The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 23 October 2021 – TOPIC: THE DANGER OF FAMILIARITY
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TOPIC: THE DANGER OF FAMILIARITY
READ: MATTHEW 13:53-58 (NKJV)53. Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.54. And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this [Man] get this wisdom and [these] mighty works?55. “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?56. “And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this [Man] get all these things?”57. So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”58. Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.*THE MESSAGE:*Today’s reading gives an interesting but saddening account of Jesus’ ministry in His hometown – among His people and their attitude to Him. Jesus taught amazingly in their synagogue in so much that they wondered where He got the wisdom and miraculous power from. This is because they were familiar with the story of His birth and growth; the details of His family and other personal information about Him. They could relate with what they knew about Him but could not relate with the power of God working in His life. They found it difficult to connect the ‘ordinary’ man they knew to the ‘extraordinary’ power at play in His life. This state of mind of theirs limited their faith and thus the flow of God’s power (verse 58). What Jesus was able to do outside, He could only do but a little in His hometown. What a loss!There are people God is using in this generation who may be your kinsmen, students, juniors at school or places of work classmates, close relatives, neighbours, etc. How do you relate with them? Do you see the power of God working through them? Your embracing the genuine words of God they teach or preach and the power of God working through them will go a long way to determine the extent of God’s blessing in your life.*PRAYER:* Almighty Father, help me not to limit the flow of Your grace and power in my life through uncharitable thoughts and opinion of Your servants. Amen.
