Gospel

Seeing with Heart and Soul

by Roland Crim
01/29/17
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“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’ ”“Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. Luke 4:22b-30 NIV

The situation changes right in the middle of verse 22 of Chapter 4. The people had been amazed at the graciousness of the words that came from the mouth of Jesus. Remember back in chapter 2 we had read that the boy Jesus had gone back to Nazareth with Mary and Joseph, and we see at the end of verse 52 that He grew in favor with God and man.

The people could not accept Christ though for who He was. They said “Is this not the son of Joseph?” No, Jesus is the Son of God. Also, they expected Him to perform the deeds like He had performed in Capernaum. Certainly they had to have first-hand proof of what Christ was able to do. These people were certainly the sons and daughters of Abraham. What need did they have for someone to be their Savior? Their eyes were blinded to the truth which stood before them.

Jesus told the people about two prophets, Elijah and Elisha. It is so true that a prophet is not accepted from whence they came, as the people there “know” the prophet, or so they think. Only those who believe in Christ know Him. Those who are not His have closed their eyes to the truth. They are spiritually blind.

Of vital importance to our relationship with Jesus Christ is our faith in Him. We did not see Him in the flesh. We did not see the miraculous deeds He did 2000 years ago. Yet, we know what is written about Him is truth. Through our faith in Him, He works miracles today just as He did when he walked the earth.

The short-sighted see only with their human eyes. They cannot see with their heart and soul. They are so depraved and they don’t even know it.

We must take the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world. Only Jesus Christ can remove the short-sightedness that abides in one’s heart and soul. Let us be Christ’s vessels so that He can do His work in the hearts and souls of many who are lost! AMEN!!