The prophet Ezekiel was raised up by the Spirit of the Lord and sent to speak an unpopular Word to the rebellious house of Israel. As a prophet, he was not supposed to speak his own words, but to preach the Law and Gospel. So, too, in the footsteps of the prophets before Him, the Lord Jesus went out to the villages teaching. In His hometown, many marveled at His teachings, but He was rejected. So too, Paul goes out to spread the Good News, but gets caught up in His boasting of heaven. The Lord brings him back down to reality. Christianity is a balancing act. We are sinner and saint. We are saved by grace through faith and yet there is endless work to do in this fallen world. We must keep our balance as we walk with one foot in this world and one in the next.