Deuteronomy 18:15-16
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet.” vs. 15
The people of Israel remembered Moses with fondness. According to their tradition it was he who had given them the Deuteronomic laws that had cemented their identity. And he was the one who had promised that God would raise up prophets like himself to bring them new marching orders in times of crisis. When Jesus came on the scene in Galilee some thought that he might be the prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy. As they listened to him they were puzzled…because he really didn’t bring them any new laws…and he had a lot more to say about love and forgiveness! Such puzzlement is not unusual though…prophets are notoriously hard to figure out. And if they’re bringing an authentic word from the Lord they’ll jar our ears and jolt us out of our comfort zones. Frequently listeners will reject the words of prophets and try to find ways to silence them. Jesus warned his followers that this could happen to them saying, “Prophets are not without honor except in their hometowns.” Ultimately the opposition rose up against Jesus and his prophetic words and killed him…but they couldn’t shut him up. His liberating words were remembered and continue to challenge the comfortable and the complacent.
Thought for the Day: What word from Jesus makes me uncomfortable?
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