Homecoming With A Twist

This morning I am meditating on Luke 4, where Jesus goes back to Nazareth.  I was just thinking about impactful this visit could have been... compared to how it ended.  The exchange there is good proof, in my opinion, that Jesus said what He heard the father saying, and didn't stray into His own opinions or ideas.  Here is the account, its a bit long - Luke 4:14-30 NIV:

[14] "Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. [15] He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 

[16] He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, [17] and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: [18] “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, [19] to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” 

[20] Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. [21] He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 

[22] All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn't this Joseph's son?” they asked. 

[23] Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself!' And you will tell me, 'Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.' ” 

[24] “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. [25] I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. [26] Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. [27] And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed---only Naaman the Syrian.” 

[28] All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. [29] They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. [30] But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way."

When I read something like this I try to imagine the actual context, the scene as it would have happened in real life.  Jesus had moved away from Nazareth to Capernaum and had recently begun His ministry, and word about Him was spreading.  The two towns are apparently about 40 miles apart, so its possible that they (The people in Nazareth) had only heard rumors of His ministry at this point.  

I imagine Him going back to his home synagogue, the one He would have frequented as a young man.  I imagine the place was filled with people He knew, people He grew up with, and there was a wonderful, familial experience to be enjoyed.  He got up and read from Isaiah 61, and essentially proclaimed that He was the messiah, for the verses He read were understood to refer to the coming Messiah.  Verse 22 captures, what I think is the initial response of the people.  They are amazed, surprised, trying to put him back into the context that they know Him in (Jospeh's son) and were of a favorable opinion.  

If the conversation ended here, one would think that this day would have been a grand celebration, a sort of homecoming celebration, as Jesus, once  a normal member of this town is coming back in God's Glory!  However, as we know from other Gospel's, Luke didn't quite capture the whole of the event here.  There are some additional details provided by Mark and Matthew. 

Mark 6:2-3 NIV:

[2] "When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What's this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? [3] Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him."

Matthew 13:54-58 NIV:

[54] "Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. [55] “Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? [56] Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” [57] And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.” [58] And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith."

It is so helpful to gain the context of each of the other accounts, for we can start to see the heart attitude changing towards Jesus.  They were well acquainted with Him, and they had witnessed none of what He was doing in other towns and villages, and yet he had lived in their midst for close to 20 years.  He had lived an unremarkable life, from their perspective, and here He was proclaiming in their midst that He was the one Isaiah was speaking of prophetically!  He had demonstrated no miracles, none of the "wisdom" and "gracious words" that He was speaking.  I have spent quite some time reflecting on the quiet period of Jesus' life, and these people had witnessed that period.  

To try and put it in any context, I imagine this would be like coming back to your first highschool reunion, and the one quiet guy in your class who came from a large family, most of whom were more well known than him, stands up and says I am going to be the next President of the United States.  If he wasn't laughed out of the place, he certainly wouldn't be held in high regard afterwards... no matter how eloquent he sounded, for he was known, and he was of no-account! 

I think it is difficult for us to fully grasp the dynamics displayed in Nazareth that day, and into the midst of all that the Father has Jesus stoke the flames of derision a bit more byclaiming to be a prophet and then reminding His former townsfolk of some of the historical times where God's chosen was sent to someone outside of Israel, someone not of the chosen people!  He flat out says a prophet is honored everywhere but at his own home, and hometown.  

If the city folk had been ready to welcome Jesus back and give him the keys of the city, they quickly changed course and decided to just toss him off a cliff!  That was a pretty significant 180 degree change.   Both Mark and Matthew name this anger as "offense", and I think that is accurate.  The townsfolk were angry with His claims, angry about the fact that He hadn't done any miracles in their midst, angry that they had only experienced the quiet carpenter!  I would imagine that the faces of sick relatives or family members that had passed away during Jesus' 20 years in Nazareth were brought to mind; those that needed healing but weren't healed, all the prayers asking for help, asking for God's intervention that had seemingly gone unanswered, were all coming back to people's minds.  I can just see the accuser, launching salvo after salvo of accusation against Jesus, and the people were in total agreement... they had been overlooked, cheated, and ignored!  

In the very face of all of that Jesus then says, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”  Yikes!  

No wonder they wanted to toss Him off a cliff!

The question this morning is how this relates to my life?  What impact should this story have on me?

The First thing that comes to mind, is the danger of familiarity, to the point of judgment and labeling.  Jesus had done nothing remarkable, and the people had labeled Him, "Only a carpenter".  They had no room in their minds and hearts for Him to do more!   One wonders how many of us have constructed a "box" of expectations that tries to limit what God can do?  If someone ever steps out of that then it can't be of God!  

Similarly, one could see a level of jealousy in action, where the people of Nazareth were angry that God hadn't chosen to do anything miraculous in their midst, despite the fact that the "Messiah" had lived there .  One wonders how many of us are a little angry that God isn't moving in our churches, yet we hear about Him doing things other places?  We get our 'undies in a bunch', when someone tells us that they have experienced the very move of God we have hungered for through the years!  Or we think, ah those people are weird, and are probably making stuff up, and can't be trusted!  The only way I will accept that its God is if He does it here, the way I want Him to do it!  

Another example could be those who have prayed for years for God to do something, and have given up completely!  There is zero faith for God to do anything, as He hasn't answered prayers, hasn't apparently listened, despite the fact that we have faithfully gone to church all that time... its like God is purposely ignoring us!

We can get all out of alignment when we start listening to the accusations of the enemy.  We miss the very one who has been sent, who is moving in our midst, working all around us!  We get so 'butt-hurt' that we turn our backs on God!  We allow offense to drive us away from Him!  We take the unanswered prayers as evidence in our case against Him!  

Oh, that we would recognize the truth, and allow the Lord to love us, to touch us, to embrace us!  Oh, that we would refuse to listen to the accusations but rather choose to follow Him, knowing that our day will come, that He is moving!  I am reminded of a lovely set of verses from Paul's letter to the Romans 8:31-35,37-39 NIV:

[31] "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all---how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? [33] Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. [34] Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died---more than that, who was raised to life---is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 

[37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Amen and Amen!