Sore Spots
Reading: Luke 4:22-30
22 Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” 23 Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ 24 But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown. 25 “Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. 27 And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. 29 Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, 30 but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way. (Luke 4:22-30 NLT)
It was a sweet situation, Jesus at his home church, speaking gracious words! Everyone was marveling at the local boy made good! But Jesus knew these folks. He knew their sense of superiority as God’s chosen people. He knew their disdain for people of other races and nationalities and other religious practices. So he put his finger on the sore spot with two little stories from their Bible. He reminded them that during a severe famine 850 years earlier in Elijah’s day, God sent Elijah to a widow in the pagan region of Zarephath and miraculously fed her and her son until the drought ended. Then 50 years later, God directed Elijah’s successor Elisha to heal the commanding office of the oppressing Syrian army of leprosy instead of healing a Jew. When he told them these two stories, they were so infuriated they mobbed him, dragged him out of the synagogue, and tried to throw him off a cliff!
We can get so comfortable with our religion, our prejudices, and our privileges that we overlook attitudes we’re harboring in our hearts. They’re closer to the surface than we realize! It only takes a poke or two of Jesus’ finger to hit a sore spot. Sometimes he puts his finger on something in me that really hurts when he probes it! Jesus does that because he loves me and he knows I want be his disciple and to grow and change. Jesus will do that for each of us if we want him to!
Prayer:
Father, It’s me again praying David’s prayer: 12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:12-14 NLT)