Sunday, March 20, 2022

No Prophet Is Honored In His Own Country

 "JESUS added, 'No prophet is honored in his own country.  Truly, I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens withheld rain for three years and six months and a great famine came over the whole land.  Yet, Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow of Zarephath, in the country of Sidon.  There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha, the prophet; and no one was healed except Naaman, the Syrian.'

On  hearing these words, the whole assembly became indignant.  They rose up and brought HIM out of the town, to the edge of the hill of which Nazareth is built, intending to throw HIM down the cliff.  But HE passed through their midst and went HIS  way." - Luke 4:24-30 

(Luke explains why the people of Nazareth rejected JESUS:
- First, because of their pride: a stranger easily dazzles us, but we fiercely deny that one of us could stand out or be our teacher: who is this but Joseph's Son?
- Secondly, because of their selfishness: they do not agree that GOD's benefits should be shared with others.  So JESUS reminds them that the prophets of old did not limit their favors to their compatriots alone [see 1 Kings 17:7 and 2 Kings 5].)

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