Lucas 4
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 4
Morris notes that hometown is "patris is strictly the feminine of patrios, but it is used to mean one’s “fatherland,” “home land,” or, as here, “hometown.” (PNTC-Mt) (ED: Think "patriotic") BDAG adds patris is "a relatively large geographical area associated with one’s familial connections and personal life." or "a relatively restricted area as locale of one’s immediate family and ancestry, home town." Patris - 8x in NT - country(1), country of their own(1), hometown(6). Matt. 13:54; Matt. 13:57; Mk. 6:1; Mk. 6:4; Lk. 4:23; Lk. 4:24; Jn. 4:44; Heb. 11:14 Patris in Septuagint - Lev. 25:10; Est. 2:10; Est. 2:20; Est. 8:6; Jer. 22:10; Jer. 46:16; Ezek. 23:15; QUESTION - What is the meaning of “Physician, heal thyself”? - Jesus’ audience in Nazareth reacted in amazement to His words in the synagogue, and they began to remind themselves of His personal history: “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22). They could point to no sin in Jesus’ past, but they definitely brought up the fact that He was a local boy—as if that disqualified Him from being the Messiah. In essence, they were saying, “Jesus is the son of the local carpenter; He’s common, like us. Where does He get the idea that He’s something special? The Messiah will not be a tradesman!” Jesus’ response to their reluctance to believe was to make Himself the point of a proverb: “And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country” (Luke 4:23KJV). In the proverb “Physician, heal thyself,” Jesus is the physician, and the Nazarenes are demanding that He heal Himself. It’s another way of saying, “We won’t believe a word you say until you take care of what ails you”—except, being a proverb, it’s much less wordy. The basic idea is that no one wants to visit a feverish doctor who is hacking up phlegm. The advice of a dermatologist whose face is covered with an itchy, scaly rash carries little weight. “Hey, Jesus,” the crowd is saying, “before you can help us, you have to take care of your own problems!” “Physician, heal thyself” also carries the idea of needing proof. The attitude to the synagogue-goers in Luke 4 is that a real doctor should be able to prove his credentials by correctly diagnosing and treating whatever ailment he suffers from personally. To apply the point of the proverb more specifically to Jesus’ situation, “It will take more than words to convince us. If you’re truly the Messiah, prove it by working a miracle or doing something else equally messianic.” As Jesus expounds on the proverb, He mentions the miracles He had done in nearby Capernaum—miracles that the Nazarenes had heard about and wanted to see duplicated in their own city. “Physician, heal thyself” also communicates a demand that the Miracle-worker work some of His miracles at home. The doctor in the proverb should heal himself; that is, he should practice his medicine at home. In the same way, Jesus should display His power at home, in Nazareth, and not just in other places. In this way, the proverb “Physician, heal thyself” is similar to our modern proverb “Charity begins at home.” The challenge was clear. The people of Jesus’ hometown demanded signs and wonders before they would accept Him as the Messiah. Jesus gave them no miracles. Rather, He used the examples of Elijah and Elisha (Ed: Which were in fact miracles! Just not ones they wanted to be reminded of!) to show how unbelief in Israel had caused those prophets to work “away from home” with Gentiles (Luke 4:25–27). The Sabbath crowd listening to Jesus grew irate at the comparison, and they attempted to kill Jesus (Lk 4:28–29). So much for a homecoming party. Jesus should have been given the keys to the city of Nazareth; instead, He was given skepticism, rejection, and a terse proverb: “Physician, heal thyself.” As Jesus told the crowd just before their attempted murder, “No prophet is accepted in his hometown” (Luke 4:24). (Gotquestions) Luke 4:24 And He said, "Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. No: Mt 13:57 Mk 6:4,5 Joh 4:41,44 Ac 22:3,18-22 Luke 4:22-30 Jesus' Return to Nazareth: Rejection by the People - John MacArthur Luke 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries BRINGER OF ACCEPTABLE YEAR NOT ACCEPTABLE IN HOMETOWN! And He said, "Truly (amen) I say to you, no prophet is welcome (dektos - same word "favorable" Lk 4:19) in his hometown (patris) - This proverb is an allusion to the unbelief of the Jews in Nazareth, for here was a "hometown prophet" Who had just spoken to them of the good news in Luke 4:18 but they they did not have ears to hear it! Jesus knew the Jews wanted the hometown boy to do a few miracles, but He also knew that even if He complied with their command (demand), they still would not receive Him as their Messiah and Savior! In a very real sense this was a prophecy which would soon be fulfilled in Nazareth as the Jews sought to kill Jesus! So Jesus then proceeds to describe the miraculous work of two prophets Elijah and Elisha who were not that popular in their "hometown" (so to speak). And with these two well-known OT stories Jesus emphasizes how the faith of the widow and of Naaman led to their being blessed by Jehovah. As the writer of Hebrews says "And without faith it is impossible (DON'T MISS THAT QUALIFICATION!) to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.." (Heb 11:6). Truly (amen, verily) (281)(amen from the Hebrew word amen which in turn is from the Hebrew verb aman = to be firm, to believe, this word conveying the idea of certainty) means trustworthy. Truly acknowledges that which is valid and binding. The OT often used "amen" at the end of a sentence (truly, surely, certainly) to confirm the preceding words and invokes their fulfillment. Some writers use Amen at the end of a sentence but only the Lord Jesus uses amen (truly) at beginning of a sentence. His "Amen" accentuates and guarantees the truth of His saying while also affirming His authority! Amen in Luke - Lk. 4:24; Lk. 12:37; Lk. 18:17; Lk. 18:29; Lk. 21:32; Lk. 23:43 Welcome (acceptable) (1184)(dektos) speaks of one of whom there is or has been a favorable decision of the will. There is a sad irony here for dektos is the same word Jesus had used to describe His arrival as the "favorable (dektos) year of the Lord" and finds that He is not acceptable as the Messiah, indicating a major missed opportunity for the Jews of Nazareth. Jesus explains the historical basis for the remark in v. 24 in the verses that follow. Dektos - 5v in NT - acceptable(2), favorable(1), welcome(2).Lk. 4:19; Lk. 4:24; Acts 10:35; 2 Co. 6:2; Phil. 4:18 Luke 4:25 "But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; many: Lu 10:21 Isa 55:8 Mt 20:15 Mk 7:26-29 Ro 9:15,20 Eph 1:9,11 when the sky was shut up: 1Ki 17:1 1Ki 18:1,2, Elijah, Jas 5:17 Luke 4:22-30 Jesus' Return to Nazareth: Rejection by the People - John MacArthur Luke 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 1 Kings 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 1 Kings 18:1-2 Now it happened after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.” 2 So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. James 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. But I say to you in truth - NLT = But the truth is, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown." What He is getting ready to say is truth that every Jew should have known for it was recorded in the Old Testament writings. There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land - Elijah (Elias) refers to the incident described in 1 Kings 17-18, but in selecting Elijah, Jesus compares himself to the prophet and compares the people to the nation of old. This is a period in Israel's history when the nation was most obstinate in rejecting God's way. Luke mentions the prophet Elijah seven times in his Gospel out of 29 NT uses (Lk 1:17; 4:26; 9:8, 19, 30, 33). NET Note on days of Elijah - Jesus, by discussing Elijah and Elisha, pictures one of the lowest periods in Israel's history. These examples, along with Lk 4:24, also show that Jesus is making prophetic claims as well as messianic ones. See 1 Kgs 17–18. When the sky was shut up (kleio) for three years and six months - God sovereignly brought drought on the land and the result was not juse a famine but a great famine, the same phrase used in the time of the next prophet Elisaha in 2 Ki 6:25 (cf the third use in Acts 11:28)... There was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver. (Woe! When the price of dove's dung rises, you know the famine is severe!) Spurgeon on a great famine came over all the land - Many husbands died, and many widows in Israel were left desolate in those terrible days of trial. Truth (225) aletheia from a = indicates following word has the opposite meaning ~ without + lanthano = to be hidden or concealed, to escape notice, cp our English "latent" from Latin = to lie hidden) has the literal sense of that which contains nothing hidden. Aletheia is that which is not concealed. Aletheia is that which that is seen or expressed as it really is. Aletheia in Luke and Acts -Lk. 4:25; Lk. 20:21; Lk. 22:59; Acts 4:27; Acts 10:34; Acts 26:25; Shut (Closed) (2808) kleio literally means to shut or close (like shutting the door of your prayer room so that you pray in secret - Mt 6:6, the door has already been shut = Lk 11:7, after the resurrection the disciples were together and the doors were shut… for fear of the Jews = Jn 20:19, 26). Figuratively to shut the windows of heaven means to have no rain (Lk 4:25, Rev 11:6). In Mt 23:13 kleio is used metaphorically of the Scribes and Pharisees shutting off the kingdom of heaven from men. In the parable of the 10 virgins (Mt 25:1-12) the foolish virgins were shut out of the wedding feast (Mt 25:10) because the Lord did not know them (Mt 25:11, cp Mt 7:21-23). Kleio - 15v in NT - Matt. 6:6; Matt. 23:13; Matt. 25:10; Lk. 4:25; Lk. 11:7; Jn. 20:19; Jn. 20:26; Acts 5:23; Acts 21:30; 1 Jn. 3:17; Rev. 3:7; Rev. 3:8; Rev. 11:6; Rev. 20:3; Rev. 21:25 Luke 4:26 and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only: 1Ki 17:9-24 Zarephath, Ob 1:20 Luke 4:22-30 Jesus' Return to Nazareth: Rejection by the People - John MacArthur Luke 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ELIJAH SENT TO A GENTILE WIDOW and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow - A widow in Sidon would identify her as a Gentile. The fact that Elijah was sent to none of the Jewish widows in Israel speaks to the hardened hearts of the Jewish people in Israel in Elijah's day. Although this was documented in the OT, Jesus' quoting it would have begun to rile up the Jews in the synagogue because of their rabid hatred of Gentiles. Fruchtenbaum has an interesting that that "By mentioning the Gentile widow to whom Elijah was sent (to the exclusion of the Jewish widows), and the healing of the Syrian leper by Elijah (to the exclusion of the Jewish lepers), Jesus is hinting that what the Jews reject the Gentiles will accept."
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Morris says "it is not just the "thoughts" of Scripture that are vital, but every word!" Notice also the word man. We must never forget that Jesus faced the Tempter as a human being, as fully Man, not in reliance on His power as the Son of God. While He had laid aside His divine prerogatives, He was not defenseless. To the contrary, He showed us how we too can deflect and defeat temptation whether from an internal source (our fallen flesh) or external sources (the world, the devil). And what is the "Jesus Way" we should imitate (1 Jn 2:6+, 1Co 11:1+)? We must (EMPHASIZE MUST) be continually (EMPHASIZE CONTINUALLY) filled with/controlled by the Spirit (Eph 5:18+) and filled with the Word (Col 3:16+)! Then we are armed and ready to battle the incessant (AND THEY ARE CEASELESS!) temptations that come against us each day (cf 1 Pe 2:11+ where "wage war" is in the present tense = lusts of the flesh are continually assaulting our heart and mind)! See chart comparing the value/impact on a life Filled with God's Spirit and Richly Indwelt with God's Word. Jesus quotes from the book of Deuteronomy. Could you quote anything from the book of Deuteronomy? Dt 8:2-3 You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. Related Resource: The Word of God - Quotations and Illustrations Live (2198)(zao) refers literally to natural physical life, but Matthew's version shifts the meaning from literal physical life to figurative spiritual life. Word (4487)(rhema from verb rheo = speak or utter words) refers to the spoken word, especially a word as uttered by a living voice. Rhema focuses upon the content of the communication. Why such preeminence for and focus on the Word? Luke explains "For no word (rhema) from God shall be void of power." (Luke 1:37+ ASV) Rhema is used in the Septuagint translation of Joshua 21:45 (some of Joshua's last words - last words are lasing words) - "Not one of the good promises (Septuagint = rhema) which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass." And this declaration is still true beloved! The responsibilities for believers: (1) We must eat God’s Word as if our life depended on it. (2) We must memorize God’s Word (Ps 119:9, 11). Note that Jesus in His humanity alone (our example) had memorized the Scriptures so that He could apply them to specific situations and needs Our Lord did not have or need a Bible concordance or hand held computer Bible with Him in the wilderness! He reached into the Books of Moses, selected Deuteronomy, and quoted three verses using them as the sword of the Spirit to refute Satan. Most adults think that Bible memorization is for children in Sunday school, when actually it is for every believer. Adult Christians need the Word far more than the children, although it is good for children to memorize God’s Word. (3) We must meditate on God’s Word because meditation is to the inner man what digestion is to the outer man. If we did not digest our food, we would become weak, listless, tired, ineffective (think of these now in terms of one's spiritual effectiveness). (4) We must adroitly & accurately apply God’s Word to every situation we encounter. The believer’s mind should become like a “spiritual computer” so saturated with Scripture that when one faces a "fork in the road" or a temptation, he recalls to mind the Scriptures that relate to that situation. The Holy Spirit brings God’s Word to our remembrance when we need it but He will not bring to remembrance what is not there. 33 He. Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall observe it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law And keep it with all my heart. 35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain. 37 Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways. 38 Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You. 39 Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ordinances are good. 40 Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me through Your righteousness. Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me, As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea. Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord; My spirit pants for Thee, O Living Word. --Lathbury A well-read Bible is a sign of a well-fed soul. ILLUSTRATION - Most of us are familiar with the Pony Express and its oft-romanticized contribution to the history of the Old West. But for all its glamour, the Pony Express was a business enterprise-and was run like one. To ferry mail across the open expanse of the western territories, the express route ran 1,900 miles from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. The trip was made in about 10 days, using 40 men who each raced about 50 miles, riding a total of 500 fine horses in the process. To conserve weight, riders wore light clothing, rode on extremely small saddles, and carried no weapons. Their mail pouches were also compact and lightweight. Letters cost $5 per ounce for postage. Yet for all these efficiencies in terms of weight, one thing was not sacrificed: every rider carried a full-size Bible, presented to him when he joined the Pony Express. By contrast, how often are we found without the Word of God at our side, in our day of comfort and convenience? Jim Reapsome - Jesus, Student of Scripture Luke 4:1–13; 24:25–27 A well-known painting of President Abraham Lincoln shows him perched on a stool near the fireplace in a darkened cabin, reading by candlelight. It teaches the importance and value of earnest study, regardless of the circumstances. No such picture of Jesus exists, but it’s not hard to imagine him doing the same throughout his childhood and youth and into his early adult years. We may mistakenly assume that the Holy Spirit implanted all of Jesus’s Bible knowledge in his mind at birth. After all, Jesus was the Son of God, so he knew everything and therefore he did not have to study the Scriptures. I believe such an assumption is false, because the Bible tells us that Jesus took on our flesh and blood, experienced everything we do, and was willing to call us his brothers. I’m much happier with a Jesus who studied than with one who did not have to, one who could march around the house, flaunting his superior knowledge among his sisters and brothers. He sat with them day by day, patiently learning the Old Testament’s teachings and prophecies. He studied earnestly so that by age twelve he confounded his superiors. His knowledge of the Scripture was so thorough that he was called at various times teacher, rabbi, and master. Perhaps his most dramatic display of scriptural knowledge came when he repulsed the temptations of the devil by quoting Bible verses (Matt. 4:1–11). On other occasions he replied to questions and criticisms with appropriate Scriptures. He challenged and rebuked the Sadducees for their lack of scriptural knowledge and understanding. After his resurrection, he chided the walkers on the Emmaus road for not knowing the prophets. Jesus packed his teaching with words from the Old Testament, surely the fruit of years of study. When Luke noted that Jesus grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52), we can be sure that foremost in his mind was the wisdom that comes from diligent study. To follow Jesus, it is essential that we be filled with profitable, soul-satisfying adventures as we soak our minds, hearts, and wills with Scripture. There are no shortcuts here. We have to go deeper than, for example, lifting a quick fix off the Internet. The daily discipline of Bible reading, study, and meditation is the only way to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Since he needed to do that, we certainly need it much more. To think about - Why did Jesus need to study the Scriptures? What changes do you have to make in your life to become a more faithful student of the Bible? God, you know I need discipline to study your Word. I confess giving other things priority. Give me a strong desire to meet you every day. Amen (See 10 Minutes a Day with Jesus: Growing in Your Love for the Savior) No Deal! Read: Luke 4:1-13 | It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” —Luke 4:4 We’ve all seen and heard advertisements that entice us to take shortcuts to happiness. Buy our product and make no payments for one year! Instant gratification! When the devil tempted Jesus (Luke 4:1-13), he offered a shortcut to “satisfaction.” He tried to tempt Jesus to take matters into His own hands rather than trust His Father. When Jesus was hungry from 40 days of fasting (v.2), Satan suggested that He use His power to turn stones into bread. Had the Lord done so, He would have been using His powers for His own benefit, but He refused. Why didn’t Jesus accept the devil’s offer of ruling all the kingdoms of the world right away? (vv.5-7). He could have avoided the cross. But that would have gone against God’s plan for Him—to give His life on the cross, to be resurrected, and to sit at the Father’s right hand in His kingdom. Satan’s offer of a shortcut was no deal at all. Beware of enticements that seem to cost little for the present. Satan hopes to get you to do things his way. And he doesn’t give up easily. Even after Jesus overcame a third temptation, Satan left only “until an opportune time” (v.13). Whenever you are offered a shortcut to happiness, watch out to see who’s behind the cashier’s counter! Lord, help me see the devil’s offers for what they are—enticements to sin. Help me to keep my eyes focused on You and Your Word, and my ears attentive to You in prayer. Amen. The best way to escape temptation is to run to God. Luke 4:5 And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. Amplified (classic) Then the devil took Him up to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the habitable world in a moment of time [in the twinkling of an eye]. NET Then the devil led him up to a high place and showed him in a flash all the kingdoms of the world. KJV And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain (most versions reject this as an addition), shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ESV And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, NLT Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. NAB Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. NIV The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. Wuest And taking Him up, he exposed to His eyes all the kingdoms of the Roman empire in a moment of time. led Him: Mt 4:8-9 1Co 7:31 Eph 2:2 6:12 1Jn 2:15,16 in: Job 20:5 Ps 73:19 1Co 15:52 2Co 4:17 John
Lucas 4
Morris adds "Satan also knows the Scriptures, but he will attempt to distort them to his own ends. Here he quotes from Psalm 91:11-12, but takes it out of context, and omits the key phrase, "to keep thee in all thy ways." (Defender's Study Bible)
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Morris comments that "Throughout these temptations no special resource is open to Jesus. He met temptation in the same way as we must, by using Scripture, and he won the victory. But His temptations were His own, those of the Son of God, not those typical of pious people. Luke rounds off the narrative with Satan decisively beaten. He had ‘finished tempting Jesus in every way’ (NEB), but Jesus had not yielded....The devil left him only ‘till a fresh occasion should present itself’, as Rieu translates. There is no freedom from temptation in this life. There was not for Jesus and there is not for us." (Luke: An Introduction and Commentary or borrow The Gospel according to St. Luke : an introduction and commentary) THOUGHT - COMMENT ON MORRIS' COMMENT ABOVE: Unfortunately Morris omits the a most important truth -- that Jesus was not just filled with the Word but filled with the Spirit! Both were indeed "special resources!" The Holy Spirit in Jesus enabled Him to stand firm against the unholy spirit, the devil! Notice in Eph 6:10, 11+ where "be strong" [endunamoo from dunamis in present imperative = only way to obey is by continual dependence on the Spirit] is an allusion by Paul to the enabling power or dunamis of the Holy Spirit [cp Acts 1:8+] with which he had just commanded believers to be continually filled - Eph 5:18+!.