Encounters - Through the Roof

This message picks up from a few weeks ago where we looked at another encounter from the start of Luke 5 (called Encounters – Jesus heals the leper – you can listen along below or I’ll include a brief summary in this message.) For this message we are looking at Luke 5:17-26.
 
In the last message, we read from Luke 5:1 that Jesus is travelling with his recently called disciples, and he comes across a leper whose body is riddled with leprosy. Jesus stops and does something amazing – he reaches out and touches the leper and heals him. Jesus sends the leper to make himself right at the synagogue – this man was to be physically and spiritually healed by Jesus and then accepted back to his community.
 
Jesus was also sending a message to the religious leaders - here is someone who touches the untouchable, here is someone who sets the sinner free – here is someone with the power to raise the dead.
 
We see at the start of the passage today that the message he sent was received load and clear by those at the synagogue. The message was obviously scandalous enough, because these religious leaders had not kept it to themselves but word had spread far and wide – verse 17 tells us that “some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.)”
 
While before this moment, much of Jesus’ teaching had occurred to those on the fringe of society, on this day we see the religious and political elite have joined the throng listening to Jesus as he speaks. While Jesus teaches, something incredible is happening outside!
 
Listen along to the message to be encouraged and challenged.
 
God Bless,
Ps. Simon
simon@hoizonchurch.org.au