Rejected By His Own

This is the testimony of John, a man sent from God, who came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. John 1: 7b. Bearing witness to that Light, John speaks these most, disturbingly sad and pitiful words. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. John 1: 11. The Light to which John is referring is Jesus. The people to whom John is referring, are the Jews.

We remember the words of God’s angel to Joseph when he explained to him about Mary’s pregnancy, telling him not to put her away, but to take her, pregnant as she is, to be his wife. After telling Joseph that Mary will have a son, he said this to him. You shall call Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. Matthew 1: 21b. Jesus came to save His people, the Jews, but He was rejected by them. I ask you then, has Jesus’ coming been a waste of time? Has His birth been for nothing? Has God’s pronouncement, through His heavenly messenger, been shot down and made impotent and obsolete, because of human rejection? 

This is the scene among Jesus’ own people, in His own hometown, where everyone knows Him, from the time He was a growing lad. With His disciples following Him, Jesus goes to Nazareth, His own hometown, where family, friends, neighbours, teachers and many more whom He knows and who know Him, reside. This is a place where Jesus is no stranger, for He is one of them. We are told how He goes to the synagogue, as is the Jewish custom for their Rabbis and He teaches the people. However, they refused to accept Him, and they were offended at Him. Mark 6: 3b. So intense was their rejection and disbelief, Mark tells us that Jesus, could do no mighty work there, except that He laid hands on a few sick and healed them. Mark 6: 5b. 

This Light of Jesus does not bypass us, as we are brought to see and hear truth about Him, which is being rejected, dismissed and literally explained away in our time. This is what we are hearing about what Jesus can do. If we are being told that Jesus could not do mighty works there, it is plain evidence and testimony to the fact that Jesus can do mighty works. We have to be agreed on the fact that our human, limited brains cannot even begin to think about, much more describe what, mighty works refer to, when it comes to Jesus, who is God Himself in flesh? Listen to Job’s questions. Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? Job 11: 7.

O may we be humbled in the fact that our Lord can do great and mighty works which we cannot even begin to fathom. This is a truth that is so easily being dismissed and explained away that many hearers accept and believe. It is being fed to us by many of our leaders, shepherds, teachers and those in religious authority over us, that Jesus does not work miracles as He used to do in Bible days.

Have you ever stopped to think of this, do you realize that the onus is on Jesus no longer doing mighty miracles, and not on our poor, sick, dead unbelieving faith?

Think seriously about it? Can we, in all good conscience, deny this fact in many of our Churches and in many of our minds and hearts?  Think with only the Holy Spirit’s help. He is guaranteed to lead you into all truth.