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<DIV><FONT size=4>v25-27. Only Luke records the Elijah and Elisha sayings,
alluding to 1 Kings 17-18 and 2 Kings 5:1-14. During this time in history,
Israel faced God's chastisement for their rebellion. What few blessings that did
flow from God at this time, flowed to Gentiles rather than Jews. Jesus is making
the point that God in the past has turned from rebellious Israel and has ended
up blessing outsiders. The congregation's rejection of Jesus serves only to
align them with that previous generation's foolishness.<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.lectionarystudies.com/studyg/sunday4cg.html">http://www.lectionarystudies.com/studyg/sunday4cg.html</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Bryan Findlayson</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV><FONT size=4>
<DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in" class=indent>Expectations can be caused by
frustration. We want something to happen. So we look to others for fulfillment.
Faith can become confused. And prayer can dry up.</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in" class=indent>Why does prayer sometimes seem so
hard? Prayer is sometimes difficult because we fight against ourselves and the
temptations around us (including the devil). Prayer can become hard when we use
prayer for selfish ends (praying only for a particular need or to reduce
stress), or when we don't take the time to pray on a regular basis, or when we
reject prayer as a "waste of time." Prayer can be extremely hard when we sense
personal failure; we have the temptation to give up instead of persevering. As a
result, we can feel dry and can be easily distracted in prayer; we can even lose
faith and become depressed. </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in" class=indent> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in" class=indent>What can we do when prayer becomes
hard? We can take two strategies when prayer becomes hard. First, we can realize
that our faith is being tested; we can change our prayer in order to seek God's
will for us. Second, we can realize that prayer is never wasted; we are
challenged to use prayer as a means to overcome frustration in prayer. As St.
Paul said, "Pray constantly." (1 Thess. 5:17) </DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.word-sunday.com/Files/c/4-c/A-4-c.html">http://www.word-sunday.com/Files/c/4-c/A-4-c.html</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Larry Broding </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><SPAN
style="LAYOUT-GRID-MODE: line"></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><SPAN style="LAYOUT-GRID-MODE: line">These people were ready
to acknowledge that Jesus was a wonderful teacher. They were willing to
admit he was a man of good character. They would certainly let him carve a
yoke for their most-prized oxen or construct a weight-bearing doorway to hold up
their house. However, that is where they drew the line, they were not
going to allow Jesus to be the Messiah; he was Joseph’s son to
them.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" class=MsoBodyText align=left><SPAN
style="LAYOUT-GRID-MODE: line">As a result, there were no miracles in
</SPAN><SPAN style="LAYOUT-GRID-MODE: line">Nazareth. Worst of all, there
would be no savior in Nazareth.</SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" class=MsoBodyText align=left><SPAN
style="LAYOUT-GRID-MODE: line">Has my life been short on salvation and miracles
lately? Perhaps this is the cause. Maybe I, too, am willing to admit
Jesus has some good sayings and that he had an impact on many lives; but is he
Lord and Savior to me?</SPAN></P></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://onefamilyoutreach.com/bible/Luke/lk_04_21-30.html">http://onefamilyoutreach.com/bible/Luke/lk_04_21-30.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>© 2005 Jerry Goebel: <A
style="COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; text-underline: single"
href="mailto:jerry@onefamilyoutreach.com">jerry@onefamilyoutreach.com</A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>...the rules for getting on that he had learned in business school but even
more so from the University of Life - the rat race world.<BR>
<P><FONT size=5><B><FONT
color=#ff0000> </FONT></B></FONT><FONT
size=4>"First of all you make the impression that you are rich, famous and
successful. You must dress snappy and look the part. Have all the paraphernalia
of progress hanging out of you, a beeper in your top pocket, a cellular phone on
your belt, and an electronic organizer in your clutch bag embossed with an
impressive logo. Remember, nearly everybody is taken in by appearances; they
always trust their first impressions. People do judge a book by its cover and
they judge you in the same way. <BR></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=5><B><FONT
color=#ff0000> </FONT></B></FONT><FONT size=4>"The
second important rule is that you never start your campaign in your home area.
Avoid your own family, neighborhood and friends. They know you and your
weaknesses and the weaknesses of your family. If you have any success they will
be the first to get jealous and pull you down. Your home place is like crabs in
a pot. There is no need to put a lid on it. The crabs pull down anyone who wants
to escape. No, it is far better to begin with total strangers...."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.bible.claret.org/liturgy/daily/sundays_pierse/cycleC/C_4thSunOT.htm">http://www.bible.claret.org/liturgy/daily/sundays_pierse/cycleC/C_4thSunOT.htm</A></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>Gerry Pierse, 1998</DIV>
<DIV>- - - - -</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As we visit with Jesus in Nazareth -- or maybe as Jesus visits us in our
own settlement -- ought we perhaps to understand his impatience and perhaps even
to feel it ourselves, this irritation with old suppositions and preoccupations?
We inhabit a strange culture in which self-absorption and solipsism are
mass-marketed, a culture in which our churches participate, compete and cater to
please. Its assumptions may sit so deep and unspoken in us that it takes a voice
of adolescent anger to put them into words. We shall perish if we cannot see a
larger world and understand what we are doing to this globe and to strangers
beyond the compass of our lives.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=649">http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=649</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>John Stendahl, 1998</DIV>
<DIV>- - - - -</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As soon as Jesus identified himself in a prophetic role, he would no longer
be accepted with favor. He would not be the first prophet told to leave town
because his message hit a little too close to home (Amos 7:12). He would not be
the first prophet to risk death because he dared to tell the truth to people who
did not want to hear the truth (Jer 37:12-38:6). He would not be the first
prophet who had the integrity to refuse to cater to the whims of the people (Mic
3:5-8).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.cresourcei.org/lectionary/YearC/Cepiphany4nt.html">http://www.cresourcei.org/lectionary/YearC/Cepiphany4nt.html</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Dennis Bratcher, 2009</DIV>
<DIV>- - - - -</DIV>
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