Day 115: Witnessing to our family – Luke 4 vs 22 – 30

22 Everyone spoke well of him and were amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

23 Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’ - meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ 24 But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown. 25-27 “Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner - a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.”

28-29 When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, 30 but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way. Luke 4:22-30 New Living Translation.

Notice how the people felt about Jesus in vs 22 compared to their response in vs 28-29! What was it that changed their opinion so dramatically?

Reports of marvellous things Jesus had done elsewhere had reached them, so they wanted him to 'perform some miracles' for them to see. It may’ve been that while his words had impressed them, some of them who'd known Jesus in his childhood were sceptical that a local lad could be someone God was using so wonderfully. So they were asking for a sign. Instead, Jesus reminds them of two incidents from the Old Testament when prophets of God had bypassed the Israelites and only miraculously helped people who were foreigners. Why do you think this enraged them so much?

It may have been a matter of pride. They believed they were God's chosen people so it was an insult to imply they were not worthy of miracles. Matthew's gospel tells us they were also offended by that fact that his family still lived in the town – yet here he was seemingly criticising them. He was comparing their lack of faith in who he was to the unbelief that existed in Israel during the days of Elijah and Elisha. Matthew also tells us that Jesus “did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:58)

This event should be a comfort to us if we have been discouraged when family members or friends we grew up with have not been interested when we've tried to tell them about Jesus. We may have found it very difficult to speak of the gospel to them. Jesus also met with resistance from those who had known him well. But we mustn't lose heart and give up. Even though Jesus' own brothers at one stage were 'concerned' about him and didn't believe he could possibly be the Messiah, they eventually did put their trust in him and became disciples.

Don't stop praying for family and friends who are not saved. Remember too what Peter wrote for wives who had unsaved husbands. He said: “Wives . . . accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over by observing your pure and reverent lives.”

Yes, that is a tough call – but can you see how what he is saying could apply not just to wives, but to any Christian living in a home with family who are not saved? It's not always our words that may win them over, it may be our changed lifestyle and behaviour. And, if at first we encounter some hostility, we can take courage from vs 30 where it says “but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.” God is able to protect us when others may wish to harm us.

So don't give up on family or friends who are unsaved - but make sure your own life is growing in such a way that they might see something of Christ in you.