- with Jeff Klein, Pastor of Outreach
Jeffrey Klein 00:08
Welcome to Elmhurst CRC's daily dose in the Word of God. Today is Tuesday, January 25. My name is Jeff Klein, Pastor of Outreach at Elmhurst Church. I'll be reading from Luke 4:21-30. "He began to speak to them. 'The Scripture you've just heard has been fulfilled this very day.' Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. 'How can this be this isn't this Joseph's son?' Then he said, 'You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself!' Meaning, do miracles here in your own hometown, like those who didn't convert him. 'But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in His own hometown. Certainly, there were many 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. The Elijah was not sent to any one of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner, a widow of zero faith in the land of Sidon. And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elijah, and the only one who was healed was Naaman— a Syrian.' When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious, jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill and which the town was built, then attended to push him over the cliff. But He passed right through the crowd and went on his way."
Jeffrey Klein 01:27
Wow. After praising Jesus for his amazing teaching, and be amazed at his words, the same people now want to throw Him off a cliff. What happened? Well, he started to tell the truth, the real truth, he talked about what it means to be a prophet, one who delivers the word of the Lord to the people of God, he began to explain how he would never be accepted Nazareth like it wasn't. The people of Nazareth knew him. They watched him grow up, they would always remain slightly jaded to his words. But then he went a step further quoting scripture from the Book of Kings, reminding them of stories from their own Bible, and suggesting that God could work more powerfully amongst the pagan Gentiles, suggesting that something was wrong with the way they were doing things. What an outrage. How is it possible that miracles can happen among the pagans? And that happened among those already on the inside? Do you think this principle is still true today? If God sent a prophet from our own church family, would we accept him or her or we try to throw them off a cliff? Will we be just as offended just as put off at the prophet suggested that God couldn't work miracles here at Elmhurst CRC? And that he could work them among the pagans, or that we are doing things wrong? If a prophet showed up at ECRC what would they say? And how would it be received? What do you think the message would be? Wake up? Get out of your seats? Stop being so busy that you don't have time for me, trust me, get moving, and how would you receive it?
Jeffrey Klein 02:59
Let's pray. Lord, God, give us the courage to hear Your word. All of your word for us. And not to get defensive and angry, but to receive it and to look forward to change us deep inside your name we pray Jesus, Amen.