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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Jesus' First Ministry was Unwelcomed (Luke 4-7)

Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. He was tempted by the devil during his forty days fasting. He finished his fasting. He went through Galilee to teach in their synagogues. Then he went on his way to his hometown Nazareth to begin his ministry. He opened the scroll of Isaiah,

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

After Jesus closed the scroll, he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." And Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown." Jesus went on to explain that even Elijah didn't help anyone but one in the land of Israel. He was sent to only Zaraphath among many widows during the three and half years of famine. The same goes for Elisha. None of lepers were cleanesed, but only Naaman. Thus they were filled with wrath. They tried to throw him off the cliff. Jesus went away.

Why didn't Jesus allow them to say something before being direct with them? Why did Jesus say something that would make them angry? Why did Jesus even bothered to go to his hometown?

I'm uncertain. But Luke 12:49-53 states that Jesus came not to give peace, but rather division. God also came to divide the people at the Tower of Babel. Our God is a jealous God. Therefore He came down to refine us, and through the process we may be defined!

Jesus' first ministry is to shake us and then his last ministry is to unify us. Jesus want us to cast away our old ways of thinking, our carnal thoughts.

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