A Prophet With Honour

A Prophet Is Real In His Own Country

But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." Matthew 13:57-58

Explanations:

Today, in the world, people quote this statement from time to time.

They quote it as if that is what Jesus meant.

In actual facts, Jesus was rebuking the Israelites for their spiritual blindness, unbelief, ignorance and foolishness.

Jesus spent years to visit important places in the world. And in each place, He was very well received and honoured by those who were spiritually developed.

But, when He came to His own people, the Israelites, pride and selfishness did not allow them to accord Jesus due honour and respect.

And that was why the city of Jerusalem was destroyed and their great temple demolished, remaining only the Wailing Wall.

Consider Again

Read and consider again what Jesus said.

"A prophet is not without honour except in his own country and in his own house." Matthew 13:57-58

The expression, “… not without …” means “… with …,” because two negatives is equal to one positive. What Jesus was saying was that a prophet has honour and respect wherever he goes, but only his own people do not honour and respect him. That was a rebuke, because Jesus was honoured and respected everywhere He travelled to, before He returned to Israel to complete and conclude His life and ministry.

Introduction
         The Israelites have added tourism dimension to the Wailing Wall. Ordinary people and world leaders are made to go there and pray. How do you think that the God of the Universe, who gave people beautiful houses to live in, would want His children to be wailing beside a wall that is a broken leftover of a destroyed temple?

The Only Significance
         The only significance of the Wailing Wall is that it stands as an evidence against the Israelites, because they rejected God as Jesus Christ, when He came in their midst. Jesus prophesied about the destruction of the temple, because the Israelites trusted in the temple to the extent that they refused corrections and rejected God. That is what exactly many people and churches are doing today. You give them messages and corrections from the Holy Spirit, and they say, “That is not how our church worships,” “My church does not believe that,” or they say, “My religious leader said we should not do so.” And so it happens that many are busy deceiving themselves and as well misleading the ignorant masses.

Jesus Lamented Over Jerusalem
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" (Until they recognize Jesus as the Messaih.) Luke 13:34-35 (Matthew 23:37-39)

Instead of recognizing Jesus as Lord and Saviour, people go to the Wailing Wall to pray. Which one is better – to recognize a king or to live the life of a homeless beggar?

Jesus Predicted The Destruction Of The Temple
Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"
And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down." Mark 13:1-2 (Matthew 24:1,2; Luke 21:5,6)

Do Not Mind Those Who Interpret Things Just To Please People
When things happen in life, the religious leaders interpret the event in such a way that is pleasant to the people, instead of telling the people the Truth. The religious leaders do this in order to defend their ignorance and for them to continue to lord it over the masses. Today, people are deceived to go and pray at the Wailing Wall, whereas what God wants from Israelites is to accept, acknowledge and recognize Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

And this is the second thing you do:
You cover the altar of the Lord with tears,
With weeping and crying;
So He does not regard the offering anymore,
Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.
Malachi 2:13

The destruction of the temple was a sign and punishment Jesus gave the Israelites for them to know and remember that Jesus is God Almighty. Here is the bible record:

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace ! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation." Luke 19:41-44

Conclusion
The above facts about the Wailing Wall show you how religious leaders misinterpret the scriptures, in order to continue to cover p their ignorance, to defend their honours and to continue in leadership. Of what use is public honour and respect, compared to the eternal life of humanity?