Tag: Nazareth

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Offended and amazed.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. ‭‭Mark‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

For anyone who has tried to rise above their circumstances or station in life, even Jesus faced familia familiarity! Jesus returns home, as an adult, as a well known Rabbi, with rumors of miracles he had performed. Of course, coming back into his hometown as a recognized Rabbi, he would be invited to speak at his synagogue.

Mark doesn’t give us the same detail of Jesus’ reading, nor his shocking words we find in Luke’s gospel (4:21). Mark just tells us that Jesus spoke and they were “amazed.” The consensus question; “where did he get all this wisdom and power to perform such miracles?” Remember when Jesus spoke? It was said that he did so with “authority.” But the amazement quickly faded into dismissive disbelief.

Mark writes, “they scoffed.” And, they were offended! The Greek word, “skandalizó,” they believed that Jesus scandalized them – sure, offended – but even more, that Jesus was beguiling them, setting a snare, a trap. They believed that their own homegrown understanding of Jesus was that he returned as some kind of city-slicker con-man! Where else could Jesus have gained all these abilities? With all of this local, mis-guided gossip they convinced themselves that Jesus was a fake! Jesus own community would not believe and Jesus was truly astonished at their unbelief, their lack of faith. Jesus uses an ancient proverb, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.”

This scene, this rejection of Jesus just because they were family and they were familiar with his beginnings, reinforces what Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 10, “all nations will hate you because you are my followers.” And, “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. ‘I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household!’” Jesus told them, and us today, people will hate us or turn against us because of their own unbelief! There comes a point when we have to realize that sometimes friends and family are not rejecting us, they are rejecting God – and it turns their hearts. I had a stepdad like this. My stepdad Ben, didn’t exactly oppose me, I was just a nobody, a teenager. Ben’s battle was with the God he despised.

When we feel rejection, it’s hard not to think it is all about something we’ve done or who we are. It is helpful to remember there is more going on than we know. If Jesus hometown folks treated him with disdain, why would it be any different for us.

Prayer

​Dad,
I am still baffled as to how your own son, doing Your will with grace and mercy, with miracles following, could possibly be mistaken for a religious scandal. It truly highlights the duplicity and complexity of our human hearts. This is just one of many aspects of our brokenness that you came to heal and restore. Thank you for persistently putting up with us! Amen.

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From fame to furious

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” Luke‬ ‭4:22-24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This curious scene out of Luke is an interesting story about US – our human nature and how consistently enduring and predictable it can be. This little side-bit is full of information about who WE are. Jesus goes home, and goes to his local synagogue. Nazareth may have been small and considered the “armpit” of Jerusalem, but there were a good number of very devout religious men there – enough to qualify for a synagogue.

Jesus goes to the front of the gathering, confidently unrolls the scroll and finds his text – in Isaiah! I’m sure whispers and eye-raised glances bounced around the room at that point. That day was “Isaiah” day, reading from the longest and most complicated Old Testament prophet book in the history of Judaism. There are no coincidences! And, he thinks he’s going to comment and give a Jewish sermon on it? Yeah right.

Luke, in his punchy wit writes, “He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently.” Then Jesus gives his homily…“The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” Whoa.

Questions fill the room, sucking centuries of religious pretense right out of the room! In those stunning moments they began to comment, “Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips.” Then seconds later, someone just had to connect the dots of who and where this young buck came from. So then they mumble into the now religious-free air, “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

Then Jesus being the truth-teller, breaks their murmurs mid-thought and hijacks their conclusions saying, do you really want to know why I’ve done no miracles here? Of course it’s a lack of faith, but more than that, you guys won’t let ANYONE grow and mature as God intends and expects. You guys got STUCK and you want everyone around you to lower to your level back to AD 00 or BC 700!

Jesus masterfully does a commentary on two other very famous Old Testament spokespersons: Elijah and Elisha. “Ever wonder why these guys did miracles with foreigners and not Israel?” – Jesus hints. He tells them, there were a lot of needy widows in Israel and their were a lot of sick, skin diseased men in Israel. Why didn’t the prophets do any miracles among their own – the Jews?

Can you feel the tension building in this quiet little synagogue in the small, dusty city of Nazareth? Big pause here as they followed their stale, self-righteousness breadcrumbs to a finger-pointing conclusion.

I knew that Naaman wasn’t Jewish, but I had no idea the Sidon widow wasn’t either. Did you? OUCH!

Obviously, they got the point, the civil and religious leaders in old Israel sucked all the faith out the country, and right out of the people they were leading! One moment they were all having a nice pleasant day in the tabernacle, the next moment they’re foaming at the mouth with arrogant-anger, grabbing pitch forks and torches – “When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.” I think once Jesus was safely out of town, he stopped at the city border and dusted off his sandals, signifying he wouldn’t be returning home again.

PRAYER:

Dad,
Wow, I love it when Jesus interprets and does a great commentary on the Old Testament, pointing out things I never knew or ever saw! This really challenges my own beliefs and faith as well as in leading others. Am I sucking faith out of the air with others in my community? I want to believe and not put any restraints or restrictions on a move of your Spirit. In fact, I want to be for more faith, not less! Help me in my own lack of faith and help our leaders in their faith as well.