Luke 4:21-30 (NRSV)
Read Luke 4:21-30 on biblegateway.com
Verse 21Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Verse 22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" Verse 23He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say, 'Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.'" Verse 24And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown. Verse 25But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; Verse 26yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. Verse 27There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." Verse 28When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. Verse 29They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. Verse 30But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Devotion
Several years ago when our daughter-in-law awakened our 10-year-old grandson one morning, his first question was, “Is being a pastor as easy as it looks?” I’m not sure how she answered, but the truthful answer is, “It ain’t.”
Being Jesus wasn’t easy either. The eventual outcome of Jesus’ ministry was rejection and death at the hands of his own people. Our text suggests that Jesus’ countrymen rejected him partly because he did not stress God’s judgment on the enemies of God.
Religious people, including Christians, through the centuries have drawn small circles around themselves and labeled themselves “true believers.” We too are tempted to put those who do not think or believe as we do in other small circles. Interestingly, we always put God in “our” circle and then if others become our enemies, we also make them God’s enemies.
Prayer
Dear God, may we as people of God not reject Jesus because he accepts the unacceptable and does not invoke judgment upon the enemies of the people of God. Amen.