Luke the physician shared how people in Nazareth, “wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of” Jesus' “mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? And he said unto them, You will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal yourself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in your country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land. But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian”, and in chapter four and verse twenty-eight of his book Luke shared how, “all they in the synagogue … were filled with wrath” where we read:
And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
The verse reads, “And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, ...” Luke began with the words, “and all they in the synagogue” or “and each, every, the whole and everyone of the people within the sacred worship place in Nazareth”, “when they heard these things” which means “at the time and moment they were given the faculty for hearing, perceiving and understanding the words Jesus spoke” had the following reaction. Luke shared how every person within the “sacred worship place” in Nazareth “heard” what Jesus said about the “widow and Naaman” and had the following response to His words.
The verse continues, “... were filled with wrath, ...” Luke added the words, “were filled” which means “were furnished, accomplished and abounded” “with wrath” or “in passion, indignation, fierceness, anger and heat which boiled up within them”. Luke shared how everyone of the people within the “synagogue” became indignant and outraged over what Jesus said.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn about the amazing reaction of these people to the words of Jesus. He read “Isaiah's” prophecy concerning the Messiah and told them, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears”. He told them “No prophet is accepted in his own country” after declaring how they would say to Him, “Physician, heal yourself” and “whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in your country”. Jesus then referred to the “widow” and “Naaman” who were ministered to by God's prophets “Elijah and Elisha”, and these were the words that ignited fury within the crowd. God's desire is to have a loving personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, however, many refuse to believe He is the Messiah and Christ sent from God. They do not believe Jesus is God's Son and that His purpose for coming was to “die” for the sins of mankind. They do not believe He is the “only” way to have a relationship with God even though Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, and no man comes to the Father, but by me”. (See John 14:6) Regardless of a person's anger or lack of belief in Jesus, Jesus is still the “Savior and Lord” of the world, and their unbelief and wrath only hurt them and their opportunity to live eternally with the everlasting God of the Universe.
Next time Luke shares how the people in the synagogue, “rose up, and thrust him out of the city”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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