26. (Un)Welcome Home

He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He went, as was his custom, to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the broken hearted,
    to proclaim release to the captives,
    recovering of sight to the blind,
    to deliver those who are crushed,
    and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him as he began, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

All talked about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. They said, “Where did this man get this wisdom, and these mighty works? Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? Aren’t all of his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all of these things?” And they were offended by him.

Jesus said, “Doubtless you will tell me this parable, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.’” He said, “I tell you no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land. But Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a widow. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian.”

Everyone in the synagogue was enraged as they heard these things. They rose up, and took him out of the city to throw him off the cliff on which their city was built. But passing through the middle of them, he left town.

Reflection

The people at Nazareth were upset Jesus didn’t do the miracles in his hometown that he did elsewhere, particularly when he said God was known at times to show more compassion to foreigners than to Jews. How do you feel about immigrants and refugees coming to the United States? Do you resent resources being used to meet their needs when so many Americans are in need as well?

Prayer: Change my mind, Lord, when I start thinking like the people who rose up against Jesus.