9-11-2019

Good Morning All,

   Luke 4:43; “but he (Jesus) said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”

    We all have heard the comment.  It has become a code phrase for all the excitement is over.  Maybe you have even said it; I must confess; I have.  “Elvis has left the building.”  The amazing thing is that in the mid to late 1960’s, that phrase actually meant something.  When Elvis Presley would perform at a concert, thousands of fans, mostly women, would wait anxiously wait for Elvis to reappear for an encore or a chance to meet him in the hall.  Many would wait for hours, believing the rumors that he was going to come out and sign autographs.  Finally, the concert sponsors would have to come on stage and announce to the crowd that “Elvis has left the building.”  Then and only then, often hours after the end of the performance, would people slowly go home.

    In our verse, we see a different event.  Rather than leaving after the exit of a person; we hear of Jesus’ entrance.  Jesus was telling the people why he was leaving Capernaum, a fishing village where Jesus began his preaching.    The people wanted Jesus to stay; they wanted him right there.  But Jesus told them he had to go because that was why he was sent’ to proclaim the Good News to everyone.  Jesus entered Jerusalem to meet the Jewish leaders and, ultimately, defeat the devil.  Jesus entered many other villages but most importantly, Jesus entered people’s lives.  He entered the lives of the blind and the lame.  He entered the lives of the possessed and the lost.  Jesus entered the lives of the people who knew nothing but despair and hopelessness and changed their lives.  He gave them hope; he forgave their sins.

    Jesus enters your life as well.  Jesus enters our gritty, painful lives and gives us hope.  We may have parents who don’t understand.  We may have spouses who don’t care.  We may have bosses that demand more than they should.  We may fight health problems that destroy our body and rake us without mercy.  The world takes these struggles and beats us over the head, telling us that “hope has left your life.”  Jesus enters your life.  He enters your life with his incredible love and picks you up and tells the devil and the world that “this one is mine; leave them alone!”

    We will still have to experience these events; a sinful, broken world sees to it.  But we live in hope.  We live in God’s precious grace.  We live in his comfort and we live in his mercy.  Jesus enters your life to make you a redeemed child of God.  We live in his grace waiting for his glory to complete us.

Dearest Father, by your mercy, Jesus has entered our lives to give us hope.  Lead us to have confidence in your wonderful love. Guide us to ever trust your love that we may stand strong in our faith.   In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret