Image from agnusday.org
Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.” ’ And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’ When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way. (Luke 4: 21-30)
Happy Monday, dear Friend! Yes, for some that's an oxymoron, but the two words can go together if we face this day with the proper attitude. I pray that time with God this day blesses our lives to being the people who love and welcome each day as a gift from God.
One graphic I could have chosen for today just says WORST SERMON EVER! And, if we judge the reaction of the congregation to the sermon, this may well have been the worst sermon ever because at the end of it the crowd wanted to kill Jesus. Ouch! Look at His words for that day. Hometown boy welcomed with expectations that He would amaze and impress as He had done over in the next town. Yet, the scripture for that day, as we read last Monday, was a heavy one, and to make matters worse, Jesus claimed that He was the fulfillment of that very old prophecy. Then He addresses their expectations and attitudes; "You claim to know me, I grew up here... (And this isn't helping me since I have to preach in a couple of weeks in Kingsville where I grew up! Gulp!) And Jesus is also saying, "You're expecting, no demanding somethings, because of who you think you are, but I can't deliver in that way." And Jesus also reminds them of their history. "Sometimes, God acts on behalf of foreigners and strangers; aliens and enemies." A sermon like that even today in some churches would get the crowd to squirm and maybe even to convene the pulpit committee or pastor-parish committee.
We're still in the season of Epiphany, where the God reveals that Jesus came for all people not just the Jews. The coming of the magi, kings or wisemen from the East came to the site of Jesus' birth and worshiped Him, showing His birth was even for those outside of the national boundaries of the Jews. God's act of bringing His Son to the world impacts the entire world; and even events from the Old Testament spoke to that. As our fiends the sheep above remind us, "God doesn't play favorites, because we are ALL His favorites." His good news was not about privilege but about our responsibility to make those news known to all people.
PRAYER: Awesome God of us all, speak to my heart and let me see that You love me as You love even those who don't like me or go out of their way to hurt or harm me. Yet, I know I am Your favorite to do what You have asked of me. Bless me in ways that allows me to be faithful and fruitful! In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show others that they are all your favorites today!
Eradio Valverde
PRAYER REQUEST: A dear wonderful lady we have known for many years from our time in Mission, Texas, Mrs. Angie Acevedo, is in hospice care and needs our prayers. Please pray for her and her family. Her husband died some years ago and together they blessed our eleven years there in wonderful, awesome ways. Pray for one another and pray for yourself.
