November 6 Jesus' View

November 6

Jesus' View

FOR our final look at the mighty warrior Naaman healed of leprosy, we look to Jesus' teaching in Luke 4:25-27 "But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."  

    The Jews' response to Jesus' words was dramatic: Luke 4:28-30 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away.  

    Why did the Jews nearly kill Jesus for his teachings here? It was because Jesus used the ministries of Elijah and Elisha to the widow at Zarephath and of Naaman respectively as a teaching against Israel's lack of faith. Jesus convicts the Jews, "Foreigners had more faith than you!" And thus, God would not work his miracles through these prophets among God's people because he found no faith in Israel.

    Jesus is telling God's chosen people how they have rejected God. Of course, they didn't want to hear such truth. Violently they opposed the truth and God's judgment. Their only response to the truth was to try and kill him.

    Do you know this is a common response to God's truth today? We know how Christians who stand for Jesus are killed. There are also many people who receive death threats because they are famous for preaching the gospel throughout the world. For example, the apologist Ravi Zacharias, in ministry for 40 years to defend the gospel worldwide, talks of a growing number of threatening phone calls and emails to him and his ministry. Recently, he also needed a body guard to protect him at an Ivy League school. Imagine! You go to teach about Jesus, and you are threatened! Will it come to this in our churches? In some ways it already has.

    Sin can't stand to hear the truth. God's people would eventually kill God's Son, the Living Truth. But we know the Truth is alive. We know no one can kill the Truth of the Good News! Be faithful and stand in the gaps that lies create. Stand for your faith. Stand for your family, your church and your community.

    Stand in Christ and be saved to eternal life. Galatians 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.  

Prayer: Fill our hearts with faith Lord. Grand us faith to be firm for you and with you forever. Amen.