A Prayer about the Unoffended Preacher

And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. Luke 4:29.

Lord Jesus,

Every time I read this story of you 

preaching in your hometown temple, 

I’m astonished that your own people 

hated you so much. 

You announced that you were the Messiah with the words, 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, 

because he has anointed me 

to proclaim good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). 

How could anyone hate such a sermon? 

You gently but firmly 

reminded this hometown congregation 

that when God’s prophet is rejected, 

he is sent elsewhere (Luke 4:24-27). 

How did they respond? 

They sought to throw you off a cliff (Luke 4:29). 

Jesus, may we receive your words into our hearts 

and honor you in our lives. 

May we never attack you or others 

who tell us the hard truth about ourselves. 

May we walk in your ways, 

the gentle and strong ways 

of the one who “passed through their midst” 

and “went away” 

as the people of your town sought to kill you. 

In your unoffended name we pray. Amen. 

Read Luke 4:16-30.