“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.” “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
Luke 4:14-30
A Leader is defined as one who leads or one who has commanding authority or influence. Believe it or not, everyone has the capacity to lead because someone is always watching what we do. We must be careful to set the right example so that others lives will be better based upon what they see us do. Leaders aren’t leaders simply because they can issue commands. The most effective command a leader can issue is one that is unspoken, for our actions will speak louder than anything we can utter from our mouths. People may hear what you say, but their willingness to respond and follow will most in generally be based upon what they see YOU do.
Jesus is the greatest leadership example. He followed the command of the Father, fulfilling His will and in so doing taught us to do the same. Even though Jesus was the greatest leader of all time, it was His ability to follow which made Him great. Every follower has a leader and every good leader should be a follower. The question is simply this: Who are YOU choosing to follow? Are you following your own will and fleshly desires, which in essence means you are leading yourself or have you chosen to follow the example of Jesus and submit to the will of the Father for your life.
As followers of Christ, we have been provided many benefits through the Holy Spirit. One key benefit is the ability to walk in liberty. Walking in liberty means we know who we are because we know whose we are. We are not beholden to the thoughts and opinions of others, but rather we hold fast to His Word which tells us we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We are strengthened to love those who hate us, forgive those who have offended us and pray for those who despitefully use us. How can we be a follower of Christ and not love our neighbor? For it is in this manner that we are recognized as a true disciple and follower of Jesus.
Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” When Jesus spoke these words in the synagogue he was praised by the people. To them this was truly “good news”. But as he continued and spoke words of truth they did not like, he was rejected and driven out of town.
At times, there are those who will reject you. Trust and know that they are not actually rejecting you but the WORD, which is the Spirit of the Living GOD that is on the inside of you. If your message is His message and people reject it, then they are rejecting Him, which means that’s on them. Don’t let rejection of the messenger, stop the message. Do as Jesus did and walk right through that crowd of rejection and continue on the path he has laid for you.
Selah.