*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*
*ANOINTING (12)*
*Scripture Treasure.*
Luke 4:24-27 KJV
*And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.*
*But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;*
*But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.*
*And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.*
*Insight and Highlight.*
It can be lonely at the top for God's anointed.
*Scripture Commentaries.*
The anointed of God can be very lonely at the top. As anointed as he may be, he needs encouragement and prayers.
He is a suffering-servant just like Jesus was a suffering-savior.
Mob violence characterized Jesus' earthly ministry. Jesus was so angrily criticized that they almost threw him from a cliff, Luke 4:28-29.
He was accused of casting out devils by Beelzebub, Matt 12:22-30.
Heretics have interpreted Jesus' request of the five loaves of two fish as Jesus's inadequacy to provide rather than seeing it as Christ's power to multiply little into abundance.
The anointed is insulted when there is no money, and he is wrongfully accused when there is money.
They have often been deserted for speaking the truth. In one day, besides the twelve disciples, *"......many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.* (John 6:66)
There is no day that goes by that the anointed of God is not insulted and false ministers have not helped matters as they parade themselves as ministers of light. These have opened doors to blatant assaults to the true gospel preachers.
Rejection, castigation, and undeserving criticism are hallmarks of the anointed's frustrations. Most frustrating is that these are more within the church than there are outside.
Jesus said, *"A prophet is not without honour......'*, Mark 6:4.
Jesus, here, sums up the frustration of the anointed when He told his countrymen at Nazareth that prophets are most despised by their own countrymen and that strangers sometimes have more advantage of a prophet than his own people.
Today, we see instances where the anointed do more good in their ministry among strangers than in their own congregation, countrymen, and near relations.
In Luke 4:27, Jesus said there were many lepers in Israel in the days of Elisha, but no leper was qualified for healing except Naaman, the Syrian, a man of another country!
The same went on in Israel. There were many widows in the nation of Elisha, yet none of them was qualified to receive his miracles, but a stranger, a widow of Sarepta, Luke 4:26.
This is out of spite of the anointed Elijah and Elisha, and they, being their countrymen, despised them.
Jesus's word here tells us that people can take offense in the anointed through the miracles they perform. They can be deeply offended and will, as a result, refuse to believe in miracles from God, ref John11:51-53.
The anointed can take solace from God's word, that they are not alone, ref 1 Kgs 19:18.
It may appear that there are more who are against the anointed, but if we allow God to open our eyes, we will see that there are more on the Lord's side and our side. God will not leave His anointed alone, neither will He forsake them.
God's reply to Elijah in 1 Kgs 19:18 encourages us that there will always be more on the Lord's side than there are those who are against Him.
Elisha said to his servant in 2 Kgs16: 16-17 *.....Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.*
Be encouraged as the Lord's anointed.
You are not alone!
*Remorse corner.*
Those who despise the anointed have only despised themselves because such miracles may never come to them again.
*Call to Word action.*
Matt 13:57-58
*And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.*
*And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.*
*The Christian clarion duty.*
The carnal mind will wrongfully accuse the anointed. The anointed must be immovable!
*Prayer.*
Lord, let me remain firm, immovable, come what may come my way.
Encourage me, as Your anointed, to know that there are more with me than there are against me Jesus name.
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Good morning all and have a blessed day today.
God bless you.