Sermon Tone Analysis

Hard way and the easy way… to get what you want in life

But there’s really no easy way… life is just hard and some times we make it even harder… by not asking for help… not taking advantage of opportunities…

Today we look at two healings of Jesus and how Jesus was moved to heal for two different reasons

Jesus practices what he preaches.

Teaching to live by a new code… a code of love

Jesus immediately moves out to show them what this looks like.

Luke 7:1–2 (NIV)

1 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum.

2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die.

Centurion

seen as an enemy of God’s people

man of honor

well trained, good leader

personally appointed by Caesar

high character

The Centurion could have lorded his authority, but apparently didn’t… honored the Jews, to the point of building their synagogue.

Bless those who bless, curse those who curse.

This was a promise by God… It was true when God told Abraham, it was true in Jesus day, still true today.

Centurion knew Jewish law… didn’t want Jesus to break the law… even still he knew the authority Jesus had… he believed it because he knew how it worked.

Lack of God’s presence doesn’t diminish God’s power… in our lives nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ

But...you imagine the relief of his followers at this point?

They were well on their way to a Centurion’s home… Jesus seemed full on ready to visit this gentile enemy… what a relief.

Without ever touching or even talking to the sick man directly Jesus’s words held power to heal.

The same word that was spoken in the beginning to create life, we see now speaking to restore life.

At this his followers are a bit amazed as well… they don’t have to reflect on the significance too much, it’s obvious to everyone that Jesus really means what he says… that he really does practice what he preaches.

Thinking back to his sermon…

Luke 6:27-49 Sermon on the Mount

Practicing what he preaches

Loved his enemy.

Didn’t judge because of position or title.

Did judge by what was said and done.

Showed mercy to the least deserving.

Luke 6:35–36 (NIV)

35 But love your enemies, do good to them, … Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

…because of the centurion’s faith

Faith gets noticed.

Last time Jesus was amazed… he was in Nazareth and he was amazed at their lack of faith… so much so that he couldn’t stay with them

But here… Jesus was amazed at the faith of someone we would never expect to have any faith at all… that’s one way to get Jesus’s attention… one way people get to experience God’s favor… faithfulness.

Emotions are a big deal… even for Jesus

· Looks over Jerusalem, people rejected God—Grieved.

· Religious leaders care more about rules than people—Angry.

· 72 followers describe how God used them—Overjoyed.

· Friend Lazarus dies—Weeps in sadness.

· Before cross—Discouraged, lonely, spiritual agony.

Luke then tells another story to show us the character of Jesus.

Another divine appointment for the crowd of hope

Life more than an accident…

What we don’t know:

—How old widow—Husband died—Age son?

What we do know:

—Song almost certainly died day before!

Jews buried fast!

Visualize—Single mom—Lost husband—Just lost her only son!

Deep Pain… Jesus saw her.

Just because you look—Doesn’t mean you see—Notice!

Fridge…

Single mom—Lost her husband—Shock—Now her only son!

The Lord saw her!

What did Jesus feel?

Same thing he feels for you when you are hurting.

The word there compassion is the greek word SPLAGNA.... referring to Jesus’s stomach - his guts… it is used when you have get the call late at night that something is wrong with someone you love and you have this pain… gut level.

Jesus was moved with compassion.

Jesus sees

Don’t know who needs to hear this today—God sees you!

Notices.

Cares.

Going through—Fight save marriage—Paying bills!

Child-Parent—Health—You feel anxious—Frustrated—Afraid.

Jesus sees.

Notices—He cares!

There wasn’t really a coffin as we know it

Just a flat piece of wood with the body wrapped on top

Jesus touched him… no Jew would do that

But Jesus wasn’t afraid to b/c of his love for her.

Religious people would be up in arms… they cared about rules… Jesus cared about people

Jesus sees and Jesus cares.

When Jesus touched him everyone was shocked… especially the boy.

Can you imagine the mom?

A couple of minutes ago she had nothing… now she has her whole world back in her arms

And it took one touch… he saw and he cared...

One touch.

In our Lenten reading today we were taken to Psalm 130 that begins

Psalm 130:1-2 “1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; 2 Lord, hear my voice.

Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.”

When we are in the place of these folks, a loved one sick… a loved one dying… heart broken… it’s normal to cry out to God…

Did you ever wonder why we don’t give him more?

Some of our heartbreak is self inflicted… and seldom do we call out to God about that… some of it is more of a minor inconvenience so we don’t take that to God.

WE resolve that we deserve it or it’s just life… so we act as though we don’t need the Lord every moment of every day.

This widow… the centurion… there was no hiding their need… and God responded to their cry.

What does that say to us about all the broken parts of our lives that we never ask God to restore… because it’s not that big of a deal… or worse, I can handle it… I don’t need God.

God doesn’t restore what we pretend isn’t broken.

Let’s pray for that which we don’t think is important enough for God to get involved in… maybe it’s too dirty… maybe it’s too embarrassing… maybe it happened too long ago...

Jesus sees… and Jesus cares… let’s stop pretending we don’t need him to restore life to us.

Let’s call out to God this morning.

This applies to our souls as well.

We live in denial of our need for a savior...

All have sinned… that the wages of sin is death… but the gift of faith is eternal life… faith that God raised Jesus form the dead we will be saved from death as well… Believing in our heart and confessing with our mouth we find salvation… restoration of our spiritual life… given a new life through our relationship with God.

A life to serve, bless, and love others.

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The Lord be with you.

And also with you.