This post begins Jesus’s other recorded sermon known as The Sermon on the Plain. It is found in the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 6, verses 17 though 49. The first three verses of the passage are setting the stage for the actual sermon. Let’s take a look at them.
17 And he came down whith them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; 18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. 19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.
Jesus didn’t work things the way modern evangelists do. In today’s evangelistic meetings, the preaching comes first and the healing and other needs are attended to afterward. Jesus went first to the needs of the people. He healed the sick, cast out demons and tended to their bodily needs before He opened his mouth to preach. This ought to be and example to us today.
Modern preachers are afraid the crowd would get what they want and leave before hearing the brilliant words they polished for so many hours to be perfect. Too many of our preachers are caught up in the acclaim they receive for their spiffy homilies. They have fallen into the trap set beside the way. They love the public spotlight and the approval of men.
I too would have probably fallen into such a trap. I cannot condemn them, that's not my job anyway. But I can point out the problem and warn others. To work the way Jesus did, we must meet the physical needs of the people before we attend to the spiritual stuff. Are they hungry? Feed them. Are they thirsty? Give them something to drink. Are they wearing clothing that is too warn to be serviceable? Clothe them. After that is taken care of, then preach to them. And if they leave before the sermon, it’s their loss, not ours.
The last verse is interesting in that it shows a link between the physical and spiritual worlds. People wanted to touch Jesus because power went out from Him when physical contact is made. The Greek word translated virtue is the word we derive our English word dynamite from. In Greek this word denotes the physical power to perform work. The very touch of the hand to Jesus’s clothes was dynamic. Power came forth from Him when contact was made. POWER. That’s awesome.
We see the same thing happening today when someone in faith touches the hand or the clothes of some perceived holy person and gets a miraculous occurrence. It is real. There is a connection between the physical and spiritual worlds in the soul of every human being. This connection can extend to inanimate objects when touched by a human. The spiritual influence of the last person who touched and object continues to linger for quite some time, and can be transferred to the next person who handles the object.
This has been recognized by pagans and magicians for hundreds of years. Christians seem to have forgotten it in the modern world. That is why so many are under oppression by demonic activities and unnecessarily suffer. I don’t recommend complete avoidance of physical contact with the world and the things that are in it. But I do recommend that all Christians keep it in mind that we are engaged in a spiritual war for control of the world. The enemy of our souls is using whatever means is available. And it is a boon to him if we ignore the threat. Forewarned is forearmed. If you are aware of these influences, you can take precautions in your own soul to contend with the influences of evil and receive the influence of God.
Next post begins the text of Jesus’s Sermon on the Plain.
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