In Luke 4, Jesus came to Nazareth where He had been brought up. According to His custom, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. (Luke 4:16) His manner of reading and the words He spoke demanded attention. Concerning His reading, “…all bore witness to Him and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth, and they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22)
The hometown folks of Nazareth remembered Jesus as the son of their neighbors Joseph and Mary but did not know Jesus as the Messiah. However, as He spoke, He did so with authority, confirming that the scripture He read, spoke of Him.
Jesus said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country? ” (Luke 4:23)
The idea of the Proverb is, “Show me…” This is likely similar to the tone of those who would later say, “If thou be the son of GOD, come down off of the cross and we will believe you.” (Matthew 27:42) Those at the foot of the cross did not believe that He would come down and neither did the individuals in the Synagogue believe that He was the Messiah of Isaiah 61. Jesus answered, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. Luke 4:24
Those who GOD sent were often, if not most times rejected. Acts 7:51-53
In Luke 4:25-27 Jesus provides them with 2 examples….
The 1st example was the prophet Elijah, taken from the 1st Kings 17. The 2nd was Elijah’s successor Elisha found in 2nd Kings 5.
Concerning Elijah, there was a famine in Israel. Elijah informed Ahab that there would be no rain or dew for an extended period of time, except by His Word.Elijah was told by the Lord to hide himself by a brook east of the Jordan. After the brook dried up, the Lord did not send Him to any of His own people but sent Him to Zarephath a Phoenician coastal city between Tyre and Sidon, which was a Gentile area. Here the Lord put Elijah in the path of a Gentile widow. There is more to the story, but the point Jesus wanted those of Nazareth to get was, the Prophet of God was not sent to any of the widows of His own nation but rather to a Gentile widow in Sidon.
Why? A prophet has no honor in His own country…
Concerning Elisha… Leprosy was a widespread disease and there were several among his own country who could have benefited by the miracles of Elisha, but he was not sent to any of them. Instead, he was sent to the captain of the Syrian army; a Gentile named Naaman. There is likewise more to the story of Naaman, but the point Jesus wants His people to see is the same principle applied in the story of Elijah, a prophet has no honor in His home country.
Jesus used a Gentile widow and leper to identify the state of those in Nazareth. It did not take long for them to realize who they were in the analogy. They represented the ones of Israel who did not appreciate, accept, or honor Elijah and Elisha.Therefore, they did not benefit from the blessings that Elijah and Elisha had to offer. The hometown folks of Nazareth did not appreciate, accept or honor Jesus for who He was. If they failed to change their mind, they would not benefit from the blessings of the anointed Messiah spoken of in Luke 4:18-19.
Upon hearing these words, they became enraged and sought the life of Jesus. Luke 4:28-30
Why was their anger so intense?
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
The Proverb Jesus presented to them spoke of the condition of their heart. Instead of accepting the truth revealed to them and seeking to correct their state, they became angry and sought to kill Him. When the truth of GOD’S word reveals that the state of our heart needs to change, how do we respond? Our response too, will impact whether or not we benefit from the blessings of the anointed Messiah.
Prospering Pathway 
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