When Rudy Ross became a follower of Jesus, he devoted every moment he wasn’t working to reading the Bible. He is the only person I know who read the Bible from cover to cover every six weeks for several years. The time Rudy spent in God’s word gave him an incredibly valuable base of knowledge.
In addition to his extensive Bible reading, Rudy had years of training in Hebrew school as a child. It is natural for me to think of him when I read Jesus’ conclusion to His teaching about the parables in Matthew 13:
“‘Have you understood all this?’ They answered, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’” (Matthew 13:51-52)
The scribe who becomes a disciple of Jesus has a foundation for understanding His redemptive work. Without a basic knowledge of the sacrificial system, the death of Jesus on the cross lacks context. The same can be said about the kingdom of God and other key teachings in the New Testament.
I hope you already include a study of the Old Testament in your Bible reading program. If not, please consider adding it; doing so will greatly enhance your understanding of the New Testament.
No Hometown Hero
When Jesus arrived in Nazareth, His reception ranged from cool to cold.
“He came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?’
And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honor except in their own hometown and in their own house.’ And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:54-58)
One of the best approaches to the message of Jesus is maintaining an open mind and a willingness to follow His guidance. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case in His hometown. They ultimately missed out, as their lack of trust limited Jesus’ ability to display His power.
What are some ways we can create an atmosphere where we hear and see Jesus at work in our lives?
The first step is to prayerfully read the message of Jesus. This is a foundational part of living in a dynamic relationship with the Lord. Prayer is how we personally interact with Him, and reading the Bible is how we listen to His words to us.
Another aspect of being open to Jesus is exactly that—being open-minded and open-hearted. The people of Nazareth had their minds made up about Jesus and were worse off for it. Let’s not be like them. Instead, let’s allow Jesus to challenge our thinking with His message and His behavior.
Once we have received instructions from the Lord, we need to take action. The sticking point in Nazareth and Galilee was an unwillingness to change based on Jesus’ ministry. Jesus did not meet their expectations, and as a result, they not only rejected Him, but they also rejected God’s purposes through Him. Let’s not make that mistake.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage today on YouTube.
Real Voices 