An Encouraging Response
Luke 13:10-21
October 20, 2019
Well, if you were with us over the last several months
As we worked through that sermon of Jesus to the massive crowd.
You know that it had to be a frustrating time for Jesus.
This giant crowd showed basically no interest in the truths of salvation or the kingdom.
• Instead they had ignored the testimony of the Holy Spirit
• At least some were only concerned with money
• At the same time they seemed oblivious to the coming judgment
• And they were totally undiscerning concerning their own sin and danger
I’ve preached enough sermons to know that
Jesus must have left that event
Feeling like He was beating His head against a wall.
MINISTRY IS TOUGH
If you’ve ever embarked on it at any level then you know that.
• If you’ve ever taught a Sunday school class…
• If you’ve ever been a small group leader…
• If you’ve ever witnessed on the street…
• If you’ve ever preached…
You know that ministry is hard.
The challenge at hand is daunting.
Paul certainly voiced his frustrations at times.
1 Corinthians 4:10-13 “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.”
2 Corinthians 4:7-11 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
2 Corinthians 11:2-3 “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 12:20-21 “For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances; I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.”
Or even in his letter to the Galatians:
Galatians 4:8-11 “However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.”
And we even learn that at the end of Paul’s life
This faithful apostle was basically rejected by everyone.
In his last letter he wrote:
2 Timothy 4:16 “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.”
MINISTRY IS TOUGH.
Certainly we can see this as well IN THE LIFE OF JESUS.
Just looking at Luke’s gospel we remember things like:
• Luke 4 when His own home town tried to throw Him off a cliff.
• Or in Luke 5 when He was accused of blasphemy because He forgave the paralytic.
• Or in Luke 5:30 when they accused Him of being an immoral man because He ate with tax collectors and sinners.
• Or in Luke 6 when He restored the withered hand of the man in the synagogue and they began plotting His death.
Ministry is frustrating.
It’s no wonder we read statements like this:
Luke 7:31-35 “To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? “They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’ “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ “Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”
• In Luke 7:36 we remember Jesus being invited to a Pharisees house where He was offered no kiss, no anointing, or no water to wash His feet, but only to be trapped and accused.
• In Luke 8:10 He lamented a crowd who must be taught in parables because while they had ears, they could not hear.
• In Luke 8:52 He was actually laughed at for claiming that Jairus’ daughter was only sleeping.
It’s no wonder we see incidents like that of the demon possessed boy:
Luke 9:41 “And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
Later in Luke 9 we realize that even His disciples don’t get it.
Luke 9:44-45 “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.”
• In Luke 9:57 He is confronted by half-hearted followers who only want to follow if there is comfort, or if they can first bury their father, or if they can first get the approval of their friends.
• In Luke 11:14 He was accused of casting out demons by the power of Beezebul
It’s no wonder Jesus exposed the crowd:
Luke 11:29-32 “As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. “For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. “The Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”
• In Luke 11:37 another Pharisee would invite Him to eat and seek to condemn Him for not ceremonially washing.
And it all ends up in one of the most frustrating laments of all time.
Luke 19:41-44 “When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
And that is just accounts we read in Luke’s gospel.
• The gospel of John records even more frustrating conversations.
Or we haven’t even covered all of Luke’s gospel yet.
• Still to come are things like the hypocritical praise at the triumphal entry,
• Betrayal of Judas,
• The desertion of all the disciples,
• The denial of Peter,
• The corrupt trial,
• The crowd yelling crucify…
Ministry is tough.
Ministry can be frustrating.
We are those who have been commissioned
To take words of life to those who are dead.
We are called to speak the truth to those who cannot hear.
And we realize the battle we are fighting when we do this.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
MINISTRY IS HARD
And at times it is human nature to just want to throw in the towel.
This is why it is also important that we learn
Where to find encouragement to continue on.
It is important that we learn what to look at
To give us the boost we need to push forward and keep going forward.
Our text this morning provides one such encouragement.
It is a somewhat routine story for the work of Jesus,
But it is the response of Jesus to what occurs that teaches us
Also to be encouraged even when ministry is frustrating.
LET’S LOOK AT THE TEXT TOGETHER.
The text begins with another ROUTINE MINISTRY STORY from Jesus.
You may remember that early on in the book of Luke we established a definite ministry pattern from Jesus.
• He would enter a city, and ultimately synagogue.
• He would preach a sermon on salvation.
We saw one of those sermons in Luke 4
Luke 4:17-21 “And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
• He would preach a message about man’s need for salvation and how He was that Savior.
• He would then work a miracle of give a sign of some sort to authenticate His message.
• And then He would move on to another synagogue or another city.
In fact we read:
Luke 4:42-43 “When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them. But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.”
That was really the ministry pattern of Jesus.
He was just trying to spread the gospel throughout Israel.
This story in Luke 13 really fits along that mold.
He starts by preaching.
(10) “And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.”
• It’s not uncommon.
• It’s rather routine.
• Jesus is just doing what He came to do.
And after the sermon, an opportunity presents itself
To validate His message with a miraculous sign.
(11-13) “And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God.”
Not a lot is given to us about this woman except that
• We have here a woman who was bent over and could not straighten up.
• We find that she had been in that condition for 18 years.
• And we find that in her case it was caused by “a spirit”. (later Jesus will say that it was Satan who had bound her)
Now certainly we don’t believe that all sickness or disease
Is a result of demonic affliction, BUT HERS WAS.
• We aren’t told how she came to be in that condition.
• We aren’t told anything about her past or her lifestyle.
• We aren’t even told if she had faith or if she repented or asked or anything.
All we read is that “When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.”
Jesus simply made a sovereign decision
That on this day that woman would be set free.
Again, He mentioned nothing about her faith or repentance
Or really anything regarding the behavior of the woman.
It’s just that on this day Jesus decided to validate His sermon.
He routinely preached that he came “to proclaim release to the captives”
And on this day this woman became “Exhibit A”.
Jesus put His money where His mouth was.
(13) “He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God.”
Honestly for Jesus, it was ministry as usual.
Preach about the kingdom, and show the power of the kingdom.
• We see again Jesus’ power over sin and sickness and Satan.
• We see again that Jesus is the One who has power to reverse the curse.
• We see again that Jesus is the One who can save.
Certainly this woman becomes yet another analogy of salvation.
• She was bound in sin, she was unable to be free.
• Jesus was the One capable of setting her free.
She was a living picture of the salvation that Jesus came to bring.
• He is the One who can overcome the power of the enemy.
• He is the One who can save from sin.
• He is the One who can reverse Adam’s curse.
And honestly, it happened so much in the gospel accounts,
That this story isn’t even considered one of His more famous ones.
Jesus did this sort of thing all the time.
He is the Savior.
It is ministry as usual.
UNFORTUNATELY there is another thing
That has also become quite common
And that is the frustrating response of the synagogue official.
(14) “But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”
Nothing like a kill-joy to throw a wet blanket
On what was clearly meant to be a day of rejoicing.
The Son of God, clothed in human flesh, just entered that synagogue.
(When Carrie and I lived in Crawford the President of the United States would at times visit one of the local congregations in the area. You can only imagine the mood if that happened)
Well here God in human flesh entered this synagogue.
• He then offered salvation to everyone in that room.
• And He put His power on destroying the work of Satan in the life of a woman.
That is a good day…
Unfortunately we find that
The woman was not the only one Satan had a grip on.
Apparently he had a handle on the synagogue official too.
Because this man immediately rebukes the crowd.
“There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”
Now that is interesting.
Where does it say that this woman came to be healed?
• She didn’t approach Jesus, Jesus called her over.
Furthermore, where is the evidence that “work” was done?
• I read that Jesus “called her over”
• And I read that Jesus “laid His hands on her”
• But show me where the work was.
It is obvious that this man is just another of those frustrating types that Jesus had encountered His entire ministry.
• Those with eyes that refuse to see.
• Those with ears that refuse to hear.
• Those with hearts so hard that they can’t see God at work.
Men who would rather see a person suffer in sin
Than to see Jesus be glorified.
And yet again we see the FRUSTRATION OF JESUS come forth.
(15-16) “But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? “And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”
You can feel His frustration again can’t you?
What this man says is nonsense.
And Jesus immediately exposes him.
“You hypocrites”
Again, it is HUPOCRATES the word for an actor or a phony.
• Jesus calls this synagogue ruler out in front of everyone that he is a sham and a phony and an imposter and a pretender.
• He is not a true child of God, nor a servant of God.
And his thought process and belief system is absolutely absurd.
“does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him?”
Of course they did,
• The traditions of the elders did not prohibit leading your animals to drink so long as they didn’t carry a burden when you took them.
• They all would do that.
• They had all probably already done that on that very day.
And the implication is:
HOW MUCH MORE IMPORTANT IS THIS WOMAN THAN A DONKEY?
“And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”
Wow, what a question!
So it’s ok for a donkey to be untied on the Sabbath,
But not for a child of God to be untied?
This is not the first time Jesus has had to confront such foolishness.
Luke 6:6-11 “On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse Him. But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” And he got up and came forward. And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?” After looking around at them all, He said to him, “Stretch out your hand!” And he did so; and his hand was restored. But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.”
In Matthew’s gospel we read:
Matthew 12:11-12 “And He said to them, “What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? “How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
In John 5 we read about Jesus healing the man at the Bethesda pool, and we learn that He did that on a Sabbath.
John 5:16-17 “For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”
The point I am making is that this fight must have gotten old by now.
• One can only imagine how many synagogues Jesus had preached in.
• One can only imagine how many people had been healed on the Sabbath.
• One can only imagine how many times Jesus has had to deal with hypocrisy
like this from the religious leaders.
A day that should have been pure rejoicing and certain revival
And it turns into an argument with a hard-hearted synagogue ruler.
MINISTRY IS FRUSTRATING
HOWEVER, ON THIS DAY THE STORY CONTINUES.
Here Luke includes one more thing.
(17) “As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.”
At this occasion Luke includes THE FINAL VERDICT of the conversation.
• We don’t always see that.
• We don’t always see how the debate or the rebuke turns out.
But here Luke shows it to us.
And on this day, after the rebuke we find that Jesus won this crowd.
“all His opponents were being humiliated”
“and the entire crowd was rejoicing”
On this day, and in this synagogue, the crowd saw, heard, and believed.
• They rejoiced.
• Their eyes were opened.
• Their ears were opened.
• Their hearts were softened.
Satan didn’t just lose the battle for the woman,
He also lost the battle for this synagogue.
Certainly it didn’t always happen like this.
• We saw in Nazareth how they tried to throw Him off a cliff.
But on this day, there was a victory.
On this day it ended as intended.
And that brings us to the response of Jesus.
• This is what I want you to see.
• I want you to see that ON THIS DAY JESUS WAS ENCOURAGED.
After so many days of frustration,
On this Sabbath Jesus was encouraged.
A very important word is given in verse 18, “So”
It is the Greek word OUN, (oon)
Most of the time it is translated “therefore”.
The point being, the truths Jesus gives in verses 18-21
Are in direct response to the event He just encountered.
• It is because of the humiliation of the synagogue ruler…
• It is because of the rejoicing of the crowd…
That Jesus gave this statement.
And I tend to think it is meant to be a message for His disciples
And one that is intended to encourage them.
The Lord gives two analogies here, and really, though they differ slightly, THEY REALLY TEACH THE SAME TRUTH.
(18-21) “So He was saying, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? “It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and THE BIRDS OF THE AIR NESTED IN ITS BRANCHES.” And again He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? “It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”
• The first is regarding a mustard seed.
• The second is regarding leaven.
Matthew’s gospel gives a bit more detail,
But the point is clearly seen here in Luke’s gospel.
What both of these parables have in common is the FINAL RESULT
You have a mustard seed (Matthew reminds us that it is the smallest seed)
• But you have a seed that is thrown into the ground, but the key phrase is “and it grew”
Then you have leaven (think yeast)
• Which a woman hid and then we read the key phrase “it was all leavened”
So in both cases you have what begins a seemingly insignificant,
But which eventually grows and spreads and affects everything.
If we wanted to split hairs and reveal the differences in the two,
With the mustard seed we could talk about THE GLORY OF THE KINGDOM
• Since it begins small, but becomes the largest garden plant so much so that
other nations (birds) rest in it’s branches.
We could look at the leaven and talk about THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM
• Since it doesn’t grow by military conquest or booming event, but by influence
and a gentle spreading.
But really here the parables are simply meant to have the same meaning
That what was small, and hidden,
Was working and would produce the desired effect.
• A farmer takes a seed and hides it in the ground and hopes it is growing.
• A woman takes leaven and hides it in flower and hopes it is spreading.
And there may be some frustration involved but:
• How wonderful it is on the day when you see the plant sprout through the ground!
• How wonderful it is on the day when you see the dough begin to rise!
Now a plant pushing through the soil is NOT A FINAL CROP,
BUT IT IS an encouraging sight that the harvest is coming.
And dough beginning to rise is NOT A FINISHED MEAL,
BUT IT IS an encouraging sight that the feast is on its way.
That is what just happened here for Jesus
And that is what He is pointing out to His disciples.
• They had followed Jesus in hopes of finding the kingdom.
• They were looking for the day when Israel would once again be the premiere
nation of the world.
• They were looking for David’s descendant who would reign on the throne.
And in Jesus, they believed they had found that Messiah.
• He certainly talked right…
• He certainly had power…
BUT LET’S BE HONEST,
Currently His kingdom in the world is unimpressive at best.
• Most of the time the people want to kill Him.
• Most of the time the people fail to believe.
• Most of the time they just want to use Him to satisfy their own carnal desires.
Even Jesus at times was frustrated with the stubbornness of the people.
THE DISCIPLES MUST HAVE WONDERED
But on this day they saw a small plant break through the soil…
On this day they saw the dough begin to rise…
And Jesus stopped to make sure that we saw
That even though it was small the kingdom was growing.
And then He reminded us of the harvest that is coming.
• One day this tiny seed will be the largest of all plants.
• One day this tiny lump of leaven will spread across the world.
THAT IS THE ENCOURAGEMENT.
One day this kingdom will dwell on the earth
And it will be the premiere kingdom and no one will dare rebel against it.
Just as Gabriel told Mary
Luke 1:31-33 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
Just as Isaiah saw:
Isaiah 9:6-7 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”
Perhaps you remember that statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of all the kingdoms.
• You may also remember that there was a stone that was not cut with hands that struck the statue on its feet and crushed it.
Daniel 2:44 “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.”
Those promises have not been forgotten.
• At times they may seem impossible.
• At times ministry may be way too frustrating.
But Jesus was encouraged when He saw
This simple response in this random synagogue.
It was a reminder to Him that the kingdom will endure.
It was a reminder to Him that the kingdom is coming.
TURN TO: REVELATION 11:15-18
During the timeline of the end, this is just before the end.
• The seventh angel is sounding which is unleashing 7 bowl judgments that culminate with the return of the Lord and the setting up of His earthly kingdom.
And when that final trumpet sounds, listen to the response of heaven.
(READ 15-18)
IT’S COMING.
The kingdom of God may seem small now.
Ministry may be frustrating now.
But the kingdom is coming.
1 Corinthians 15:20-28 “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.”
The kingdom will come.
And of course Paul ends that chapter by saying:
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
And this morning I simply remind you that
Jesus looked at this tiny victory in this synagogue
And allowed Himself to be reminded that despite the opposition,
The kingdom is coming and it will be glorious.
That is a good encouragement for you and me.
• Ministry is frustrating.
• It seems like we deal with way more frustration than we do victory.
• But keep sowing the seed.
• Keep spreading the leaven.
Thank God for the small glimpses He gives,
Like a youth being baptized, or a door opened for a spiritual conversation.
Physical farming is hard work. So is spiritual farming.
• Learn to be encouraged when you see a small plant break through.
• Learn to be encouraged when you see the dough begin to rise,
• It is all a reminder of the great harvest and the great feast that is coming.
Keep pressing on.
Keep doing the work of the Lord.
Keep enduring.
The Kingdom is coming and it will cover the earth.
Habakkuk 2:14 “For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.”
