While the journals on this blog are primarily from the Gospel of Luke, the SOAP reading plan we have used in the past paired Luke 4 with an Old Testament reading from Genesis 9-11. I thought you might be interested to see the connection between the two texts.
S = Genesis 9:1,19 “And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth…These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed.”• Genesis 11:4 “Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” [Babel]
• Luke 4:42-43 “And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
O = God blessed man after the flood like he had blessed Adam and Eve in Gen. 1:28. It was a new beginning full of possibility and the blessing of God. How quickly man cast off the command and the blessing to do something for himself out of pride and fear. Early in Luke 4, Jesus overcame the temptation to make a name for himself (among other things), instead He fully trusted the Father’s plan. Here at the end of Luke 4 we see people of Capernaum with new hope for the first time in a long while as Jesus’ teaching and miraculous healing/delivering work illuminated their lives. But they wanted to “keep” Jesus for themselves. They were happy to keep his light for themselves, but his plan was much bigger than that. He was sent to bring “good news” to the other towns as well.
A = Do I try to make a name for myself or am I content to leave it in God’s hands? Do I, like the people of Babel long ago, rebel against the command of God on my life? Do I surround myself with others to do what is opposed to God or to do the work of God? Am I content to have enjoyed the blessings of God, in Christ, myself without wanting others to experience Him also? I confess it is true all too often.
P = O LORD, Your banner over me is love! The name you give me is better than what I can produce on my own and the blessing you give is powerful and enduring. Help me to trust you today—even if it is scary. Help me to do what I see you doing, to speak what I hear you speaking—not what I see other people doing…so that my language may not be confused, but so that the people of God, my family may be healed and be one in the bond of love. Your plan is bigger than mine thanks for letting me be a part of it. Amen.
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