Pastor Scott Andrews | December 1st, 2024
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Luke 8:1-3
We live in a world – a broken world – in which the marginalized, the weaker, the less fortunate, the poorer, the wrong class, the wrong race, the wrong ethnicity, the wrong gender are often oppressed – at least overlooked – marginalized. It’s a truth as old as humankind because, you see, it is the result of sin, which entered the world rather early in our existence. And so, some of you, for a variety of reasons, have experienced the atrocities of oppression, racism, sexism, prejudice – it’s a long list. For example, we’ve seen the atrocious rise, again, of antisemitism in our own country. Such sinful prejudice – whether favoritism on the one hand or oppression on the other – is condemned in Scripture and has no place in the body of Christ.
In fact, we read these words of Paul in Galatians chapter 3, speaking of followers of Christ:
26 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (We have a new identity, such that)
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
In one flourish of the pen, Paul reminds us there is no ethnicity nor race, no socio-economic status, no gender prejudice for those who are in Christ Jesus. We are all one – remember, descendants of a single couple named Adam and Eve.
So, when we began the Gospel of Luke about 18 months ago, I suggested that Gentile Luke had a special place in his heart for those disenfranchised, marginalized, overlooked. Consider, for example, he and he alone records the story of a barren couple, to whom was miraculously born, John, who became known as the Baptizer. We read that story through 21st century eyes, but for a couple to be childless – barren – was seen as a symbol of God’s displeasure. And further, there would be no son to care for aging Elizabeth.
Luke also records the birth to a working-class couple – a carpenter and his young wife from Galilee, no less – the birth of Jesus, who would be the Savior of the world. Born in a stable legend tells us, in Bethlehem, because there was no room for them in the inn. Presumably born among the animals with their pungent odors, seemingly no mid-wife – simply a carpenter and his young wife. The only place to lay the newborn babe was in a makeshift crib – a manger – a feeding trough for those aforementioned animals. Oh, and by the way, the birth of Jesus was announced, not in the Roman Forum or to the Roman Senate, not even on the grounds of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. No, His birth was announced to shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Shepherds, who were seen as one of the lowest classes of people – who were known as thieves and liars – why, they weren’t even allowed to give testimony in a court of law because of their unscrupulous character. But to these, the angel appeared, and the angelic choir sang. Why? Was God communicating something in the way Jesus came? Perhaps communicating to whom Jesus came?
Luke also records the stories of healings – the first, a demon-possessed man. There was also the unclean leper, the paralytic, the centurion’s servant boy. None would be considered worthy of such divine favor. These were the outcasts, the marginalized, the undeserving. Was God communicating something?
But as I’ve also suggested, as recorded by Luke, Jesus had a special place in His heart for women. I wrote these words by way of introduction to Luke in July, a year and a half ago:
“Jesus talks about people coming from all directions of the compass to sit in the Kingdom of God. And so, the gospel is to be preached to all nations in Luke 24. The truth is, God loves all people. That’s a theme that runs through this book – love. God loves people and wants all people everywhere to repent and believe the gospel. He wants you to be convinced and believe the gospel, to stay convinced and continue believing the gospel. Because He loves you.
“Now, what people did Jesus save when He came to seek and save the lost? That’s another amazing thing in Luke’s gospel – we get the names of people we hardly see or don’t see at all anywhere else. Because here’s the truth: Jesus not only loves people, all the people of the world, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight – He loves the individual person. And Luke names them. We hear about Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Martha, Zacchaeus the diminutive tax collector and Simon the Pharisee, and Cleopas. (Which, by the way, tells us, He sees and knows you – you’re not just a number or a face in a large crowd.)
“Which leads to this very important theme – what kinds of people does Jesus love that Luke records? Well certainly all kinds of people, but he includes people not highly esteemed in first-century society – women and children, the sick and the poor, the sinner and disreputable. You see, Luke gives a very significant place to women. Three-eighths of the people mentioned in Luke are women. That’s incredible – at a time when the rabbis said it was a sin to teach women. Jesus did. Luke refers to ten women the other gospels do not even mention.”
I gave you a brief list at that time, but consider the impressive list of women Luke records:
• Elizabeth, the mother of John
• Mary, the mother of Jesus
• Anna, the prophetess
• Peter’s mother-in-law
• The widow of Nain, whose son Jesus raised from the dead
• The sinful woman who intruded at the dinner in Simon the Pharisee’s house – we don’t even know her name, but her story is recorded in the eternal word of God.
• Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna who we will meet this morning
• The woman with an issue of blood
• Mary and Marthy
• A woman crippled for 18 years
• A woman and her widow’s mite
• The women, and only the women since the Twelve fled, at the crucifixion, burial and resurrection
An impressive list. Don’t miss it – three eighths of the people mentioned in Luke are women, and he refers to ten women the other gospels don’t even mention. Because as Luke did his careful investigation, he discovered Jesus had a special place in His heart for the marginalized – to include women. As I suggested last week, Christianity does demean women, it lifts them up. The fact is, Jesus elevated women in a culture which devalued them. So should we. I’m not suggesting we go on some women’s march – those are typically ill-informed, mis-directed and promoting some sinful agenda – I am suggesting we honor and value women – Jesus did.
Which brings us to our text this morning. Luke chapter 8 – we’re only going to look at the first three verses, making for a shorter sermon – consider it an early Christmas present. Let’s read Luke 8:1-3.
Soon afterwards – that is, soon after this dinner with Simon the Pharisee. We remember that from last week: a sinful woman showed up at this formal dinner, perfume in hand, to anoint Jesus. She came prepared to do this, so I suggested she had perhaps met Jesus before, or had heard His preaching, and welcomed forgiveness and grace for her sinful life. We saw that it was her faith, not what she did at the dinner, that saved her. But, overcome with emotion, she wept much, and her tears covered His yet to be cleaned feet. She wiped His feet with her hair, then began kissing them, anointing them with oil. This one of many women Jesus cared for – and yet she never speaks; we don’t even know her name. You ever feel like that? Overlooked, like no one sees you, knows you? I’m suggesting Jesus does know her, as He knows you, and we will one day meet her in heaven as a sister in Christ. There will be many such unknown sisters and brothers – cleansed, forgiven, saved, redeemed people of the kingdom. All greater than John the Baptist.
Well, soon afterwards, Jesus began going from one city and village to another. Josephus, the Jewish historian, tells us there were some 204 cities and villages in Galilee at this time. This is one of Luke’s many summary statements that tells us what Jesus did in Galilee. He went from city to city, village to village, you know, where the people were, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. Proclaiming is the word used of a herald sent with a message of authority; preaching is the word from which we get our word evangelizing. You see, this is what Jesus came to bring – God’s kingdom to people through the gospel. You can actually be saved from the kingdom of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of light through God’s beloved Son.
The Scripture makes clear the kingdom is currently an internal kingdom available to all who repent – because remember, Jesus came preaching, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. It’s here, it’s available to all who believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ for sinners – His death, burial and resurrection.
They didn’t fully understand that when He came. He wasn’t the kind of Messiah they expected. Even John the Baptist, the forerunner, even His own disciples who spent three years with Him didn’t understand – not till after the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. They understood it then and gave their lives to spread this good news. So, don’t miss it, Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. And by simple repentance and faith people can be saved. The problem is, of course, most people don’t believe they are sinners in need of grace, in need of a savior. I suggested last week this is one of people’s main problems with Christianity – it requires they know they have a need they cannot meet. That they are sinners – but there is a Savior who came for them.
Well, when you realize that, it changes your life. It changes your priorities. That’s what we see in these verses. Two simple groups of people. Most didn’t expect this kind of Messiah to show up; and the religious didn’t expect the Messiah to call this kind of people to Himself. Two groups this morning – which form the simple outline, and should encourage us that Jesus came for the most unlikely of people:
I. The Twelve (1)
II. The Women (2-3)
Now, the Twelve we met back in chapter 6. After spending the whole night alone in prayer, Jesus came off the mountain, and called His disciples to Him – that is, all who were at this point following Him. And He chose twelve of them whom He called apostles.
An amazing band of men. When we looked at them a few months ago, I suggested time has been very generous to these men. You see, these were not necessarily the patron saints we think of today, subjects of stained-glass windows – complete with folded hands, halos, eyes cast heavenward. They weren’t you church kind of guys. Several of them were fisherman by trade. One was a tax collector, one was a zealot, many we know nothing about outside the list of the Twelve and the legends that have arisen around them. Of seven of the twelve, we don’t know what their occupations were. The one named Thomas gained the moniker, the doubter. Oh, and one named Judas was a traitor. They had no rabbinical or formal training at all other than what they got at the local synagogue.
These men were full of all kinds of shortcomings. One of their most obvious was their lack of understanding. That’s a nice way of saying, they weren’t very bright. You may not like that, but it’s Jesus who said so. They almost appeared to be slow. They struggled with understanding Jesus’ teachings as much as the crowds. Several times, when He finished teaching, they’d be standing there with the “lights on but nobody’s home” look. Then somebody would ask a stupid question. At which point Jesus would say something like, “Are you guys so dull, are you so slow of understanding you don’t get it?” Talk about marginalized, overlooked men. These are not the typical guys you would choose to sit on your board of directors.
Again, these were not stained-glass saints. They were men who needed a Savior, just like you and me, and they needed to be transformed, just like you and me. So, in all their shortcomings and frailties, they turned themselves over to God, whose power is perfected in weakness. You might need to be reminded these unschooled, ignorant, fighting, fearful, inept, sometimes faithless men are the ones who turned the world upside down. Not the ones you would expect the Messiah to choose – but He did. Was He communicating something?
Which brings us to the next group – the women. Many of these women had been healed of sicknesses or freed from demonic possession. Luke names three of them.
First is Mary Magdalene. Magdalene means Mary of Magdala which is a fishing village on the west coast of the Sea of Galilee about 3 miles north of Tiberias. Several of you have been there – we find there the ruins of a first century synagogue where Jesus probably taught.
Now, as I suggested last week, many have thought she was the sinful woman of chapter 7, but that idea came from a sermon from Pope Gregory the Great about 1400 years ago. But there’s no evidence she was the sinful woman, nor the woman taken in adultery. We find here that actually she was one from whom seven demons were driven. And by the way, many point out there is no necessary link between possession and immoral behavior. In other words, she wasn’t possessed by seven demons because she was more sinful than most. But, that’s all we know about her past life. To be possessed with seven demons was unusual – although we will study about the maniac of the Gerasenes who was possessed by 2000 demons. Hard to wrap our minds around, but to be possessed with seven demons seems to speak of the totality of their control over her. We don’t know how it happened – the stuff on The Chosen is all made up.
Mary plays a central role in the rest of the gospel narratives. Namely, w
e will find she was present at the crucifixion, the burial, and the resurrection. She is one of only a few women who were at all three events – you know, the events of the Gospel. In fact, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene first, who then ran to tell the Twelve and other disciples she had seen the Lord. Remember, the Twelve were behind locked doors in the upper room, fearing for their lives, while the women made their way to the tomb to anoint Jesus body – only He wasn’t there. Anyway, she was sent by Jesus to tell the Twelve, which is why some call her the apostle to the Apostles.
At any rate, she seemed to be present with Jesus during much of His ministry. You see, when your life is delivered, from demons or from sin, you want to be with Jesus.
Next named was Joanna the wife of Chuza, who was Herod’s steward. We don’t know anything else about her except that she, too, was at the resurrection in Luke 24. But we see here she was the wife of Chuza. Why would that be mentioned? Because Chuza was an administrator – some say the steward of one of Herod’s estates. That’s Herod Agrippa, the guy who beheaded John the Baptist. And yet, the gospel reached even into the household – that is, the administration of Herod. There’s no evidence in Scripture Chuza also became a believer. But it is interesting to note – Johanna was a high official’s wife and she was following Jesus. Either Chuza allowed her to go, divorced her, or he himself became a believer in Jesus. We don’t know. Again, she’s only mentioned again in Luke 24 as being present at the empty tomb.
Third was Susanna. It’s interesting she is named here since she appears nowhere else and we learn nothing of her here – except that she followed Jesus. But isn’t that enough to be named – a follower of Jesus. In fact, in Luke 23, we read that many of the women who followed Jesus from Galilee were present at the burial. Mary was there, and so perhaps Johanna and Susanna were as well. Likely.
But finally, we read something else about these and the other women. They were contributing to their support – that is, to Jesus and the Twelve. They financially gave of their resources to fund the ministry of Jesus – you know, the one who did not have a place to lay His head. It seems when He died, all He had was His linen garment, for which the soldiers gambled. My point is, while He was God in the flesh, while in the flesh, He didn’t have much. In fact, He epitomized the poor, the outcast and the needy He came to save. Is God communicating something to us in the way Jesus came, and to whom Jesus came?
These women followed Jesus, and gave what they had – however meager, however much. Please notice – these women’s priorities were completely changed. They wanted to be with Jesus, so they followed Him. They wanted to served Jesus, so they did. And they gave – little or much – what they had they gave as an expression of love. And He expects the same of us. It doesn’t matter who we are – that is, socio-economic status, our race, our gender – whatever we have, we give to Jesus. Our priorities are completely and utterly rearranged. Not as a debtor, as if we could ever pay Him back. That’s not the motivation. It’s because He loved us and gave Himself for us, delivered us from sin – we love Him, and give all that we are and all that we have to Him.
By the way, in closing, I should point out that for a traveling rabbi to have women in his group of disciples – followers – was virtually unheard of. You just didn’t do that. As I said earlier, you didn’t teach women – they had other responsibilities – but learning was not one of them. They were not held in high esteem in this culture. And yet, Jesus, the rabbi, the Teacher of all teachers, taught women. Because He has a special place in His heart for the marginalized, the outcasts, the overlooked – and sinners. Like you. He sees you, He knows you. Do you know Him? Do you follow Him? He invites you to.
Communion
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, so we lit the first candle on the Advent wreath this morning. How appropriate it is also the first Sunday of the month – when we observe communion – the Lord’s Supper. You see, by lighting the candle, we remember His first coming. But by communion, we remember why He came. Hebrews 2:14 says it this way, “Therefore, since the children shar in flesh in blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”
Jesus was born in flesh – Galatians 4 tells us, born of a woman, by the way – Jesus born in flesh so that He in that flesh might die for sinners. You see, the reason we die is because of sin. But Jesus had no sin, the book of Hebrews makes abundantly clear. He did not die for His own sins, but for ours. He took our sins in His body on the cross – so that by grace through faith, we might believe and have our sins removed. That’s what communion reminds us of – the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus for sinners.