English Standard Version
To those who think it would be easy to believe in Jesus if you'd been present when he was walking and teaching and healing on earth, I present exhibit A. Here's Jesus, doing mighty works, teaching with wisdom, and the people are offended. Why?
Because the Gospel is offensive. It teaches us that the things that this world places great value in, such as riches and beauty and renown, aren't able to give us ultimate value, and we are to therefore spend our lives selflessly caring for one another. The Gospel shows us that we are each broken, and yet through the grace of God, we are loved and redeemed despite our brokenness. There is a great price to pay to redeem us, one we cannot pay through our own good works, and someone else pays it for us. It's a hard message to hear that we cannot save ourselves.
The people were offended, but Jesus still went to the cross for them. He loves us still. He loves you still, despite when we take offense, and when we turn away -- there is still grace for us. At the end of this passage it says that Jesus did not do many mighty works there due to their unbelief. But he still did the mightiest work of all, his death on the cross, despite the unbelief of the crowds in Jerusalem, despite their cries to crucify him. He loves us, despite our flaws, because God has made us and we are his.
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