Jesus wasn’t kidding when he said, “No prophet is accepted in his own native place” (Luke 4:24). Only a short time later, his fellow Nazarenes tried to kill him! We have to wonder at their violent reaction. After all, when Jesus read Isaiah’s prophecy and proclaimed he had been sent to fulfill it, they couldn’t say enough good things about him (4:16-22). What did he tell them that changed their minds so radically?
We don’t really know for sure. Perhaps they thought he was subtly putting them down. God looked favorably on a poor widow from Sidon and a leper from Syria, but passed Israel by? What was Jesus—a young man from their town—implying about his neighbors?
Perhaps they wanted a miracle right away, instead of a challenge. No doubt, Jesus wanted them to listen to him, accept him, and learn what he had to teach them—but they took it the wrong way.
When we hear the gospel, we most likely don’t overreact the way the Nazarenes did. ***But perhaps we may “under react.” After so much exposure to the story of Jesus and his cross, we may be tempted to tune it out. ***How many times have we heard the parable of the sower and the seed? Or the prodigal son? We can be so familiar with these stories that we don’t look for whatever new word God may want to speak to us through them—new promises he may want to write on our hearts, or new challenges to repentance and growth in the Spirit.
How can we apply this gospel? One way is to pray that we will be more attentive and open to God’s word in the future.
Every time we hear the Scriptures, he is speaking directly to us. His word is “living and effective”—even if it’s the same word we heard last week or last month (Hebrews 4:12)! For many saints, it was the catalyst that changed their lives, and it can be so for us.
God has never stopped speaking to us,
he still has a plan for us, and he wants to let us in on it!
“See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 3:19).
Lord help us to have eyes of faith to see that you are still able to work in our life!!!