FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT

Luke 4:24, "And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country."

LUKE 4:16-30

A modern day equivalent of this verse is "familiarity breeds contempt." Those who know the most about us also know more of our faults than anyone else. As a general rule, our weaknesses will blind most people to our strengths.

However, in the case of Jesus, there were no faults or failures to bias these people. In this instance, the problem stemmed from the people's lack of perception. They knew Jesus better than most in the flesh, but they had failed to see who He was in the Spirit.

Jesus was God in all His power and majesty, yet He was clothed in flesh --a human in every respect (1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:3). These people looked on Jesus' outward appearance and failed to see God within (1 Sam. 16:7).

Likewise, we fail to see the potential in others and even in ourselves because of our preoccupation with the outward appearance and actions. But within every born again person is a new creation which is waiting to be released (2 Cor. 5:17). All it takes is someone who believes.

Today look beyond the exterior in yourself and others and help bring into reality what we can be in Christ.

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Be Conscious Of Your Position In Christ

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Have you ever noticed that in this verse, Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches”? He did not say, “I am the vine, try to be the branches.” In other words, He wants us to realise that we already are the branches. We do not have to struggle to become the branches. 

And as His branches, we only have to abide or remain in Christ our vine. How do we do that? We do that simply by being conscious every day of our position in Christ. 

Because we have received Christ, we are in Christ and are accepted in the Beloved. (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 1:6) God accepts us because we are in the Beloved and He is in us. And that is how God sees us today when we come into His presence. 

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