“Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.” (Luke 4:31-32)

     After being literally driven out of town in Nazareth, Jesus went to Capernaum and began teaching.  The reaction of the people was quite different from what he experienced in Nazareth.  The people knew Jesus had authority and they did not question it or change their minds concerning it. 

     Jesus finds a demon-possessed man in the synagogue, and he drives the demon out of him.  “All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” (Luke 4:36) Once again, respect and praise are offered to Jesus for the words he spoke and the miracles he performed. 

     This event in Capernaum compared with the previous event in Nazareth speaks much to us about human nature.  Do we adhere to a belief in Jesus, or do we go along with the crowd in a negative fashion if we don’t always hear words coming from him that we don’t like to hear?  Jesus always spoke the truth, regardless of how we might react to it, but when we meditate on his word and consider the good it can do for us, those around us, and the rest of the world, we can truly appreciate his teachings.  Let’s abide in Christ and see how powerfully he works in our lives.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for your word of truth.  You are of great help to me at all times, and you correct me during the times when I have sinned.  Help me to always be teachable and open to your voice of reason, giving me the best advice I can possibly receive.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.