The stories of Jesus are full of surprises. Maybe you have read many storybooks that have surprises, but no one ever wrote a story like this one. It is from the Bible, so it is all true!
When Jesus was a boy, He lived in Nazareth with His parents and brothers and sisters. There were five boys in the family, and Jesus was the oldest. We don’t know how many sisters He had, because the Bible doesn’t tell us. When He was about thirty years old, Jesus went to live in Capernaum, but then He returned to Nazareth where He had been brought up. He went to the usual place of worship and stood up to read.
What book would He read? The Scriptures, of course. It is the only book to show us the way to God. The attendant gave Him an old book - a scroll of Isaiah - and He read the wonderful words from chapter 61, “He hath sent Me to [heal] the brokenhearted.”
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if some doctor lived near you who could heal the brokenhearted? Someone who could also open blind eyes to see and set prisoners free? There was Someone right there in Nazareth who could do all those things, and all for free. It was Jesus, the very person who was reading to them. They enjoyed the message and His gracious words of hope.
Then Jesus reminded the listeners of the days of hunger long ago when God had sent Elijah to a Gentile country to a widow who received from God enough food to feed Elijah and her family too. And He reminded them of Naaman, that poor army captain of a Gentile country who had leprosy and was healed completely through Elisha. Those were miracles, but that was not the way they wanted it. Those miracles to Gentiles hurt their religious pride, and they were furious with Jesus for reminding them.
God tells you the same message today. Never mind where you were born or your pride in your religion. Religious or not, God wants to save you, no matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, because “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)). Jesus wants to save you so much that He died for you. Does this make you happy? or angry? or do you say, “Who cares?”
The crowd that day decided to get rid of Jesus. Their plan was to take Him to the top of a cliff and throw Him over it. Perhaps you have another way to be rid of Him - just leave Him out of your life, and out of books, and out of schools, and out of Sundays. Whatever your plan is, it won’t work because Jesus loves you, and He wants to save you from your sins right now. After you leave this life, you are going to meet Him, either as your Saviour or as your Judge.
The crowd took Jesus to the hilltop that day, but He passed right through the middle of them and went on His way. They could not destroy Him then, for God’s plan was that Jesus must die on the cross for sinners, and the crowd could not change God’s plan. Jesus’ love took Him to the cross to be the Saviour for you and me today.
About a year later, Jesus returned to Nazareth. They were amazed at His wisdom and His wonderful works, because they said that He was just the carpenter’s son and they knew His brothers and sisters. So how could He be so wonderful? They didn’t believe that He was the Son of God.
Yes, our Jesus is wonderful! He was a real man, and he got hungry and thirsty just like all of us do. But He was also the Creator God, and this power could be seen in everything He did. We can’t begin to understand everything about Him, but we can understand that He loves us very much. Romans 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) says, “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And 1 John 3:1616Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16) says, “Hereby perceive [understand] we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us.”
Whether you will have Him or not, He is still the Saviour of sinners and the Judge of all the earth. He has saved many of us from our sins. Will you let Him save you?
You may read this story for yourself in Luke 4:16-3016And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 22And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? 23And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 24And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 25But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 28And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 30But he passing through the midst of them went his way, (Luke 4:16‑30).
ML-05/15/2005