And [they in the synagogue] rose up, and thrust him [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. — LUKE 4:29

Jesus once said something to me that astounded me. He said, “If I ministered like people thought I did, then when I came to Nazareth, instead of just getting a few healed and getting run out of town [That’s exactly what happened. In fact, they would have killed Him if they could have, and thrown Him off a cliff.], I would have gotten all the people together—including the leaders of the city of Nazareth—and said to them, ‘Get six totally blind people and line them up here. We’ll have the doctors examine them to certify the fact that they’re totally blind.’”

Jesus continued, “Then I would have gotten six deaf and mute people and had the doctors examine them to certify the fact that they were totally deaf and mute. I would have found six people with the palsy and creeping paralysis and had the doctors examine them to prove that they had the disease. Then I would have healed them right in front of everyone to prove who I am.

“But,” He said to me, “I didn’t minister that way, and I don’t expect you to minister that way. My ministry consisted of teaching, preaching, and healing. And those who didn’t accept the teaching and preaching didn’t get the healing.” We’ve imagined that they did.

Most people want to go to meetings and be healed, but they don’t want to pay any attention to the preaching or teaching of God’s Word. God doesn’t work that way. God works in line with His Word. God works through faith in His Word, and faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).

Confession: I pay attention to the Word of God. I take heed to the Word that I hear. And I line myself up with the Word. For it is then that I will see results.