NgokweBhayibheli, Jesus is the Head of the Church. The Church is His Body and should represent Jesus Christ and establish His Kingdom on earth. The Church should yield to Jesus Christ; the Word and listen to Jesus and obey Jesus. But is Jesus still the Head of the Church? Do Christians submit to Jesus and do they hear and obey His words or do the words of Jesus make them uncomfortable and offend them and is Jesus thrown out of the church? Just like in the Old Covenant, Jesus was thrown out of the synagogue by the people, owayengowendlu ka-Israyeli, because the words of Jesus offended them and they couldn’t bear Jesus’ words?
Jesus preached in the synagogue
And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust Jesus out of the city, and led Him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast Him down headlong. But He passing through the midst of them went His way (Luke 4:28-30)
Jesus was raised in Nazareth. The people knew Jesus as the son of Joseph, the carpenter. When Jesus went on the sabbath day to the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus stood up to read. The minister gave Jesus the book (the scroll) of the prophet Isaiah, and Jesus read:
UMoya weNkosi uphezu Kwami, ngokuba ungigcobile ukuba ngishumayele ivangeli kwabampofu; Ungithumile ukuba ngiphilise abanenhliziyo eyaphukileyo, ukushumayela ukukhululwa kwabathunjiweyo, nokubona kwezimpumputhe, ukukhulula abachotshoziweyo, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord (Luka 4:18-19)
After Jesus spoke these words, Jesus closed the book and gave it back to the minister. While all eyes were fastened upon Jesus, Jesus said to them, “This day this scripture is fulfilled in your ears.”
The people honored Jesus as long as Jesus spoke gracious words
All the people, who were in the synagogue bore Jesus witness and wondered at His gracious words. They were konke impressed and amazed by Jesus, as long as Jesus spoke gracious words.
Because when Jesus began to speak about His crucifixion and the Kingdom of God that would come unto the Gentiles, because the people of Israel wouldn’t listen to God, and when Jesus confronted them with their behavior, their admiration and amazement changed completely. Suddenly, they were not so amazed anymore and didn’t agree with Jesus.
You will surely say unto Me this proverb, Physician, heal Thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Thy country. And He said, Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, No prophet is accepted in His own country” (Luka 4:23-24)
Jesus spoke hard words
Jesus continued and said, “But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian (Luka 4:25:28)
Jesus told them, how God sent Elijah to the widow in Sarepta, a city of Sidon (in Lebanon), and to the Syrian Naaman (Syria).
God looked after these two people, while His own people; abantu bakwa-Israyeli, had the right to the provision of food and healing. But God didn’t send Elijah to any one of them.
Why? Because God’s people were driven away from Him and had turned their back on Him.
King Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the sins of Jeroboam. Ahab took Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, as his wife. He served Baal and worshipped Baal (Funda futhi: What is the doctrine and spirit of Jezebel).
King Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger, than all the kings of Israel that were before him.
God’s people did what was evil in His sight. They wouldn’t listen to God and His prophets. They didn’t want to repent ezonweni zabo, but they kept walking in rebellion against God.
Jesus thrown out of the synagogue
When Jesus confronted God’s people in the synagogue, they all became filled with wrath. They couldn’t endure Jesus; the living Word anymore.
They admired and loved His gracious words and the wonderful promises of prosperity. But when Jesus confronted them with these hard words, they couldn’t endure the words of Jesus any longer.
The people had itching ears and couldn’t hear sound doctrine of Jesus. They couldn’t handle the truth of God. Ngakho-ke, they were not amused when Jesus confronted them with their evil walk and their sins.
The people became so angry and filled with wrath that they stood up and threw Jesus out of the synagogue and out of their city. They were furious, filled with hatred, and brought Jesus to the brow of the hill, whereon their city was built, and wanted to cast Jesus down headlong.
They wanted to get rid of this Man, who interfered with their lives and exposed their sins.
Their hearts were filled with such hatred, that these feelings of hate turned into murderous feelings.
These so-called holy people were able to murder Jesus Christ, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
The God, Who they all supposedly knew. But if they really had known their God and served God wholeheartedly, they had never wanted to murder His Son, Who was the reflection of God (Oh. amaHebheru 1:3).
Kodwa iqiniso liwukuthi, that they didn’t know God, but they served an imaginary God, like so many Christians today have created an imaginary God and serve an imaginary Jesus (Funda futhi: A counterfeit Jesus produces counterfeit Christians).
They only kept the law of Moses (imithetho, amasiko, sacrifices, amadili, njll.) before the eyes of the people. They spoke pious words in front of others, but their hearts were far away from God (Funda futhi: The similarities between the leaders of God’s people then and now).
Their outward appearance was far more important than their inward appearance. They didn’t have a relationship with God and therefore they didn’t know Him. Ngakho-ke, the true intando kaNkulunkulu was hidden from them.
Is Jesus thrown out of the church?
But what about this age? Isn’t this still the case and isn’t Jesus thrown out of the church? Hasn’t Jesus, iZwi, been thrown out of many churches, just like Jesus was thrown out of the synagogue? And you know what the worse thing is? That the people are not aware of the fact, that they have thrown Jesus out of the church. Just like the people in the synagogue didn’t know.
When a preacher speaks positive motivational words, words of prosperity, riches, and grace, the preacher is worshiped and honored by the people.
This also applies to prophets. Because as long as a prophet speaks positive encouraging words to the people and gives wonderful prophecies to the people about their lives, future, ministry, ibandla, areas, amazwe, njll. the prophet is adored and worshiped and is welcome in the churches.
But as soon as a preacher, pastor or prophet comes with the truth, which often goes together with correction and exhortation, the people become offended.
Instead of submitting to the words of God, which are spoken by God’s messenger, the people become offended, ethukuthele, rebellious, and oppose these admonishing words and reject them.
Ngeshwa, many Christians can’t endure the sound doctrine of God’s Word anymore. That’s mainly because their flesh has been nourished all these years. Therefore their flesh reigns in their lives and they are controlled by the will, izinkanuko, lezifiso zenyama yabo
They rather listen to the words of man than the words of God. Ngakho-ke, they reject the true words of God. But by rejecting the words of God, they reject Jesus the Living Word.
Many churches have appointed preachers, abefundisi, teachers, and prophets, who are carnal and preach motivational sermons that will feed the flesh of the people. They will preach deceptive and compelling words after the people’s own personal cravings (izinkanuko), that will approve of their carnal lusts and desires and accept and promote sin in the church.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (2 UThimothewu 4:3-4)
Repent and return to the Word
But as long as Jesus has not returned for His Church, there is time for repentance. Let us, therefore, humble ourselves and ask forgiveness, for the fact that we have thrown the Word; Jesus out of the church and have replaced the Word with our own human words.
Let us phenduka and turn back to the Truth; the Word and adjust our lives to iZwi, instead of adjusting the Word to our own personal carnal cravings, intando, izinkanuko, and desires. Let there be true repentance in the hearts of the believers. Let’s focus on Jesus Christ instead of focusing on ourselves.
If you really want to follow and serve Jesus, then it means a complete dying in the flesh (to all your desires, izinkanuko, intando, opinions, imizwelo, imizwa, njll). It means to alikhumule ikhehla and to gqoka umuntu omusha, who is born of water and Spirit and created after the image of God.
“Yiba usawoti womhlaba”
