Not Welcomed
Good Morning all. I hope today finds you blessed and highly favored. Have you ever went somewhere and not felt welcomed? I think we all have. We either suffer through it or we get up and leave. Let's look at what Jesus did when he was not welcomed. v 14. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. (Now guys, Jesus didn't have the internet. So everyone must have been talking about him.) He was teaching in their synagogues, and every one praised him. (Here is what they thought was a man, he never had any formal training but yet he was teaching in their synagogues. He knew the word of God from his heart and if you noticed at the beginning it said in the power of the Spirit. I will ask again are we using the Holy Spirit?) He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. (Back in his old hometown and where people knew him and watched him grow up). He stood up to read,and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: "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, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Jesus did heal physical ailments but he was trying to reach the spiritual side of each human being. Sometimes he had to do the physical so the people could see the physical and turn to the Spiritual.) 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.(I guess they were wondering, is that all you got?) He began saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."(He just told them who he was, how did they respond?) 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. (Just goes to show that didn't know who Jesus was. They spoke well of him.But Jesus wasn't finished speaking. Let's take a look.). 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."(And they did say this to Jesus. He knew where there hearts were because he was filled with the Holy Spirit.When you have the Holy Spirit filled in your life, he will guide you on where people's hearts are, despite their pretty words and and their pretty actions for all to see.) "Truly I tell you," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 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. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 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."(He is telling them, you will reject me and I will do nothing where I am rejected.Are you rejecting Jesus? Do you expect him to work miracles in your life but continue on the path that you are on?) All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. (Uh oh Jesus has made them mad. But did you notice Jesus did not sugar coat anything he said. He just told them straight up what they would do. Again when you are living a Holy Spirit filled life, God gives you the boldness to speak. And he will show where to speak it. And yes you may lose friends and family over it. But would you rather have Jesus or have the world? Can't have both.) 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.(They were so mad at Jesus for speaking the truth, they had murder on their mind.) But (I love when there is a but) he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. Guys, Jesus just said not today and went on his way. He was not concerned with people being mad at him for speaking the truth. We should not be either if what we are saying is truth through Jesus Christ. Again, you can do this through a Spirit filled life. Jesus was rejected where he grew up, I promise you, you will be rejected also. But Jesus did not get angry, he only spoke the truth and he didn't try and convince them. He spoke the truth and let them decide what they were going to do. We are to do the same. Have a blessed day!