In confronting His hometown people’s unbelief, Jesus references Elisha's ministry in Israel, which apparently was similar to the unbelief that He was encountering in Nazareth; which unfortunately, I have likewise experienced in my own hometown. Instead of simply believing, Jesus’s hometown folk met Him full force with an attitude. They determined that this Jesus person needed to be put in His place, therefore they reminded Him that He was nothing more than that carpenter's son. Their arrogance convinced them that Jesus, the neighbor whom they did not truly know, thought far too highly of Himself, therefore they sought to bring Him down a peg or two, by literally throwing him down to the ground below, from a cliff above.
Whether wrought out of turning their backs on the messenger, or engaging in empty rituals, obviously God’s prevailing disposition, in response to a city’s unbelief, is still the same: He performs the miracles and bequeaths the blessings to out-of-towners. While many in my hometown may desire to, and indeed do call me arrogant, even obnoxious, for breaking things down to such a basic level, the fact of matter is, it’s not my will, but His will be done.
I guess it’s kinda like Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” The more things change; the more they stay the same. The truth doesn’t change just because townspeople are mad about the outcome of a thing. Therefore, the correct response is not ti show the messenger just how nasty you can really be; but rather to humble yourselves before the Lord. The only way to change the outcome in this scenario is that a city adjusts her attitude through a change of heart toward God.
Luke 4:16-31 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn’t this Joseph’s son?" they asked. 23 Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ’Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ’Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’" 24 "Truly I tell you," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed —only Naaman the Syrian." 28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. 31 Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people.
I'm not just making this stuff up as I go along, God has foretold all things from the end to the beginning. Will we believe Him? Neither Israel, Nazareth, nor even Houston can be mad about that, each has the same opportunity as did/does any other city to simply believe.
It's like I always say, "God don't play, but He does have an awesome sense of humor "
Whether wrought out of turning their backs on the messenger, or engaging in empty rituals, obviously God’s prevailing disposition, in response to a city’s unbelief, is still the same: He performs the miracles and bequeaths the blessings to out-of-towners. While many in my hometown may desire to, and indeed do call me arrogant, even obnoxious, for breaking things down to such a basic level, the fact of matter is, it’s not my will, but His will be done.
I guess it’s kinda like Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” The more things change; the more they stay the same. The truth doesn’t change just because townspeople are mad about the outcome of a thing. Therefore, the correct response is not ti show the messenger just how nasty you can really be; but rather to humble yourselves before the Lord. The only way to change the outcome in this scenario is that a city adjusts her attitude through a change of heart toward God.
Luke 4:16-31 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn’t this Joseph’s son?" they asked. 23 Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ’Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ’Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’" 24 "Truly I tell you," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed —only Naaman the Syrian." 28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. 31 Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people.
I'm not just making this stuff up as I go along, God has foretold all things from the end to the beginning. Will we believe Him? Neither Israel, Nazareth, nor even Houston can be mad about that, each has the same opportunity as did/does any other city to simply believe.
It's like I always say, "God don't play, but He does have an awesome sense of humor "
❤
BTW, when you practice empty rituals, you come up empty.
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Prayer Focus: God I ask You in Jesus’ name help me to always remember and never forget You are always with me wherever I go. I am never alone. God please give me the strength and courage to always obey You! God please do the same for the writer of this prayer. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so.
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