Luke 4:14-30
Jesus' Sermon in the Synagogue
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “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,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 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. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22 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.
23 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.’”
24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 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. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 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.”
Jesus was teaching in synagogues around Israel, and everyone praised Him...He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, as was His custom...He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him....He read from the scroll of Isaiah...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.”...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...He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”...
The local synagogue crowd wondered in amazement with His Words...The crowd seems ready for miracles...Jesus knowing that the hometown crowd did not understand would speak of two of Israeli's popular Prophets, Elijah, and Elisha...So Jesus continued, “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.’”...“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.”...
Jesus had taken a stand in His hometown for what He believed...And all the people were furious with Him...What were they hearing from Him, what was He saying to them?...The crowd knew of the Prophets Elijah and Elisha, but now they want proof that Jesus, the One they know, is also a Prophet...But He would not do miracles there...The people knew Jesus, did the local crowd feel entitled to some miracles from the Miracle Worker?...Do we feel entitled to have Him do a miracle for us?...
As followers of Jesus we, too, must take a stand...We should be happy to let others know that we know Him, love Him and follow Him...Some might call "those people" in today's words, Bible Thumpers, but as we read the gospels we see that when Jesus was on earth, He took a firm stand and taught continually about God, forgiving, love, and mercy...Miracles were a part of His ministry when He thought they were the right time...His ministry was completely centered on the God and the Bible...He knew God, because He is the Son of God...He knew the Bible, because He is the Bible...He came to earth and He fulfilled the Bible, and not one Word of Truth from the Bible was diminished...