14Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16He 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, 17and 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,
20Then 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. 21He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
23Jesus 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. 25I 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. 26Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27And there were many in Israel with leprosyg in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”
28All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29They 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. 30But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. (Luke 4)
Thoughts: So sadly, the people of Nazareth refused to hear the good news. Perhaps they were blinded by the fact that Jesus grew up before their eyes. Perhaps they were furious because Jesus knew he was getting a cold shoulder reception from his hometown. The people did not just passively not listen. They actively were angry at Jesus and tried to drive him out.
There are today people who do not want to listen to Jesus because he rubs him the wrong way. But they go a step forward and actively oppose Jesus and Christians. Some however, actively oppose Jesus. Last year was the most violent year against Christians in history (according to Open Doors). To think that his own people would be so against Christ who came to simply heal and help is amazing. The cross was a tragic act of history, and the martyrdom of Christians today follows in that same vein. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Christ was not destroyed by his rejection in Nazareth, but his rejection let him spread good news to Capernaum and Galilee.
There are today people who do not want to listen to Jesus because he rubs him the wrong way. But they go a step forward and actively oppose Jesus and Christians. Some however, actively oppose Jesus. Last year was the most violent year against Christians in history (according to Open Doors). To think that his own people would be so against Christ who came to simply heal and help is amazing. The cross was a tragic act of history, and the martyrdom of Christians today follows in that same vein. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Christ was not destroyed by his rejection in Nazareth, but his rejection let him spread good news to Capernaum and Galilee.
Prayer: Lord, help me to have listening ears. Help me to always be willing to face my cross and to stand with those who are facing the cross of persecution.
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