Luke 4:23-32

And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well." And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away. And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.

— Luke 4:23-32

Three great lessons stand out on the face of this passage. Each deserves the close attention of all who desire spiritual wisdom.  

We learn for one thing — how apt men are to despise the highest privileges, when they are familiar with them. We see it in the conduct of the men of Nazareth, when they had heard the Lord Jesus preach. They could find no fault in His sermon. They could point to no inconsistency in His past life. But because the preacher had dwelt among them thirty years, and His face, and voice, and appearance were familiar to them — they would not receive His doctrine. They said to one another, "Is not this Joseph's son?" Is it possible that one so well-known as this man, can be the Christ? And they drew from our Lord's lips the solemn saying, "No prophet is accepted in his own country."

We shall do well to remember this lesson, in the matter of ordinances and means of grace. We are always in danger of undervaluing them — when we have them in abundance. We are apt to think lightly of the privilege of an open Bible, a preached Gospel, and the liberty of meeting together for public worship. We grow up in the midst of these things, and are accustomed to have them without trouble. And the consequence is that we often hold them very cheap, and underrate the extent of our mercies.

Let us take heed to our own heart, in the use of sacred things. As often as we may read the Bible — let us never read it without deep reverence. As often as we hear the name of Christ — let us never forget that He is the One Mediator, in whom is life.

Even the manna that came down from Heaven was at length scorned by Israel, as "worthless food." (Numbers 21:5.) It is an evil day with our souls, when Christ is in the midst of us — and yet, because of our familiarity with His name, is lightly esteemed.

We learn, for another thing — how bitterly human nature dislikes the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. We see this in the conduct of the Jews of Nazareth — when our Lord reminded them that God was under no obligation to work miracles among them. Were there not many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah? No doubt there were. Yet to none of them was the prophet sent. All were passed over in favor of a GENTILE widow at Zarephath. Were there not many lepers in Israel in the days of Elisha? No doubt there were. Yet to none of them was the privilege of healing granted. Naaman the SYRIAN was the only one who was cleansed. Such doctrine as this was intolerable to the Jews of Nazareth. It wounded their pride and self-conceit. It taught them that God was no man's debtor, and that if they themselves were passed over in the distribution of His mercies — they had no right to find fault. They could not bear His teaching. They were "filled with rage!" They thrust our Lord out of their city — and had it not been for an exercise of miraculous power on His part, they would doubtless have put Him to a violent death by hurling Him off the cliff! Of all the doctrines of the Bible, none is so offensive to human nature as the doctrine of God's sovereignty. Man can bear to be told that God is great, and just, and holy, and pure. But to be told that "He has mercy on whom He will have mercy" — that He "gives no account of His matters," that it is "not of him who wills, nor of him who runs — but of God who shows mercy" — these are truths that natural man cannot stand. They often call forth all his enmity against God, and fill him with wrath. Nothing, in short, will make him submit to them — but the humbling teaching of the Holy Spirit. Let us settle it in our minds that, whether we like it or not — the sovereignty of God is a doctrine clearly revealed in the Bible, and a fact clearly to be seen in the world. Upon no other principle can we ever explain why some members of a family are converted — and others live and die in sin; why some quarters of the earth are enlightened by Christianity — and others remain buried in heathenism. One account alone can be given of all this. All is ordered by the sovereign hand of God! Let us pray for humility in respect of this deep teaching. Let us never doubt that at the last day the whole world shall be convinced, that He who now "gives no account of His matters" has done all things well!

We learn, lastly, from this passage — how diligently we ought to persevere in well doing, notwithstanding discouragements. We are doubtless meant to draw this lesson from the conduct of our Lord, after His rejection at Nazareth. Not moved by the harsh treatment He received — He patiently works on. Thrust out of one place — He passes on to another. Cast forth from Nazareth — He comes to Capernaum, and there teaches on the Sabbath.

Such ought to be the conduct of all the people of Christ. Whatever the work they are called to do — they should patiently continue in it, and not give up for lack of success. Whether preachers, or teachers, or visitors, or missionaries — they must labor on and not faint. There is often more stirring in the hearts and consciences of people — than those who teach and preach to them are at all aware of. There is preparatory work to be done in many a part of God's vineyard — which is just as needful as any other work, though not so agreeable to flesh and blood. There must be sowers as well as reapers. There must be some to break up the ground and pick out the stones — as well as some to gather in the harvest.

Let each labor on in his own place. The day is coming when each shall be rewarded according to his work. The very discouragements we meet with, enable us to show the world that there are such things as faith and patience. When men see us working on, in spite of treatment like that which Jesus received at Nazareth — it makes them think. It convinces them that, at all events — we are persuaded that we have truth on our side.