So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.
Luke 4:28-29
Jesus was rejected at Nazareth, the town He spent most of His life living in. His townsmen saw Him “increase in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luk. 2:52). They even marveled at His words and wisdom, knowing He had no formal education or training (Luk. 4:22).
They knew Him as the son of Joseph, but they did not accept Him as the Son of God. They thought themselves deserving of His power and blessing, if He was truly able, as they were His own townsmen and His chosen people. He rebuked them sharply for their disbelief and their entitlement, for though there were many widows in the time of Elijah, he was sent to a Gentile widow rather than to his own people who were starving.
Though there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha, it was a gentile that was healed of his leprosy rather than God’s chosen people. God has shown more compassion at times to a single Gentile than to the multitude of His own people who suffered the same because of their disbelief and faithlessness. Jesus revealed their wickedness to them through His words, and nothing is more offensive to a carnal mind than righteous truth, correction, and rebuke.
Nothing does more to aggravate a carnal mind to wrath than the revealing of their true heart condition. Praise does little to reveal the heart of a person, for even the wicked love those who love them (Matt. 5:46), but a rightful rebuke reveals much. Know this, when a prophet’s difficult message is rejected, so the power of God to bring blessing to the hearers is rejected as well.
Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Matthew 13:58
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