Psalm 17:11

¹¹They have tracked me down, they   now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.

On one Sabbath day, Jesus went into the synagogue in his hometown Nazareth. He spoke to the people in Luke 4:24-30, ²⁴“Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown. ²⁵I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. ²⁶Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. ²⁷And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” ²⁸All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. ²⁹They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. ³⁰But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Why were they furious and wanted to throw Jesus off the cliff? Did they interpret what he implied, and that they also have no faith? Did Jesus imply that only a few who have faith in God can experience miracle, just like in the time of Elijah and Elisha? Many church attendees are very interested in motivational speeches but how many Christians would really expect miracles from the Lord? The widow in Zarephath obeyed the instruction of Elijah. Naaman the Syria hesitated at first but after his servant challenged him, he eventually obeyed the instruction of Elisha.

God still sends his messengers these days, and only those who obey his instruction can experience miracles. But for those who have callous hearts, they would resist the word of God or even want to throw out his messengers, just like how they drove out Jesus from the synagogue. No matter how they respond, we share the good news of Christ and expect his rewards.

Lord Jesus, empower me to testify about you.

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