The Performer

Luke 4:23–30

Don't we sometimes expect God to do our will, rather than have us do His?

Photo by Matt Botsford on Unsplash

In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say, 'Do here also in your hometown 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 hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up 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 4:23–30

Perform for us, Jesus. How are we to believe you unless you show us some tricks?

If I show you these things, you will still not believe them.

Jesus knows what they are thinking and tells them their own thoughts, to which he replies.

It is not because they care for the sick and poor that they want Jesus to do some signs for them. They don't care about the widows and orphans, or the lepers and crippled.

They want a show.

What would we want if Jesus came back to a major stadium in our town? Would we want to hear him speak to us, or would we be looking for a real spectacle?

When we are sick or in trouble, don't we want him to do our bidding?

Isn't that what we believe Jesus is for? When we gather in his name, he is with us and will do our will, right?

We do like a spectacle, though, don't we?

If you've ever been to a Christian concert, you know there is a point in the show where everyone is asked to commit their life to Christ. The people in attendance become the spectacle.

But it should not be about the spectacle. Getting pumped up and becoming enthusiastic just so you commit to Christ seems wrong to me.

Our faith is personal and should be real.

We don't need a performance or a spectacle. We need to believe. It is a quiet, personal revelation, and it could take time, like the mustard seed.

So, what do you expect from Jesus?

More to come...

---