Commentary

0.1 Jeremiah 1:4-10

The L ORD calls Jeremiah and tells him to go speak to the nations that the L ORD
has power over them.

Jeremiah 1:4 Now the word of the L ORD came – The prophet does not claim to
represent anyone but the L ORD.

Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you – All life is precious
to the L ORD.
before you were born I consecrated you – Callings to serve the L ORD hap-
pen before birth.
I appointed you a prophet to the nations – This is the work given to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 1:6 I do not know how to speak – Requiring one to be a prophet to the
nations means that you must learn the language of the people and be able to
use those words in a diplomatic way.

Jeremiah 1:7 you shall go to all to whom I send you – The prophet has not say in
the directon of his life.

Jeremiah 1:8 I am with you to deliver you – The harsh words that Jeremiah has
to say puts him at risk. The L ORD promises him protection.

Jeremiah 1:9 Now I have put my words in your mouth – This is the promise given
to Jeremiah. It is risky to believe that it applies to others.

Jeremiah 1:10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck
up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.
– This Word needs to be compared with Luke 13:1-4. God changes the
fortune of humans and governments. However, the destruction and death
that is found in the world does not mean that you are a sinner.

0.2 Psalm 71:1-6

The psalmist uses the illusion of a well built stronghold as a way to describe the
L ORD. He asks for God to save him and then he tells God that he always offers
God his thanks.

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 Psalm 71:1 let me never be put to shame – In a world that placed emphases on
honor, it is imperative that following the L ORD not make one a laughing-
stock. This does not mean that dishonor never comes to the follower of God.
This is just a prayer for help and assistance.
Psalm 71:2 deliver me and rescue me – In times of trouble, followers of the
L ORD cry out for deliverance. When the L ORD save them, actions turn into
praise. If the L ORD allows them to fall, the psalm speaks of lament.
Psalm 71:3 rock of refuge – Defend me against my enemies is the plea of the
author.
Psalm 71:4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked – The psalmist
asks that the L ORD acts because of the people he faces.
Psalm 71:5 L ORD, are my hope – Only the L ORD can bring life.
Psalm 71:6 you who took me from my mother’s womb – Others might believe that
it was the midwife who delivered me, this is not the truth. Life comes from
the God.

0.3 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Paul is attempting to calm the divisions in the congregation at Corinth. Paul first
tells the people that the best gift of all is love. Next, he asks the people to “act
their age.” He follows this up with an acknowledgement that he does not have
all the information about the discussion. He closes this section out by telling the
Corinthians that the greatest gift is love.
1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not
have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. – This sentence sets up
the basic dichotomy of this section. The basic argument is this. It does not
matter what you do in this life if you do not love in a way that others can
clearly see.
1 Corinthians 13:2 all knowledge, and if I have all faith – Even wisdom that
knows all the answers and faith itself that transforms the world are worth-
less, if you forget the people around you.
1 Corinthians 13:3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body
– Voluntary poverty and self-sacrifice mean nothing without love.

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 1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient – It does not matter how long it takes, love
waits.
love is kind – It carefully cares for the other.
love is not envious – It does not feel threatened.
1 Corinthians 13:5 It does not insist on its own way – Love gives.
it is not irritable or resentful – Love is pleasant.
1 Corinthians 13:6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing – Love does not pay back
in evil ways.
1 Corinthians 13:7 It bears all things – Love lives with all the problems of life.
believes all things – Loves hope for a better day.
1 Corinthians 13:8 Love never ends – Even the pain of death, does not stop one
from loving the missing one.
1 Corinthians 13:9 we know only in part – A part of the limitations of life is that
we never can experience the entire world.
1 Corinthians 13:10 when the complete comes – At some time in the future, the
limitations of this life will be removed.
1 Corinthians 13:11 I put an end to childish ways – Change is part of life. Do not
be afraid of growing up.
1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly – The limits of creation,
whether self applied or due to our own actions, will be removed.
1 Corinthians 13:13 the greatest of these is love – A person who has faith must
love. An individual that hopes must love. That is why love is the most im-
portant of all. It is seen everywhere.

0.4 Luke 4:21-30

The people of Nazareth are surprised that Jesus has claimed the prophecy from
Isaiah as His own. Jesus responds with a harsh Word that the prophet Elijah was
sent, not to any house in Israel, but instead to a foreign widow. Likewise, the
prophet Elisha did not heal any Israeli of leprosy but Elisha healed their enemy.
These Words enraged the people and they tried to kill Jesus.

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 Luke 4:21 Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. – σήμερον
πεπλήρωται ἡ γραφὴ αὕτη ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν ὑμῶν – Today this the scripture has
been fulfilled (3rd Person Perfect Passive Indicative Singular - The subject
has been acted on and has been completed) in the ear of you.
The first word from Jesus in Luke’s account is “Today.”1 God’s kingdom
is here now. This trend continues in Luke-Acts.2 The date is always in the
present.3 The verb form πεπλήρωται can be translated in many different
ways. See Romans 15:19b, Galatians 5:14, and Colossians 1:25 for different
ways of translating this verb.4 What does this verse say about faith coming
by hearing (Romans 10:17)? What would happen in our community if we
knew that God’s kingdom happened now? Would we “forgive” the debts
of the “Third world?” Would we stop hunger and give everyone a home?
Would we help Haiti?
As long as we think that the day is far off in the future, nothing will change.5
Jesus tells us that the world has already changed and with this movement,
the world is a different place.
Jesus participates in the synagogue.6 Craddock notes that the largest lay
leaders in the synagogue were the Pharisees.7
Tiede reminds us that the Global South reads the Gospel as Good News for
today since God brings Good News to the poor.8 The boundaries between
the rich and the poor are defined in Luke in stories like Lazarus and the rich
man, the foolish rich man, and Zacchaeus.9

Luke 4:22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that
came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” – καὶ πάντες
1
Fred B. Craddock; James K. Mays, Patrick D. Miller and Paul J. Achtemeier, editors, Luke
Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, (Lousiville, Kentucky: John
Knox Press, 1990), Interpretation, p. 62.
2
Ibid.
3
Ibid.
4
Brian P. Stoffregen, Luke 4.21-30 4th Sunday after the Epiphany - Year C, http://www.
crossmarks.com/brian/luke4x21.htm.
5
David L. Tiede, ‘Proclaiming the Righteous Reign of Jesus: Luke 4 and the Justice of God’,
Word & World, 7 (1987):1, p. 85.
6
Craddock, Luke, p. 61.
7
Ibid., p. 62.
8
Tiede, ‘Word & World 7 [1987]’, p. 83.
9
Ibid., p. 86.

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 ἐμαρτύρουν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐθαύμαζον ἐπὶ τοῖς λόγοις τῆς χάριτος τοῖς ἐκπο-
ρευομένοις ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλεγον οὐχὶ υἱός ἐστιν ᾿Ιωσὴφ
οὗτος And all witnessed it and wondered at His graceful words that came
out of His mouth and they said, “Is this not the son of Joseph?”
It is curious that the RSV and NRSV leave out the witness portion of the
text. Is it missing in NA 26/27? The text does not provide us any clues on
why the people suddenly turn on Jesus. The idea that the people thought
that God was only for the Jews is relatively unbelievable. Shore proposes
that the idea that Jesus refuses to stay in and work with His hometown folks
as the real issue.10 Luke along with Matthew has the story that Jesus is a
mobile God (Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58). Luke places this account here in
the story because it is the first time the Jesus publicly announces what He
will do.11

Luke 4:23 proverb – The Greek is parable (παραβολή).

Do here also in your hometown – Is the jealousy of the work done in other
locations the underlying issue or is there something that Luke leave out?
We pray in the Our Father that the Kingdom come with all of its radical
changes to the world. If it showed up at our door, would we be any different
from those people in the synagogue?
we have heard you did at Capernaum – The account that before us also
assumes that Jesus has already been in Capernaum.12 It seems that this area
was filled with outsiders.13
Unlike the audience that has already heard Simeon’s words in Luke 2.32
that Jesus comes to the Gentiles, this is the first time that the people have
heard from Jesus that the Messiah is for the Gentiles.14
The radical part of this story is that God gives good to the horrible people
that we all “know” don’t deserve it. For example, see Luke 13:1-4:
10
Mary Hinkle Shore, On Staying Put - Or Not, (http://maryhinkle.typepad.com/
pilgrim_preaching/2004/01/on_staying_put_.html, January 2004).
11
Craddock, Luke, p. 61.
12
Ibid.
13
Ibid., p. 63.
14
Luke Timothy Johnson; Daniel J. Harrington, S.J., editor, The Gospel of Luke, Volume 3,
Sacra Pagina, (The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1991), p. 82.

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 Luke 13:1 There were some present at that very time who told
him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their
sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these
Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, be-
cause they suffered thus? 3 I tell you, No; but unless you repent
you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen upon whom the
tower in Silo’am fell and killed them, do you think that they were
worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I
tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
(RSV)

The popular thought of the day is that punishment is a reward for sin (Deuteron-
omy 28-30; Job 4:17; Ezekiel 18:26).15 It seems that the inverse is also true.
If you love God, you will be blessed.

Luke 4:24 Truly – ἀμήν Amen. This form of speech is one of a self-assured
prophet.16
no prophet is accepted – This dialog follows the typical pattern in Luke, a
Word is said and then it is fulfilled.17

Luke 4:25 in the time of Elijah – This is a reference to 1 Kings 17:1-6. The
widow in the story is a Gentile. The only apparent link between these two
stories about Elijah and Elisha is that both aided a gentile.18

Luke 4:26 Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath – The
L ORD cares for a poor no matter who they happen to be.

Luke 4:27 in the time of the prophet Elisha – This refers to 2 Kings 5:1-14. Luke
7:1-16 will also discuss Elijah and Elisha.19

Luke 4:28 were filled with rage – Had this synagogue never heard the stories of
two of the most famous prophets and what they did? Craddock argues that
this is the internal tension in all of Luke.20 An example of this is the account
from Jonah, “That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew
15
Johnson, Luke, p. 211.
16
Ibid., p. 80.
17
Ibid.
18
Ibid., p. 82.
19
Ibid., p. 80.
20
Craddock, Luke, p. 63.

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 that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in
steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.”21

Luke 4:29 they might hurl him off the cliff – Stoning could be accomplished by
either throwing stones at the individual or throwing them on the stones.22

Luke 4:30 he passed through the midst of them – This is a foreshadowing of what
will happen if Jesus is rejected.23 He will continue on to the next people.

References
Craddock, Fred B.; Mays, James K., Miller, Patrick D. and Achtemeier, Paul J.,
editors, Luke Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preach-
ing, (Lousiville, Kentucky: John Knox Press, 1990), Interpretation.

Johnson, Luke Timothy; Harrington, S.J., Daniel J., editor, The Gospel of Luke,
Volume 3, Sacra Pagina, (The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN: The
Liturgical Press, 1991).

Shore, Mary Hinkle, On Staying Put - Or Not, (http://maryhinkle.

typepad.com/pilgrim_preaching/2004/01/on_staying_
put_.html, January 2004).

Stoffregen, Brian P., Luke 4.21-30 4th Sunday after the Epiphany - Year C, http:
//www.crossmarks.com/brian/luke4x21.htm.

Tiede, David L., ‘Proclaiming the Righteous Reign of Jesus: Luke 4 and the Jus-
tice of God’, Word & World, 7 (1987):1, pp. 83–90.

21
Craddock, Luke, p. 62.
22
Ibid., p. 64.
23
Ibid.