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Luke 4:28 …the people in the synagogue were furious.
Luke 4:16-30 provides additional details to the account of Jesus being rejected by the people of Nazareth. This account more fully reveals that the people rejected Jesus because He did not live up to their beliefs as to who the Messiah would be and what the Messiah would do.
Some in Jesus’ day believed the coming Messiah would be this great warrior-king who would annihilate the Roman Empire and make the people of God into a great nation.
Some of them believed that the nation of Israel was the greatest nation in the world, and that when the Messiah came He would bring them back to their rightful status.
Some believed that the Messiah would come primarily for the people of Israel and not for the other, much more sinful nations and people.
But their understanding of the coming Messiah and what He would do was a cultural understanding. Not all of their beliefs were wrong, but they were incomplete. They didn’t reveal the full picture.
READING & PRAYERS:
LUKE 4:16-30, ACTS 17:11 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)
QUESTION: Where do your beliefs about Jesus come from? Is it primarily from the Scriptures, or from your culture?
REAL LIFE PRACTICE: Consider giving up watching national news, social media, and other distractions for at least one full week in order to slow down and spend time with Jesus.
Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, today’s reading is leading me to acknowledge that a lot of my beliefs about You come from my family and culture. As Acts 17:11 says, may I search the Scriptures and rely on them to see if what others say about You is true. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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