43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there.
Satan has a way of getting to our most tender spots does he not? Jesus, in pointing out that He had no honor in His own country, here bypasses His own Nazareth and opts for Galilee in its stead. It would appear that Satan was plying our Lord with the temptation towards discouragement through the lack of acceptance and honor His family, friends and townspeople exhibited towards Him. Yet, ever about His Father’s work, He chooses to show us through His example to go forth where the harvest would be plentiful. It certainly would have been easy to quit rather than persevere in the wake of such criticism and discouragement particularly from those we love. Isn’t it hurtful when the ones who should be the closest to us pillage us with their words and actions oftentimes leaving us with a wall of bitterness and hurt that we are not readily able to scale? More often than not we fall into the trap of defensiveness coupled with argument in proving our case to be correct - actions which both tend to prove pointless and counterproductive in kingdom work. Interestingly, this is a mere enticement used by Satan to trap us into a conduct which would bring us ruin. I am confident this is the reason our Lord put such a high emphasis on the denial of self:
23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 (NIV)
“The devil tempts that he may ruin; God tests that He may crown.” Ambrose
“The best protection against Satan’s lies is to know God’s truth.” Anonymous
“If we know that we are nothing, are unworthy of everything, and have nothing of our own, we can lose nothing. We have no property, since we are but stewards of the Lord; we have no honour or shame of our own, after the manner of the world; this being our only honour, if God be glorified; this our only shame, if he be dishonoured by us. The glory of God we must have at heart, and in his cause be like lions; but in our own cause like lambs. Therefore, when we are crossed in things which do not concern the glory of God, and the real good of our neighbor, but our own interest, and are unwilling to suffer anything, we shall miscarry, and be involved in greater troubles: but denying ourselves, we shall lose only a good deal of vexation; and instead of this, receive Christ with all his spiritual and temporal blessings, as far as we want them; which alone can make us cheerful and happy.” K. H. Von Bogatzky
Matthew writes the following:
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. 55 "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor." Matt 13:53-57 (NIV)
The word translated “offense” is verse 57 is from the Greek word Skandalizo meaning “a trap, a stumbling block; to cause to stumble and fall, to throw someone unawares into ruin; to give occasion for ungodly conduct; allowing someone to adopt a course in which he will unknowingly come to mischief.” Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible New Testament Lexical Aids. It would do us well to remember encouraging words in dealing with others in order not to be used as a pawn in Satan’s hand perhaps by inciting a brother or sister in Christ to stumble. Proverbs tells us how God desires for our words to be a balm and healing rather than reckless and offensive:
18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Prov 12:18 (NIV)
24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Prov 16:24 (NIV)
The writer of Hebrews adds this New Testament exhortation:
12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. Heb 3:12-13 (NIV)
"It is the mark of great people to treat trifles as trifles and important matters as important."
Doris Lessing
“Kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence, and learning.” Frederick Faber