“Is Not This the Carpenter’s Son?”
191
sisters, and knew His life and labors. They had seen Him develop from
childhood to youth, and from youth to manhood. Although His life
had been spotless, they would not believe that He was the Promised
One.
[238]
What a contrast between His teaching in regard to the new kingdom
and that which they had heard from their elder! Jesus had said nothing
of delivering them from the Romans. They had heard of His miracles,
and had hoped that His power would be exercised for their advantage,
but they had seen no indication of such purpose.
As they opened the door to doubt, their hearts became so much the
harder for having been momentarily softened. Satan was determined
that blind eyes should not that day be opened, nor souls bound in
slavery be set at liberty. With intense energy he worked to fasten them
in unbelief. They made no account of the sign already given, when
they had been stirred by the conviction that it was their Redeemer who
addressed them.
But Jesus now gave them an evidence of His divinity by revealing
their secret thoughts. “He said unto them, Doubtless ye will say unto
Me this parable, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard
done at Capernaum, do also here in Thine own country. And He said,
Verily I say unto you, No prophet is acceptable in his own country. But
of a truth I say unto you, There were many widows in Israel in the days
of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months,
when there came a great famine over all the land; and unto none of
them was Elijah sent, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, unto
a woman that was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in
the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but
only Naaman, the Syrian.”
Luke 4:23-27
, R. V.
By this relation of events in the lives of the prophets, Jesus met
the questionings of His hearers. The servants whom God had chosen
for a special work were not allowed to labor for a hardhearted and
unbelieving people. But those who had hearts to feel and faith to
believe were especially favored with evidences of His power through
the prophets. In the days of Elijah, Israel had departed from God. They
clung to their sins, and rejected the warnings of the Spirit through the
Lord’s messengers. Thus they cut themselves off from the channel
by which God’s blessing could come to them. The Lord passed by
the homes of Israel, and found a refuge for His servant in a heathen