
STEP 3: DISCUSSION
1 Apart from giving us a small indication of what the kingdom of God is like, why did Jesus quote Isaiah?
2 Should we understand the release of the prisoners, sight to the blind and good news for the poor, spiritually or literally?
3 Why did Jesus not allow the demons to identify him?
4 What is the significance of the attempt to murder Jesus? Is it significant that it occurred in his home town?
