Be Resolute in Rejection
Based on Luke 4:16-30
Has it ever happened to you that you’ve been out on the flight deck, in the motor pool, out at the range, or in the shop, and you’ve gone over the training regs over and over again, but there’s that one individual or maybe that small group of people that just don’t seem to get it, for whatever reason? How does that make you feel?
I’m guessing there’s probably some frustration or maybe some anger. Maybe you had a loss for words, or maybe you want to say some words that you probably shouldn’t say, and you’re thinking to yourself, What more can I do for you?
I wonder if Jesus felt this way a little bit in Luke chapter 4. I encourage you to read it today. In Luke 4, Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth. He’s there with his family and friends and neighbors, people who knew him and people whom he knew. He’s in the synagogue reading the Scriptures to them and reading about how the Scriptures point to himself. He is saying, “These Scriptures are talking about me. Here’s what I’ve come to do: I’ve come to bring you good news.”
This good news is not just some military briefing on a new policy or a safety stand-down, but this is how to get to heaven and how to be right with God—all of the promises that God has to give to them. It’s a free gift to them. But as you read the story, they refuse to believe it. We’re not told what is going through Jesus’ mind as this is all happening, but I suspect there’s some sadness and some compassion for these lost souls because they are so obstinate that they rush him out of the synagogue and take him to the edge of the town where there’s a cliff. They intend to throw him off of it to murder him.
The reason we have this story in the Scriptures is so Jesus can remind us that if people did these things to him, our Lord and Savior, how are they going to treat us when we, his followers, have conversations with others about this same good news, this same free gift?
I know you’ve already had those conversations, and I’m hoping it has never escalated to the point of violence. But I know that you and I have heard some pretty awful things said about our Savior Jesus. We’ve heard some pretty awful things said about our faith, the Bible, our churches, and about Christianity.
Jesus gives us this story in Luke 4 to tell us to not be afraid. This is nothing new, and you are not alone. Your Savior Jesus knows and hears and sees all these things. And he doesn’t just know and hear them, he provides us with tools to get us through it, to endure. He gives us the power of prayer, just as he gave it to the apostles. And we see this time and time again in the book of Acts and in Paul’s letters and in Peter’s letters, where they talk about praying when people were so obstinate that they wanted to kill the apostles, and they did. But they prayed, and God answered their prayer and gave them the strength to get through those things.
Jesus gives you prayer. He gives you his promises. These are the same promises that Jesus himself clung to when evil men hated him so much that they murdered him by putting him on a cross. But even in that moment, Jesus continued to pray to his Father to deliver him, and he did, by raising him from the dead.
So do not be afraid. People will reject you because they reject Christ, but Jesus will never reject you. Jesus’ encouragement to you and me today is to continue to be bold and persistent. Be confident and be patient with people. Have compassion for their lost souls, and love them.
Because you already know that you have the hope of eternal life. You have the joy of the forgiveness of all of your sins. You have the peace of knowing that you are in a right relationship with your Savior. And there are some people who are just going to reject that good news. So pray for them. Pray for them today by name. Pray that the almighty power of the gospel would break their stony hearts like a hammer. Pray in joy and humility that the Holy Spirit would use you as his mouthpiece to point another soul to Jesus Christ.
Prayer:
Almighty God, you sent your Son to proclaim your kingdom and to teach with authority. Anoint us with the power of your Spirit that we too may bring good news to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to the captive.
And today we pray, O Holy Spirit, that you would open doors for our Ministry to the Military. Open the way for WELS congregations who are near our duty stations to connect with the military communities in their area, to fulfill needs of the military members in those areas, and to use their efforts to build relationships so that a bridge might be built to Jesus. The power of your Word alone can do this. So we pray, do this according to your good pleasure and purpose. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Based on Luke 4:16-30
Has it ever happened to you that you’ve been out on the flight deck, in the motor pool, out at the range, or in the shop, and you’ve gone over the training regs over and over again, but there’s that one individual or maybe that small group of people that just don’t seem to get it, for whatever reason? How does that make you feel?
I’m guessing there’s probably some frustration or maybe some anger. Maybe you had a loss for words, or maybe you want to say some words that you probably shouldn’t say, and you’re thinking to yourself, What more can I do for you?
I wonder if Jesus felt this way a little bit in Luke chapter 4. I encourage you to read it today. In Luke 4, Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth. He’s there with his family and friends and neighbors, people who knew him and people whom he knew. He’s in the synagogue reading the Scriptures to them and reading about how the Scriptures point to himself. He is saying, “These Scriptures are talking about me. Here’s what I’ve come to do: I’ve come to bring you good news.”
This good news is not just some military briefing on a new policy or a safety stand-down, but this is how to get to heaven and how to be right with God—all of the promises that God has to give to them. It’s a free gift to them. But as you read the story, they refuse to believe it. We’re not told what is going through Jesus’ mind as this is all happening, but I suspect there’s some sadness and some compassion for these lost souls because they are so obstinate that they rush him out of the synagogue and take him to the edge of the town where there’s a cliff. They intend to throw him off of it to murder him.
The reason we have this story in the Scriptures is so Jesus can remind us that if people did these things to him, our Lord and Savior, how are they going to treat us when we, his followers, have conversations with others about this same good news, this same free gift?
I know you’ve already had those conversations, and I’m hoping it has never escalated to the point of violence. But I know that you and I have heard some pretty awful things said about our Savior Jesus. We’ve heard some pretty awful things said about our faith, the Bible, our churches, and about Christianity.
Jesus gives us this story in Luke 4 to tell us to not be afraid. This is nothing new, and you are not alone. Your Savior Jesus knows and hears and sees all these things. And he doesn’t just know and hear them, he provides us with tools to get us through it, to endure. He gives us the power of prayer, just as he gave it to the apostles. And we see this time and time again in the book of Acts and in Paul’s letters and in Peter’s letters, where they talk about praying when people were so obstinate that they wanted to kill the apostles, and they did. But they prayed, and God answered their prayer and gave them the strength to get through those things.
Jesus gives you prayer. He gives you his promises. These are the same promises that Jesus himself clung to when evil men hated him so much that they murdered him by putting him on a cross. But even in that moment, Jesus continued to pray to his Father to deliver him, and he did, by raising him from the dead.
So do not be afraid. People will reject you because they reject Christ, but Jesus will never reject you. Jesus’ encouragement to you and me today is to continue to be bold and persistent. Be confident and be patient with people. Have compassion for their lost souls, and love them.
Because you already know that you have the hope of eternal life. You have the joy of the forgiveness of all of your sins. You have the peace of knowing that you are in a right relationship with your Savior. And there are some people who are just going to reject that good news. So pray for them. Pray for them today by name. Pray that the almighty power of the gospel would break their stony hearts like a hammer. Pray in joy and humility that the Holy Spirit would use you as his mouthpiece to point another soul to Jesus Christ.
Prayer:
Almighty God, you sent your Son to proclaim your kingdom and to teach with authority. Anoint us with the power of your Spirit that we too may bring good news to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to the captive.
And today we pray, O Holy Spirit, that you would open doors for our Ministry to the Military. Open the way for WELS congregations who are near our duty stations to connect with the military communities in their area, to fulfill needs of the military members in those areas, and to use their efforts to build relationships so that a bridge might be built to Jesus. The power of your Word alone can do this. So we pray, do this according to your good pleasure and purpose. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.