Bible Reading: Judges 4,5,6. Luke 4:23-44
“And he said, verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country” – Luke 4:24 (KJV)
Most time we have observed that people close to a prophet, minister or popularly known as ‘Man of God’ (MOG) are not always recipients of the grace of God in his life. We have seen situations where people received healing and great miraculous deliverance as audience to a prophet’s television ministry, while those that work with him and are very close to him die from various ailments. Most times this may lead to people casting aspersion on the ministry of the minister. The reason for this abnormally is not far-fetched. Familiarity, they say, breed contempt. People who have witnessed the growing up of a prophet most time do not hold him in esteem. They take him for granted and they are prone to ask as in the bible ‘Is not this Joseph the carpenter’s son’. God uses common men like you and me to carry out His mission among men, and as such, close relatives and associates of such persons does not hold them in high regard and most time do not believe in what they say. This is the negative aspect of familiarity.
To a considerable large extent, the level of respect you attached to the man of God will determine what you receive from God through him. This was the case with the Jews that Jesus was addressing in this scriptures. They were His people but because of their familiarity with His earthly background they were not open to receive from God through His ministry. It is the same theory that was in operation when Uzzah the son of Abinadab tried to steady the Ark against the commandment of the LORD concerning the Ark. He became very familiar with the Ark having stayed in his father’s house for three months. In the same vein, many that were born in Christian homes seldom get reborn in Christ. They are used to going to church and singing in the choir. They are church Children. You will notice the contrast with a person who repented from a Muslim background. Most times those of us from the Christian background take things for granted like Uzzah. It is on this premise that Jesus made the popular statement, “And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country” – Luke 4:23-24 (KJV).
My dear reader, you need to check yourself whether you have gotten so familiar with God in your behaviour towards His divine invitation for the salvation of your soul. If so, you urgently need to repent and ask God for forgiveness and return to Him in total surrender and humility. The bible said concerning Christ as an example for us “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” – Philippians 2:8(KJV). Paul the Apostle in his exhortation to the church at Colosse said, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;” – Colossians 3:12 (KJV). It is humility that is the antidote of the evil of familiarity. Let us open our heart to the working of the Holy Spirit so as to gain the humility that was in Christ as enunciated in Philippians 2:5-7 (a must read).
Prayer: O’ God my father, never let me get so familiar in you to fall into the sin of contempt.
Bro. Joel Ezeugo