Word@Work Luke56 - Luke4:28-30
Published: Wed, 03/10/10
Word@Work from BeaconLight
SHOWING TRUE COLOURS
Luke 4:28-30 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 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 down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. (NIV)
The congregation welcomed Jesus back to His home synagogue. They admired His eloquence and graciousness (Luke 4:20-22); but, by the end of the service, they hated Him so much that they wanted to kill Him. What a bizarre ending to Jesus' first sermon in His home town of Nazareth! What had He done to precipitate such a violent response? The order of events is significant. First He read from Isaiah's prophecy, and then He said Isaiah was speaking about Him. Then He reminded His towns-people that God blessed people with faith, and that if there were none in Israel, God would bless Gentiles.
That last idea infuriated them. They may have been able to accept Jesus was the Messiah (particularly if they could claim some credit that He was their 'local boy come good'). But they would not forgive the insult that some Gentiles had more faith than Israelites - or that God would disregard their piety and favour people who did not know the Law of Moses, let alone try to obey it.
What was their problem? They were proud, arrogant and righteous in their own eyes. They had faith in their own ability to please God through religious observance (even though none of them could perfectly keep the law); but not in God's mercy to Gentile sinners. What made them angry was the thought that God would bless Gentiles; especially after all their fastidious observance of the law. They might have said something like, "Who does He think He is?" The answer is that He knew He was God the Son with all power and authority. The moment they picked up that thought, they rushed at Him, pursuing Jesus out of the town and up the nearby hill. But instead of them throwing Him off the cliff, His authority made a protected way through the crowd and back to safety.
Whenever people are angry at Jesus today, it is for the same proud reasons. They do not want to accept His authority. Having worked out their own way to please God (or so they think), they are greatly insulted when they are told that unless they repent and trust in the mercy of Jesus, they will be lost. Violence is an extreme reaction. Paradoxically, persecution of Christians proves how powerfully true Jesus is, if His opponents want to remove His people. But Jesus still knows how to guard His own reputation and is not put off by opposition. So if you trust Him, expect that some of those who hear your witness will react strongly. But some will hear and be saved ... it is worth all the struggle. Most people who resist the gospel do not have genuine intellectual reasons for disbelief. But they merely use such reasons to defend their unbelief, pride and arrogance. So be gentle with them, but be clear about the truth too; Jesus was!
Prayer: Almighty God. Thank You that Jesus was unafraid to speak the truth from Your Word. Help me to do the same, knowing that what You think about me matters more than any other opinion. Forgive me when I have been afraid and more concerned to preserve my reputation than Yours. Please open my friends' eyes to see who Jesus is, and have the courage to lay down their pride, and accept Him as Saviour. In His Name. Amen.
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You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
The congregation welcomed Jesus back to His home synagogue. They admired His eloquence and graciousness (Luke 4:20-22); but, by the end of the service, they hated Him so much that they wanted to kill Him. What a bizarre ending to Jesus' first sermon in His home town of Nazareth! What had He done to precipitate such a violent response? The order of events is significant. First He read from Isaiah's prophecy, and then He said Isaiah was speaking about Him. Then He reminded His towns-people that God blessed people with faith, and that if there were none in Israel, God would bless Gentiles.
That last idea infuriated them. They may have been able to accept Jesus was the Messiah (particularly if they could claim some credit that He was their 'local boy come good'). But they would not forgive the insult that some Gentiles had more faith than Israelites - or that God would disregard their piety and favour people who did not know the Law of Moses, let alone try to obey it.
What was their problem? They were proud, arrogant and righteous in their own eyes. They had faith in their own ability to please God through religious observance (even though none of them could perfectly keep the law); but not in God's mercy to Gentile sinners. What made them angry was the thought that God would bless Gentiles; especially after all their fastidious observance of the law. They might have said something like, "Who does He think He is?" The answer is that He knew He was God the Son with all power and authority. The moment they picked up that thought, they rushed at Him, pursuing Jesus out of the town and up the nearby hill. But instead of them throwing Him off the cliff, His authority made a protected way through the crowd and back to safety.
Whenever people are angry at Jesus today, it is for the same proud reasons. They do not want to accept His authority. Having worked out their own way to please God (or so they think), they are greatly insulted when they are told that unless they repent and trust in the mercy of Jesus, they will be lost. Violence is an extreme reaction. Paradoxically, persecution of Christians proves how powerfully true Jesus is, if His opponents want to remove His people. But Jesus still knows how to guard His own reputation and is not put off by opposition. So if you trust Him, expect that some of those who hear your witness will react strongly. But some will hear and be saved ... it is worth all the struggle. Most people who resist the gospel do not have genuine intellectual reasons for disbelief. But they merely use such reasons to defend their unbelief, pride and arrogance. So be gentle with them, but be clear about the truth too; Jesus was!
Prayer: Almighty God. Thank You that Jesus was unafraid to speak the truth from Your Word. Help me to do the same, knowing that what You think about me matters more than any other opinion. Forgive me when I have been afraid and more concerned to preserve my reputation than Yours. Please open my friends' eyes to see who Jesus is, and have the courage to lay down their pride, and accept Him as Saviour. In His Name. Amen.
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