A newspaper headline in a small village paper might read “Local boy returns as Evangelist”. The older residents gather together and talk about this fellow, reminiscing about how they remember him when he was younger. Now he’s back in town as a preacher? Well, who is he to tell us how to live? They recall everything they think he may have done as a kid, and now he’s a preacher?! This scenario has probably happened numerous times, which is why many times young preachers often don't want to go minister in their hometown. This is just what happened to the Lord Jesus when He returned to His hometown of Nazareth. Let’s read how His former neighbors received Him in today’s Scripture.
As our Scripture opens today, Jesus had made a visit to His hometown of Nazareth, and on the Sabbath day, He went to the local synagogue. As we begin reading our passage, Jesus had just finished reading Isaiah 61:1-2 aloud to the congregation, and as was the custom, they all waited for Him to make a commentary on what was read. As He looked out to the group, Jesus said that this Scripture He had just finished reading was now fulfilled in their hearing (vs. 21). This was a very specific claim that Jesus was the Messiah, who fulfilled the Scriptures.
The people of Nazareth did not want to hear this! Who did this fellow think that He was? He was only the son of the local carpenter. His siblings still lived in the neighborhood. Though Jesus had been educated in the local synagogue schools that all boys attended for a few years, learning to read and write, He hadn’t had any further formal education, such as with the scribes in Jerusalem. That would have been more than His humble family could have afforded. Yet now Jesus was back in town claiming to be somebody. Some of them might have even been recalling a few nasty rumors that had probably circulated years ago about the mother of Jesus, and how Joseph had considered ending their betrothal due to her being pregnant (Matthew 1:18-19). Some sitting there might have considered Jesus illegitimate, despite the fact that Joseph married Mary, which should have ended any rumors. No special education, paternity possibly in question, working class background, and yet He wants to instruct us??Jesus knew their thoughts, and how the majority of those in Nazareth had long since hardened their hearts. The townsfolk had heard of the miracles and healings that were done in other nearby villages, such as Capernaum, and some wondered why He wasn’t doing the same for them (vs. 23-24). They were not accepting Jesus. They had no faith.
Then Jesus brought to their remembrance two incidents that were in the Old Testament. During the days of the great prophet Elijah, in the middle of a prolonged famine, the prophet went out of Israel and into foreign territory, to a widow in Zarephath. There he stayed, providing her with a miracle supply of food, and even raising her son to life after he fell ill and had died (I Kings 17:8-24). Jesus also reminded them of Naaman, a foreign general who the prophet Elisha healed of his leprosy (II Kings 5:1-14). Though His congregation didn’t want to acknowledge it, both these people were Gentiles, yet God had cared for them. Even though there had been hundreds of Jewish widows starving during the famine, and hundreds of Jewish lepers, none of them were healed (vs 25-27). The times of both Elijah and Elisha’s ministries were times of deep and widespread unbelief in Israel. God bypassed all the widows and lepers in Israel, and showed grace to two Gentiles.
The crowd became furious when Jesus suggested that God’s mercy and grace might be withheld from them due to their unbelief, yet extended to others. Nazareth was showing profound unbelief in rejecting Jesus, and they would find God’s judgment upon them (vs. 28). Now the very people He had grown up with were seeking to kill Him (vs. 29). Instead of succeeding, Jesus walked through the mob and left Nazareth. There were several times that Jesus escaped a premature death, a death before God’s set time. This was one occasion, and then also in John 7:30; 8:59; and 10:39.
Have you been rejected by those you grew up with? Maybe they recall things from your past, and now won’t accept you and the work you might be trying to do for the Lord. Or perhaps you are the one rejecting someone you knew from years ago, and can’t believe that God would ever use that person. Don’t be like those of Nazareth. And if you are feeling the type of “welcome” that Nazareth gave our Lord, remember, you are in good company. Though they had a great opportunity, Nazareth never accepted the Lord.
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