Text: Luke 4:16-30
Theme: “Words of Good News”
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Intro – What does a diplomat do?

There’s a lot packed into that position, but if I’d summarize it in one sentence, it would be: A diplomat represents their country in international relations, fostering communication, negotiation, and cooperation to advance national interests and maintain peaceful interactions.

But there is another way of synthesizing what a diplomat does: their job is to use words—and to use them wisely. A professor once told us, “Words have the power to postpone or avoid conflict.” This is what diplomats do much of the time, especially when a crisis ensues. They use words to postpone conflict so that, hopefully, a better option is found in between.[1]

In a sense, we are daily-life diplomats too. We use words to postpone or avoid conflict. Here are some examples:

• You don’t tell a person, “That was a terrible wardrobe choice, don’t you think?” You would probably say, “Did you know you look great when you wear a dress?”
• You don’t tell someone learning to play the violin, “Could you please spare my ears from that terrible squeaky sound? Are you mauling a cat or what?” You would probably say, “I’m so glad you’re practicing your violin. I’m sure you’ll become a great player if you keep at it!”
• You could even use words to tell a hard truth. Instead of saying, “You’re really dumb,” you might say, “I see you’re always pursuing wisdom, but she runs faster than you.” For the record, I am not recommending this.

However, there are times when we need to name a thing for what it is, whether the person likes it or not:

• “No, you are not on the guest list.”
• “You need to change this attitude, or things will go badly for you.”
• “The Canucks have no chance to win the Grey Cup this year again. Sorry.”

Well, maybe the last one can go unsaid… But we all know there are moments when our words will cause feelings we wish they wouldn’t. Yet if we don’t say them, the damage could be bigger.

Now here’s a third option for using words that dovetails with the Gospel today. Words of Good news. There are times when you use words that are supposed to be Good News, good words, but the listener construes them differently. They receive the words as insults, offenses, or aggressions, and then things take a turn to the worse.

Jesus is in a synagogue, and He is there to read and teach. As a side comment, some historians say that synagogues have their root in what happened in the Old Testament reading today, when Ezra reads the Law out loud, and other men help explain it to the gathered people. Reading and explanation—something we continue to do to this day, as we read the Bible earlier in our service and reflect on it right now.

Jesus closes the scroll, looks at the people, and declares, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your ears.” Let me give you an example that tries to grasp at how that news should have sounded to those who were waiting for the oppression-delivering Messiah to come:

• “Today, your long wait for resources has ended. A million dollars was deposited in your account earlier this morning.”
• “Today, your failed attempts at procreation have have come to an end. Go take a lab test, for you are pregnant.”
• “Your exams came back clear. You are in remission.”
• “This year, you will be mortgage-free. Your house will finally be yours in full.”

But it didn’t land that way. Well, it did for many, but ironically, not in Jesus’ hometown. Words meant to bring joy and celebration brought wrath and a desire to kill instead—among the very people who knew Jesus well. They dragged Him to the brow of a hill to throw Him down. Possibly, according to their custom, they would have stoned Him after that.

What is it that Jesus says that causes such wrath?

1. That He is the Messiah. Definitely, He was not the type of Messiah they were waiting for. They considered it a mortal blasphemy for someone like Him to say, “I am He. I am the Messiah.”
   • That still happens today. If God is announced in a way that doesn’t match our expectations, we may want to close our ears and silence Him.
2. He makes reference to something unnerving to those Jews. Jesus recalls difficult situations during the times of Elijah and Elisha, where the two people helped didn’t belong to Israel. They didn’t like Jesus hinting at what Paul later lays out in detail: both Israel and the Gentiles are equals before God’s love.
   • That still happens today if the Church keeps everything inside its walls, forgetting the call to go into the world. Words that call us out to share the Good News with people who are different from us can make us uncomfortable.
3. Jesus does not take His words back to appease the mob. He stands His ground, proclaiming the Word as it is, even at the brink of death.
   • That still happens today. When God’s people proclaim the Word as it is, even words meant to bring Good News can provoke wrath.

But we listen to Jesus’ words as they are: Good News of salvation, restoration, and peace. His Word has the power not only to postpone conflict with sin but to defeat it altogether through the Cross of the Promised Messiah, Jesus.

Now, we live a life in which we serve Him with gladness—always anchored in the Word. God’s Word has the power to create faith, strengthen the soul, and save our lives. His words ring in our ears and transform our hearts.

Notice here how important it is to give ear to the Word. When Jesus closes the book and sits down to talk, all eyes are on Him. One could think, “Well, they have Jesus right in front of them; they can see Him with their own eyes. What is there not to believe?” But when Jesus speaks, He says, “The word has been fulfilled in your ears (ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν ὑμῶν)” The Word has reached their ears. The process of believing in Jesus is the same today as it was then. It is not through the eyes; it is through the ears. Faith comes by hearing. For deaf people, their eyes work as their ears to receive the Word. If faith doesn’t come to you through the clear preaching of the Word, it will not come from anywhere else, even when your eyes are seeing.

I know, miracles, special events, healings, and deliverances in life are often quoted as the moment in which people came to faith. However, faith happens just as well to people who did not have such life-altering experiences. What we experience may strengthen our faith, but we don’t need to see to believe. This drives the point home: faith comes from the action of the Holy Spirit through His Word, ringing in our ears and changing our hearts.

How does this episode in Jesus’ life inform and enrich our life of faith with Him?

1. We will say good words that will not always be well received. That is part of life. No matter the tone of voice you use to say, “Nobody comes to the Father except through Jesus,” “There’s no other authority for Christians other than the Bible,”, “God created man and woman,” there is always a chance that we will face opposition. And just like in Jesus’ case, it might come from people who live around us and whom we know very well.
2. In our daily relationships, we can use words to postpone or avoid conflict. But more than that, we can use words to build up and encourage people in their lives. “Speaking your mind” is often praised as a virtue, but usually, it is not, as it can easily become blunt rudeness and lack of politeness. Speaking the truth with grace and love—that is a virtue, a Christlike way to use words to serve our neighbor.
3. Life comes with ups and downs for Christians too. Jesus defeated the devil in the desert, transformed water into wine, and was celebrated by many. But in Nazareth, He meets rejection, anticipating the ultimate rejection that led to His death on the cross. But this very death and resurrection are the sources of strength and hope as we face both rejoicing and rejection in life. Jesus is present in both the ups and the downs, the one whose words in our ears cause hope and direction in our hearts.

Conclusion: Words have power. Power to build up or tear down; to encourage or cause dismay; to postpone conflict or bring it about. But the words from the Word have a power you won’t find anywhere else. As they touch our ears, they provide our hearts with forgiveness, salvation, and the life that never ends.

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[1] An example from this past week: In November 2024, Brazilian President Lula associated Donald Trump with the nazi regime. This past week, he changed his tone when he said “We don’t want to fight with anyone. Diplomacy needs to be front and center in our relationships.”