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Humble Hero
“Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and
sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed
on Him. ... So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious
words which proceeded out of His mouth.”
Explaining the words He had read, Jesus spoke of the Messiah as
One who would relieve the oppressed, heal the afflicted, restore sight
to the blind, and reveal the light of truth. The wonderful meaning
of His words thrilled the hearers with a power they had never felt
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before. The tide of divine influence broke every barrier down. As the
Holy Spirit moved their hearts, they responded with fervent amens
and praises to the Lord.
But when Jesus announced, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in
your hearing,” they suddenly were called upon to think of the claims
of Him who had been addressing them. He had represented them,
children of Abraham, as being in bondage, prisoners to be delivered
from the power of evil, in darkness, and needing the light of truth.
This offended their pride. Jesus’ work for them was to be entirely
different from what they wanted. He might investigate their deeds
too closely. They shrank from inspection by those clear, searching
eyes.
“Who is this Jesus?” they questioned. He who had claimed the
glory of the Messiah was the Son of a carpenter. They had seen
Him toiling up and down the hills. They were acquainted with His
brothers and sisters, and they knew His life and labors. They had
seen Him develop from childhood to manhood. Although His life
had been spotless, they would not believe that He was the Promised
One. They opened the door to doubt, and their hearts became harder
for having been briefly softened. With intense energy, Satan worked
to fasten them in unbelief.
They had been stirred by the conviction that it was their Re-
deemer who addressed them. But Jesus now gave them evidence
of His divinity by revealing their secret thoughts. “No prophet is
accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly, many widows were
in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three
years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all
the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath,
in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many