The things that people “knew” about Jesus in His hometown got in the way of them knowing Jesus. He spoke with authority and taught them difficult realities about God and themselves. They heard Him and responded saying “isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” They essentially conclude “who is this guy to tell us what to do, we know where He comes from, He’s not that special.” Jesus responds by saying “a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown.”
Now this account informs us of an instance where Jesus was rejected, and we can learn a few things from it. First, it acknowledges the difficulty of faithfully challenging your family and the people closest to you because there’s always that potential that they’ll respond with “who are you to tell me what to do.” It also warns us to not let the things we might know about Jesus get in the way of knowing Jesus. Sometimes there might be a temptation to reject the Gospel because the Bible also contains teaching that you don’t like or aren’t comfortable with – don’t let that keep you from experiencing the love and grace Jesus promises! Finally, there’s a warning here about dismissing people. Just because you know where someone comes from or what they’ve done or who they’ve been doesn’t mean that God cannot use them to speak into your life. At very least, take the time to listen – you never know when the Spirit might be working.
Focus on God
We are reminded in these verses that God graciously speaks to us where we are
Function in Our Lives
We are encouraged to put the best construction on the people around us
Topics to Pray About:
Thank God for coming to us even when we ignore His voice
Confess to God times where you block out what He’s trying to teach you
Ask God to work in the lives of people who let things they “know” about Jesus get in the way of knowing Jesus
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
Matthew 13:51-58
The things that people “knew” about Jesus in His hometown got in the way of them knowing Jesus. He spoke with authority and taught them difficult realities about God and themselves. They heard Him and responded saying “isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” They essentially conclude “who is this guy to tell us what to do, we know where He comes from, He’s not that special.” Jesus responds by saying “a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown.”
Now this account informs us of an instance where Jesus was rejected, and we can learn a few things from it. First, it acknowledges the difficulty of faithfully challenging your family and the people closest to you because there’s always that potential that they’ll respond with “who are you to tell me what to do.” It also warns us to not let the things we might know about Jesus get in the way of knowing Jesus. Sometimes there might be a temptation to reject the Gospel because the Bible also contains teaching that you don’t like or aren’t comfortable with – don’t let that keep you from experiencing the love and grace Jesus promises! Finally, there’s a warning here about dismissing people. Just because you know where someone comes from or what they’ve done or who they’ve been doesn’t mean that God cannot use them to speak into your life. At very least, take the time to listen – you never know when the Spirit might be working.
Focus on God
We are reminded in these verses that God graciously speaks to us where we are
Function in Our Lives
We are encouraged to put the best construction on the people around us
Topics to Pray About:
In His Service,
J. LeBorious