And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” Luke 4:24-27 (ESV)
No prophet is welcome in his hometown. This was true of Jesus and is probably true of those who speak the truth today.
Prophets spoke for God, warned the people of evil, and spoke definitively about the future. If you are warning people, then the people need warning, and people do not like warnings, especially when given by a local who grew up with them, the same way as them.
They could think that this prophet grew up and became too good for them, and he was judging them. In reality, the truth was judging them, and they just put a face with it. Their hatred for the truth is then translated into hatred for the one who gave the message.
This is the way it is. I cannot change culture, but I can change my attitude towards those in positions of authority, and must, or I chance being irrelevant.
Brother Dave -
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this, although I disagree with your one statement, "I cannot change culture." Perhaps that requires an additional sentence or qualifier...?
The giftings and desires that God has placed within me brings a Holy Discontent for what is happening in the world today. The rules have changed, people are not playing fair anymore. That grieves my heart, as I am sure it grieves my Father's heart as well. I get angry that those who want to be a catalyst for positive change may not have the proper avenue, and those who have the avenue, want to see more degradation of society. In response, the Holy Spirit is shrinking my world. A reminder to model my ministry after that of Jesus. Directly influence those in my circle; pray and trust those will then influence others.... so on and so on. Culture has been defined since the beginning of time by no more than three thousand change agents, a tiny fraction of the population. Historians and secularists agree; since recorded history, a little less than 3000 people have been responsible for major culture shifts.
Having spent a solid decade of summers at SBR, the truth of the Gospel of Jesus changed me. My heart and my mind were changed and transformed towards the things of God.... In turn, the culture of my family and my friends were changed, for good, due to the influence of other Christians in my life.
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:13–14).
Christians are to be salt and light, influencing the culture for good as they reflect the Lord Jesus Christ in everything they do. I will continue to do what I can, with what I have, where I am at... until Jesus returns.
I am sure I am preaching to the choir; Galatians 6:9 - - So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
I appreciate you, and the ministry work of SBR and NBI. I am honored to fight for truth alongside of you, and prayerfully influence change one life at a time.