Gospel: Luke 4: 21-30

[Jesus] began to say (to all in the synagogue in Nazareth), “Todaythis scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

And all spokewell of him, and were amazed at the gracious words that camefrom his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”

He saidto them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor,cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometownthe things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’”

And hesaid, “Truly, I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’shometown.

But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel inthe time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and sixmonths, and there was a severe famine over all the land;

yetElijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath inSidon.

There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman theSyrian.”

When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filledwith rage.

They got up, drove him out of the town, and led himto the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that theymight hurl him off the cliff.

But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN ?

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor athirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from thenorth even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.

Amos viii. 11-12God’s wrath is never greater than when He is silent anddoes not speak to us, but leaves us to follow our ownmind and will, and do as we please.O, dear Lord God, punish us with pestilence and withany foul diseases rather than by Thy silence. God speaks:‘I have stretched out My hand and cried, “Come hither and hearken!” But you answer: “No, we will not!” Isend My servants unto you, the Prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah,and others, and I say to you: “Hearken unto them!”“Yes”, you say, “we will strike them dead!” “There, youhave My Son.” “Yes, we will crucify Him!” ‘We still act in the same way, as can easily be seen. Weare weary and tired of the Word of God. We do not wantto hear devout and faithful teachers who chastise us, and preach to us the pure and unadulterated Word of God,who keep a careful watch, earnestly condemning falseteachings and faithfully warning us against it. ThereforeGod will surely chastise us.O, heavenly Father, keep us for ever by this radiantsun, and do not let us fall from Thy Word and stumbleinto false teaching.

Table-Talk

W.A.

Tischreden

5. 237

Taken from the book:Day by Day We Magnify Thee

by Martin Luther

Page 110