WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday May 11, 2014
Over 60,000 readers worldwide
larrydalexander.blogspot.com
JESUS’ MISSION ON EARTH
(Our mission is to share JESUS’ Good News and not to hinder those who
proclaim it)
(Luke 4:14-30)
After teaching in several
synagogues in the region of Galilee, JESUS returned to HIS childhood hometown
of Nazareth filled with the power of the HOLY SPIRIT. His ministry had begun to
pick up stream, and HE had already gained some degree of notoriety throughout
the surrounding countryside.
Upon arriving
at the village of Nazareth, as had become HIS custom, HE entered into the
synagogue on the Sabbath and stood and read from the scriptures. HE was handed
the scroll that contained a prophetic message from Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1-2). HE
unrolled the scroll to the place where it says; “The SPIRIT of the LORD is upon
ME, for HE has appointed ME to preach Good News to the poor. HE has sent ME to
proclaim that the captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the
downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the
LORD’s favor has come…”(NLT).
JESUS rolled
up the scroll and handed it back to the attendant. HE then, went and sat down
in the pews, as everyone stared at HIM intently. We may or may not notice that
JESUS stopped reading this passage in the middle of a sentence, and did not
read the last part concerning GOD’s judgment. That is because, on this
particular occasion, which is HIS first advent, or, first coming, JESUS did not
come to judge, but rather, this time, HE came only to “save”. Here JESUS was
saying, in effect, that, HIS judgment would be reserved for HIS second coming.
When JESUS
came back to Nazareth, HE put HIMSELF to a very severe test. There is never a
more severe critic of anyone, than those who have known you all of your life,
however, this was not meant to be a private visit. You see, this time, JESUS
came as a Rabbi, and so we see HIM going into the Synagogue to preach and
teach, just as a Rabbi should. Unfortunately, for the Nazarenes, they greeted
JESUS’ teachings with contempt, and even seem to take offense to HIM even
coming there.
It is often
said that “familiarity breeds contempt”, and that certainly seemed to be the
case here, in JESUS’ hometown of Nazareth. The people refused to listen to
JESUS that day, perhaps, for two very human, or, ungodly reasons. First of all,
in their minds, JESUS was just a carpenter, a working man, just like them. And
secondly, JESUS had grown up right there in Nazareth, and they couldn’t make
the leap that HE could be anybody, even remotely special, or important. Isn’t
that, pretty much, the same way we treat those who have become familiar to us
today?
There can be
no teaching, or preaching in the wrong atmosphere, and on that day in Nazareth
the atmosphere was clearly wrong. A person can never be healed, if they refuse
to accept the treatment necessary to make it so. We must, first and foremost,
be receptive to what is being offered, before it can help us to get where we
need to be.
JESUS was
actually hoping to prepare HIS Disciples for rejection when HE traveled to
Nazareth that day, and HE told them just how they should handle it when HE sent
them out on their first mission to preach and teach (Mark 6:11). HE instructed
them that, if any place would not offer hospitality, or listen to their
message, they were to leave that place, and shake, even the dust from that
place, off of their feet.
JESUS also
goes on, to tell them this, “Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable
for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment, than for that city” which
rejects you. No doubt this statement provokes serious thought, and perhaps, can
even lead to repentance by some who have rejected GOD’s word in the past.
This story
serves to remind us, that, sometimes we can be too close to a person to see
just how that person is being used by GOD for HIS purpose. When we look at
people, we should remember first, that, no one is outside of the purpose of
GOD. That is why we, as Christians, have to be concerned about everyone. One
never knows, who, GOD may be using for HIS mighty purpose. We only need to be
able to recognize the things of GOD in that person, when we hear, and see them,
and then, make the decision to help, rather than hinder them from their work
for the cause of CHRIST JESUS.
A Sunday
school lesson by,
Larry D.
Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official
Website
No comments:
Post a Comment