Speak Love

Luke 4:23-27 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’ 24 “I tell you the truth,” 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.”
 
THIS is a good point to be reminded that a Christ-follower may not be effective at home. Jesus, speaking to people who watched him grow up, makes this point with Elijah’s and Elisha’s ministries. Do you remember these? Elijah’s life was threatened in Israel, the home of God’s own people. He went to Zarephath, a foreign land. That is where God used Elijah to supply the “daily bread” for a widow and her son who had one meal left when Elijah came to them (1 Kings 17:13). Elisha, too, was often rejected and threatened in Israel. It was Naaman, a Syrian officer, God healed of leprosy. (2 Kings 5) This “at home” lack of faith is much too common in God’s Story. His own people continually rejected and even killed God’s prophets.
   In a like manner, people closest to you will often reject your attempts to share the gospel. You may have experienced this. As you speak to them of sin, salvation, love, forgiveness and God’s promises, they might look at you with contempt or say outright, “Who made you God?” Of course, you could respond, “The Holy Spirit has saved me to be a child of God.” But that might be a little too much for an unbeliever. A better response might be, “I certainly am not God, but I love you so much, I want you to know him as I do.”
   As you will see, Jesus was rejected in his hometown just as the prophets were and just as you are. The Jews had a two-edged response to Jesus’ teachings. They loved his words, but they refused to believe he is the Living Word, who fulfilled God’s prophetic words of ages past.
   As you experience people rejecting God’s Word, be as Jesus. Know that your responsibility is to first speak of God and his favor to draw mankind to him. And then second, you must live in God’s ways as closely as you can. Be a living example that God has set you apart, so you can draw people to him.
   Pray, too, for your own
heart to continually receive Jesus’ teachings. There is much noise in the world to turn you away from the truth. Pray for your family and friends in the same way. Remember that true belief ultimately occurs when the Spirit opens eyes, ears, hearts and minds to the gospel.
 
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for your great words to teach me of sin and salvation. In Jesus’ name, humble my heart, Holy Spirit, to hear and live your truth. Amen.