On Our Level + This Sunday at Immanuel
The heart of Jesus compels him to our level. He does not make himself hard to get.
“And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all” (Luke 6:17-19).
As with all parts of the Bible, Luke 6 has layers—levels, you might say. After arguing with the Pharisees in the grainfields about what one can and can’t do on the Sabbath, capped off with the healing of a man with a withered hand in the synagogue, Jesus ascends a mountain to spend the night in prayer. When the morning comes, he calls up his disciples and names twelve apostles. Luke takes us from the fields to the synagogue to the mountains, a progression of location. Aslan is on the move.
When Jesus calls his disciples up the mountain, I track with that. It seems fitting. Shouldn’t we climb toward him for our reward? Isn’t that what religion is all about?
But then Luke shows Jesus moving again. The ascended Jesus descends. “He came down with them and stood on a level place.”
The mountain is where we would expect to find Jesus, and our effort is what we would expect to expend to get to him, but he knows not everyone has the stamina for a hike up a hill. Not everyone who needs him can come to him like that. That’s no problem. He lives in the high places and the low places (Is. 57:15). God makes himself available to those in need. “A great multitude…came to hear him and be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.”
The heart of Jesus compels him to our level. He does not make himself hard to get. His heart moves toward the low place of need. After their appointment on the mountain, the first lesson of Jesus’s new apostles is one of condescension, of coming down to the level of the common man, to the people who can only stumble toward their Savior.
This Sunday At Immanuel
Sunday Morning…
SUNDAY: Join us this Sunday at 9 a.m. or 10:45 a.m. as Gavin Ortlund continues our series in James!
Sunday Seminars…
No 10:45 AM class with Dr. Gavin Ortlund. You can hear him in both services as he continues our series in James.
9 AM: Student Seminar led by Vince Greenwald (grades 5-12) in the gymnasium
9 AM: Studying the Bible Together, led by Dr. Tom Cox, studying the book of Romans in the staff lounge
9 AM: Last Word: The Gospel of Christ in the Book of Revelation, led by Dr. Russell Moore in the cafe
UPDATED: DISCOVER RECEPTION, OCTOBER 13TH AT 10:45 AM: To better accommodate our guests this Sunday, we are shifting from the planned Discover Luncheon to a Discover Reception at 10:45 AM in the café. While lunch won’t be served, you’re invited to stop by, enjoy some treats, ask questions, and learn more about Immanuel. We look forward to connecting with you!
Member Ministry Spotlight…
Outreach Prayer—Every third Sunday at Immanuel, a group gathers between services to pray for global and local ministries! Join them this Sunday in the staff lounge area around 10 a.m. for the next prayer event.
On the Horizon…
Men’s Fall Retreat: Join us on Friday, October 25th -26th at Coldstream Christian Camp. 4730 Goodman Rd, Adams, TN 37010, for our men’s retreat! We are happy to have Dr. Ray Ortlund Jr. with us to guide us during our time. RSVP here.
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