Letting go of own ideas
Series: Metamorphosis | Bible text: Luke 4:16–30
In faith, we stumble over our own ideas from time to time. In dealing with this, we feel the changing hand of God.
«Such a day, as beautiful as today…such a day, it should never go away.» There was a day in my life when I could have sung that line with all my heart. On the day of my conversion! The counsellor explained to me, using Isaiah 53, that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and that he offers me forgiveness. I understood that, cleared out my life and accepted Jesus into my life. To experience grace like that; to be relieved of guilt like that, was a huge lift for me. It was an indescribable feeling of joy!
A short time later I was found again with the pastor! The blissful feeling was gone! The exuberant joy shrunk, like the foam in a beer glass! «Look», said my counterpart, «faith is like a train: the locomotive is Jesus Christ, he goes ahead of you; you can compare the coal wagon that follows with the Word of God, the Bible. That’s where the power is; those are the encouraging promises and truths; without them your faith stops! Of course, feelings are also part of faith. But this wagon is more likely to be found at the end of the procession!
Have you had to correct misconceptions in your life of faith? The Bible is full of examples where people had to do this. For example, Naaman, the Aramaic centurion who was healed of leprosy by Elisha (2 Kings 5); or Mary and Martha, the sisters of the terminally ill Lazarus. To the example of Mary, the mother of Jesus, we first give our attention.
Your encounter with God
She also experienced such a beautiful day… When the angel Gabriel meets Mary in Nazareth and announces to her the pregnancy and the birth of Jesus, he greets her with the words: «Greetings! You are blessed with great grace! The Lord is with you!» (Luke 1:28 NLB). Mary is shocked, but the angel encourages her: «Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God». (Luke 1:30 NLB). At the beginning of a life with God, man always encounters the unconditional grace of God. Even if you have not met an angel, at the beginning of your life with Jesus and throughout your life this undeserved grace of God accompanies you! And from the moment a person places his or her life in God’s hands, the following applies: «Do not be afraid, I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name; you are mine». (Isaiah 43:1 NLB). The angel Gabriel tells Mary about Elizabeth, her relative, who also experienced a miracle and became pregnant in her old age. It is therefore not surprising that Mary immediately sets off to visit Elizabeth. They exchange their experiences, rejoice and praise their God. Only after three months does Mary go home again – and then things get turbulent!
Turbulent times
The Roman emperor orders a census. This means an arduous journey of over 100 km for the heavily pregnant Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, Joseph’s hometown. The birth takes place outdoors because the inn is overcrowded. After eight days, Jesus had to be circumcised in the temple in Jerusalem. Travelling again! I think Mary imagined everything a bit nicer. Her husband, the carpenter, makes a beautiful little bed for the baby. She is sewing the first clothes and knitting cute socks…! And now this, constantly being on the road… And their challenges become even greater. They experience incomprehensible guidance.
Incomprehensible ways
This includes the flight to Egypt. King Herod the Great sees himself threatened by the newborn king and wants to extinguish the life of this child. Joseph receives instructions from God in a dream to flee to Egypt with his family. That is what they do. Another arduous journey! Foreign surroundings, foreign language… After a few months, they move again, back to Nazareth! Herod the Great is dead. «Why go to such trouble?! That would have been a small thing for God to protect Jesus from the murderous Herod for those months! What is this? Dear God, is there really no other way? Was it really necessary?» Have you ever spoken to God like that? Maybe when you were laid off? After an accident? With an illness? Or perhaps God overlooked the fact that your home was broken into or that many things were stolen from you?
Family problems
Back in Nazareth, there are soon family problems. As every year, the «Joseph and Mary» family goes to Jerusalem for the Passover. Teen Jesus is also there. On the way home after the holiday, Mary and Joseph suddenly realise that Jesus is not in the teen click. Where is Jesus? The parents go straight back to Jerusalem to look for him. Finally they find him in the temple in the midst of the teachers in animated conversation! Mary can breathe a sigh of relief, but she lets out her frustration: «Child!» she said, «How could you do this to us? Your father and I were in terrible worry. We’ve been looking for you everywhere.» But Jesus replies in true teenie-weenie fashion, «Why were you looking for me? You should have known I was in my Father’s house.» But they don’t understand what he means. Maria can’t just put this experience away. She had to think about it for a long time. Mary had to learn to stand back. And Joseph had to realise that Jesus» true father is God in heaven. Standing back, rethinking, letting go… On the other hand, it was encouraging for Mary and Joseph at that time to know that there is still a Father in heaven who is keeping an eye on them! Being parents with the Father in heaven as a threesome, or for single parents as a twosome, is a great help and relief! It brings about a committed serenity! Standing back, rethinking, letting go – we all experience this, also singles, young and old! That is why we all need the heavenly Father to carry us through with His strong hand!
Jesus grew, the teenager became an adult and at about 30 years of age his ministry in public begins. After his baptism by John the Baptist, here we go! What do you think was Jesus» first concern? a) Choosing his 12 disciples. b) Being tempted by Satan in the desert. Or c) Turning water into wine at a wedding. According to the three Gospels Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus was first tempted! Satan wanted to awaken false ideas in Jesus: «You have a huge hole in your stomach, why don’t you make bread out of these stones? Now look at the world from above! So much beauty and glory – it’s all under your rule when you worship me! Today you will do a bungee jump without a rope from the temple pinnacle above; it is written that the angels will carry you on their hands». Satan is ingenious in how he can awaken false ideas in us humans! It is good to be aware of this!
But back to the problems of the Jesus family. One day when Jesus was preaching, surrounded by many people, his family wanted to talk to him. He was told: «Your mother and your brothers and sisters are standing outside asking for you. Then Jesus answered, Who is my mother? Who are my brothers? Then he looked at those sitting all around him and said, «These people here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother». (Mark 3:32–35 NLB). Again: standing back, rethinking, letting go – it remained difficult for Mary!
Jesus later preached once in Nazareth, his hometown. For the listeners, he was simply the son of Mary and Joseph. They were impressed by his preaching, but they could not accept the message from a Nazarene. Jesus says to this: «A prophet is worshipped everywhere except in his own hometown, by his relatives and by his own family. Because they did not believe in him, he could not perform miracles on them and he only laid his hands on some sick people and healed them. And he was amazed at their unbelief». (Mark 6:4–6 NLB). The people of Nazareth were so angry with Jesus that they would have liked to push him down a slope to his death, but they did not succeed (Luke 4:29–30 NLB). An embarrassing experience for his family. Such a thing in our village! Mary and Jesus» brothers and sisters have more and more trouble with his appearance. Constantly these arguments with the most respected of the people. It can’t be! After a while, it got on their nerves so much that one day they wanted to take Jesus home by force. They were convinced that Jesus had lost his mind (Luther: «He is out of his mind.…»). In the Gospel of John we read: «For even his brothers did not believe in him» (John 7:5 NLB). In anger they withdrew. Yet they would have had so much reason to be proud of Jesus.
We notice: False ideas are poison for faith! False expectations that are not fulfilled fuel anger or even hatred. When was the last time you were angry with Jesus? Maybe because you don’t get on with him with your colleagues? Or because you can’t do anything with what Jesus said? Because you would like to experience more miracles from him? Or because you expect more attention from him? The same is true for us: we have so much reason to be proud of knowing Jesus. We have so much reason to be proud of being a child of God. He is our heavenly Father whom we may address as «Father».
Then it is noticeable that for a long time we hear nothing more either from Mary or from his brothers and sisters! We only meet Mary again at the cross, where Jesus gives John, his favourite disciple, the task of caring for Mary, his mother. This is when Jesus» love for his mother really flares up again! God is the reason for us to be able to radiate serenity and confidence in our present turbulent and «covident» times. Our God is still Lord; Lord in every situation!
And finally, the highlight, for me the highlight! After the ascension of Jesus, the disciples meet regularly for prayer in an upper room and it says: «They all came together regularly for prayer, together with Mary, the mother of Jesus, some other women and the brothers of Jesus». (Acts 1:14 NLB).
You can find the questions for the small groups on the back ;)
Possible questions for the small groups
Read together about Jesus» sermon in Nazareth
Luke 4:16–30
- Tell each other about your experienced «misconceptions»!
- What is the breeding ground for misconceptions?
- Is a Christian allowed to be angry about Jesus?
- What are the steps to get rid of misconceptions?
- What carried Mary and Joseph through their difficult time? (Census, no room in the inn, flight to Egypt?)
- What is a great help to you in your difficult times?
- How do you think this ingenious happy ending with Jesus» relatives came about?