God’s story in god’s people

In today’s passage, Jesus makes one of the most profound statements of his earthly ministry. You might expect such a statement to be made in a large synagogue, before thousands, or at the temple in Jerusalem, right? Instead, this statement was made in a field with only a few people around him. Let’s consider the story in Luke 6:1–11.

The first year of Jesus’ ministry is often called the “Year of Popularity.” As Jesus taught in the synagogues, Luke says, he was “being glorified by all” (Luke 4:15). When Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons, “amazement seized [the people], and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen extraordinary things today’” (Luke 5:26). 

If you had spoken with a Jew about Jewish tax collectors in that era, emotions would have run high and strong words would likely have followed. A Jewish tax collector was seen as a traitor—someone who had sold out to Rome and was actively helping to oppress their own people. Few groups were more deeply despised. 

Today’s story is about one of those tax collectors.

Our passage today, Luke 5:17-26, takes place in Jesus' adopted hometown of Capernaum during the first year of his ministry, often called the “Year of Popularity.” News about Jesus—his teaching and healing—was spreading and people were coming from all around to see this exceptional teacher and miracle worker.

Several years ago, while in New Delhi, India, I visited a leper colony. There are many forms of leprosy, but a common one attacks the nerves, preventing those affected from feeling pain. As a result, cuts, scrapes, and burns go unnoticed, become infected, and can cause parts of fingers— and even entire hands and feet—to rot away. Because leprosy often targets the limbs first, that day in New Delhi, I encountered people with no fingers or hands, and only partial feet. For those living with such a relentless disease, every day is a battle against pain, loss, and invisibility. At the end of the street stood the city’s garbage dump, a stark reminder of their desperate circumstances.a

In Luke’s orderly account of Jesus’ life and ministry, the focus has shifted from preparations for Jesus’ coming to the beginning of his public ministry. After being rejected in his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus goes to Capernaum, another town in the region of Galilee, where he teaches and heals. In today’s passage, Luke tells how Jesus begins to form his team of disciples, starting with the calling of Peter, the outspoken disciple who would become a key leader in the early church.

After preaching in the synagogue in Capernaum and healing a man possessed by a demon, Jesus went to Peter’s house for some much-needed rest. However, the day would be anything but quiet or uneventful.

We see the power of God’s Word revealed in Jesus. As we reflect on his early ministry in the region of Galilee, we can only imagine what it must have been like to hear the Word himself proclaim the Word of God. In today’s passage, we are given a glimpse of one of those remarkable moments.

Previously, we considered a specific time when Jesus taught in his hometown synagogue. On that occasion, he read from Isaiah 61:1–2 which describes the coming of the Messiah. Everything seemed to be going well until Jesus said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). Luke tells us that, at first, “all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’”