Luke 4:22-24 (The Message) (Focus verse 22)
All who were there, watching and listening, were surprised at how well He (Jesus) spoke. But they also said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son, the one we’ve known since He was a youngster?”
Jesus was rejected in Nazareth (4:16-30). In His home synagogue He had read from Isaiah with an anointing of the Holy Spirit that dumbfounded the hometown folks. They framed Him in the context of Joseph and Mary. His divinity was not acknowledged. His teaching was written off with an attitude of scorn and unbelief. Unbelief gets in the way of any mighty work of God (Matt. 13:58; Mark 6:6). It is the sign of a closed heart. But more than that, the people responded to His reading of Isaiah with wrath. “Jesus’ forthright answers resulted in a violent reaction” * (4:28-29). He survived their deadly attack (vs. 30) and went on to Capernaum, where He brought deliverance to the demon possessed man in the synagogue. Our ministry will be viewed through many different lenses, leading people to react differently to what we say and believe. Follow Christ’s example. Keep going. Don’t let disappointments deter you from sharing your faith and pointing people to Jesus. There are open hearts out there who need to hear your story and who will respond by choosing to follow Jesus.