Walking through

...He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free...Luke 4:18

When I picked up my son this week from his second ever basketball practice, he was practically bubbling with excitement as he shared how much he had enjoyed the session.

A moment later, however, he added in a little less enthusiastic tone, that he had overheard another young man making fun of him for allowing the ball to get away from him.

As I encouraged TJ to let the negative comments of others roll off of his back, my thoughts turned to the scripture I had been reading only moments before as I sat waiting for him to come out of the gym. The story of Christ's trip to Nazareth where he was rejected by those who refused to see past His humble beginnings as the carpenter's son to the Son He had become.

The lesson I'm trying to teach my son, is a lesson I feel like I've learned anew lately. As I have struggled between a desire to please those around me and a desire to please God I have heard Him whisper to me over and over to let the negative comments of others roll off my back. He has urged me to define myself by what He says about me and to strive to please Him alone.

He illustrated this lesson for me in a new way, as I read about Jesus' short trip to Nazareth and his journey through Capernaum.

When Jesus taught in the synagogue at Nazareth, He spoke with an authority that was awe-inspiring even to those who would reject Him a few moments later.

Jesus exuded a confidence that is found when we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are following the will of God in our lives. It is a confidence that I have had at times, but, one that has alluded me far more often than I would like.

It is a confidence, however, that I believe can be gained if we follow the example Christ set in the next few passages of scripture.

Shortly after Jesus proclaimed that He had been sent to fulfill Isaiah's prophecy that captives would be released, that the blind would see, and that the oppressed would be set free, He told the people of Nazareth that they would not experience the fulfillment of that prophecy as other areas had -- with miracles and a demonstration of His power and authority.

The revelation incited the people of Nazareth to hatred for Him. Scripture says that 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, but He passed right through the crowd and went on His way.

It seems that the people of Nazareth very literally rolled off the back of the Messiah. Their hatred could not deter Him. Their words could not harm Him. Their hands could not touch Him. Jesus walked through them to where God was leading Him next.

When we live lives of bold faith, rejection will come. Often, unfortunately, it comes from those we expect it from the least. Those who know us best. Those we love the most. And those we most long to please.

We cannot allow the hatred of others to deter us from the path that God has called us to walk. We cannot allow the words of others to slice through our faith in God and His love for us. We cannot allow the sharp tongues of those who would harm us to come anywhere near our hearts and minds.

We must walk through them to get to where God is leading us next, but we do not have to allow them to push us into a pit of despair.

Jesus came to release us from the captivity that our desire to please man will bind us with. He came to open our eyes to the truth of His love for us, so that we can hold onto that in the moments when it seems as though no one else does. He came to set us free from the oppression of negative, hateful, discouraging words -- even when they fall from the lips of those He has called us to serve.

When Jesus left Nazareth, He traveled to Capernaum where he performed countless miracles including healing Simon Peter's mother-in-law, and casting a demon out of a man in the synagogue there.

Scripture tells us that in His time at Capernaum, Jesus cast out many demons. It also says that He refused to allow them to speak. Scripture indicates that the demons were attempting to tell the people that Jesus was the Messiah, which seems reasonable enough, but, still, Jesus would not allow them to speak at all.

Jesus would not allow the demons to define Him, as Messiah, or as anything or anyone else. We could learn a lesson from His approach to the enemy.

Satan might start out with a nugget of truth to get us to listen to him, but it doesn't take long for him to begin to twist that truth. To lie. To deceive us into allowing him to define us as hopeless sinners, irredeemable failures or miserable outcasts.

When we allow the enemy to speak at all in our lives, we run the risk of allowing him to define us as something we are not, in Christ.

We must do as Jesus did. Refuse to listen to the first words out of the enemy's mouth. Cut him off before he ever says a word. Refuse to allow him to speak into our lives, hearts, or minds.

When I notice my boys portraying a negative image of themselves, I remind them to tell Satan to Get Back! We don't have to listen to the voice of the enemy in our lives. The second he begins to whisper doubt or fear, we can command him to Get Back! by the same authority Jesus commanded the demons in scripture.

We must not allow the enemy to define us in any way.

Ironically, sometimes those who approve of us, can be just as detrimental to our walk of faith, as those who reject us.

Jesus had an amazing few days in Capernaum, but when it was time to leave, He had to walk through another group of people. But they weren't trying to kill Him. On the contrary, they were begging Him to stay.

I imagine that it hurt Jesus worse to leave those who loved Him, than to endure the rejection of those who didn't.

In fact, those who know me best, know that this example hits very close to home. When Toby and I realized that God was leading us from one church to another, the journey became one of the most difficult we have endured in our walk of faith.

Walking through those who love us, into the unknown, and following God somewhere new, is not an easy task.

But, Jesus did it.

Jesus walked through those who rejected him, and He refused to listen to an enemy that wanted to define Him, so that He could follow God where ever He led.

And, if we will keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), we can do the same.

(Journey: Luke 4:16-44; Mark 1:21-39; Matthew 8:14-17, 23-25)