Luke 4:22-30

Date: Sunday, January 31, 2010
Study 9: Jesus deserves our love and gratitude.
Bible Study: Jesus Is Rejected in His Hometown (Luke 4:22-30)

SCRIPTURE STUDY

We last left with Jesus reading/teaching at the Synagogue in his hometown.

Luke 4:

22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
They marveled at His words, but they could not even see that this was the Son of God

23 He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’”
24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.
25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land;
26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
·    This was talked about in  1 Kgs 17:9-24 during a drought God told Elijah to go there

27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”
·    This was talked about in  2 Kings 5 when Elisha healed Naaman of leprosy

28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 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.
30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

Jesus, Elijah, and Elisha had done miracles at other places because of the disbelief here “at home”
Elijah and Elisha were going to the Gentiles.
This really got them upset!


SUMMARY
Jesus' audience, the Jews, failed to see his true identity.
Instead, they were enraged by his teachings.
Jesus referred to himself as called to go to all people. God wanted all people!
Jesus' audience rejected His teaching and rejected what was really great news--God came to love and help all people. They simply missed the point of Jesus' amazing message.

NOTES

·    Zarephath -- a Phoenician coastal city located about 10 mi south of Sidon (in modern Lebanon) and thus in Gentile territory; the Greek and Latin form of the name is Sarepta

CONVERSATION

If you met Jesus face to face, what would your reaction be ??
What has Jesus done for you ??  (and how does that make you feel ??)
What are some practical ways that we can respond to Jesus in everyday situations ??