Today
is a very special day as the American people go to the polls to vote on who our
next president will be. I trust you have been praying, have educated yourself
on the issues and the candidates, and you have voted or will vote today! This
election will definitely determine the course of our country for years to come.
But as important as it is, what is really needed for our great country is not a
new president, a new congress or new leadership in Washington. We need our
nation to repent and come to Jesus! We need to “hear Him”, to be “healed” by
Him, to be “cleansed” of tormenting spirits by Him, to be “touched” by Him, and
we need to experience His “power” to bring healing to our souls and to our
nation!
This
is exactly what we see happening here in Luke 6:17-19! The major part of this
sixth chapter of Luke is taken up with the message from Christ, which He gave
to the people who "came to hear Him, and to be healed" by Him (Luke
6:17). Some of the message, but not all, is similar to the Sermon on the Mount
recorded in Matthew 5-7. First, notice the place or the setting of this great
message. It was a “level place”.
My
friend, the most level ground in all the history of humanity is at the foot of
the cross. No one is better than anyone else. We are all sinners, and it
doesn’t matter how rich or poor we are, how famous or insignificant we might
seem to be, how educated or uneducated we are, we still all have the same need.
We need forgiveness for our sins that can only be found in the finished work of
Jesus at the level ground of the cross!
Luke
details the make-up of the people who were present on this occasion. It was
both Jesus’ disciples and a great multitude of people (v. 17). And they came
from everywhere! “From all Judea and
Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon”. The people were
from many different areas as the news about Christ had been circulated in many
lands.
Notice
the problems of the people. "Diseases... tormented with unclean
spirits" (Luke 6:17, 18). The people were plagued with many problems.
Health problems and demon possession were two of their prominent problems.
Others came with hungry hearts, aware of deep longings in their empty souls. No
doubt these are the same issues that are plaguing the multitudes in America
today!
Most
importantly, notice the pursuit of the people. "Came to hear him, and
to be healed of their diseases... the whole multitude sought to touch him"
(Luke 6:17, 19). They came to hear Christ and be healed by Christ, to be
taught and to be touched by Christ. Both the physical and the spiritual are
involved. The world still has like problems; but sadly, and unlike these
people, they do not seek Christ for relief. Furthermore, they are generally
only interested in their physical problems. Few have any concern about their
spiritual problems and needs.
The
scientists, the philosophers, the psychologists, the educators, and the
politicians all claim to have the answers to our problems and needs. Yet
nothing changes when we apply their cures or solutions! I love how Luke simply says, “…And they were healed. And the whole multitude sought
to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. Only Jesus Christ has Divine power that can overcome
any physical or spiritual problem of the people. Jesus has the “power” to heal.
The word “power” is the Greek word from which we get our English word
“dynamite.” No government can boast of such power!
Finally, we should notice that Jesus first expresses His
compassion and care for all the people before He brings His great message in
the rest of the chapter. This illustrates the truth that, “People don’t care
what you say until they know that you care”.
Do you care enough for your family, friends, neighbors and
country to spend the night in prayer, to give up your right to yourself to
serve others, to be criticized or mocked because you speak the truth? Think
about it!
God bless!
