WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24
Luke 4:22-30
John 1:10-13

“He came unto his own,
and his own received him not.”

REJECTED

Jesus was treated with contempt by the people of Nazareth. He publicly stated their thoughts by these words, “ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself ” (Luke 4:23). He was rejected by His own neighbours, a very sad response from the people who personally heard and saw Jesus since childhood. They were hardened and blind to the truth. This is the expected response of the unbelieving. Instead of receiving the personal testimony of Jesus, His neighbours questioned His status in society. If Jesus comes today I think He would expect more rejections than before.

Jesus said that no prophet was accepted in his own country. He “… was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:10-11). Their rejection caused Jesus to withhold His work of miracles in His own village.

Jesus, by giving the examples of how to the widow in Sarepta and Naaman was the grace of God given, implied that such grace would be removed from those of Nazareth and be granted to others. This drove them to madness. Instead of having their consciences pricked to repent and seek a remedy for their sins, they were fuming. Rather than believing Him, the men who heard Him were filled with wrath and thrust Him out. Jesus passed through the middle of the crowd and escaped. The power of God is always victorious to preserve, Jesus had yet to fulfil His mission to save us from our sins.

It is a very sorry situation when Jesus knocks at the door of a person’s heart and he thrusts Him out. The gift of eternal life is freely offered to everybody but if one will not personally receive and take it he can never own it. May the Holy Spirit convict our heart not to reject Jesus but to weep before Him and cry, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).

THOUGHT: Am I preventing Jesus from entering my heart?
PRAYER: O LORD, my God, help me with my unbelief and grant me the grace to believe in Thy only begotten Son. Let me receive Him as Lord and Saviour.