Jesus The Hometown Hero ... Or Not! - Luke 4

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.
  
It is always interesting when you come home after leaving your hometown to pursue your calling/job.  When you return it may be that things haven't changed much at all, but you sure have.  There may have been built in expectations in your home town of what it meant to be successful in life.  

Jesus came to back his hometown right after he was baptized by John in the desert.  In his baptism, he heard His father's words, "You are my Son with whom I am well pleased!"  Receiving your father's approval is important for any son as they go out on their own.  

I remember when I left the Midwest to come to seminary here in California.  I wondered if my parents might be upset that I was leaving home.  To the contrary, my parents affirmed my calling to the ministry and offered their full support to my decision. It was an important part of the process for me at this critical juncture of my life.

Jesus returns to his hometown, and is asked to read the scriptures on the Sabbath. Often a visiting rabbi would read and then comment on the reading for the day.  All eyes were fixed on Jesus as he was handed the scroll of Isaiah.  Isaiah was one of the most important prophets in Israel's history.  One of the reasons for his importance was he prophesied about the coming Messiah in many of his writings. After he read the text, the time came for when he would comment on it what it meant for those attending the synagogue on this particular Sabbath day.  Since the reading was so clearly focused on the Messiah, how would he interpret it for them?   

Jesus slowly gets up after reading the scroll and sitting down.  Then he says, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Apparently Jesus went on and continued to give his sermon and the people impressed.  They were amazed how "gracious" his words were.  But then they say something that is generally understood as a "put down".   "Isn't this the carpenter's son.", they ask incredulously.  Matthew's version of this same story says, "and they took offense at him." 

But as the story continues the people will outright reject Jesus because he doesn't fit the image of what they think he should be, which leads him to say, "Only a prophet is rejected in his hometown."

Speaking the truth is sometimes the hardest when you have to do it with those closest to you.  It cuts too close to the heart. Some of your elders might say, "Wait a minute you grew up here and you are telling us what to do!"  This wouldn't be last time those who were closest to Jesus rejected him.  In fact the most resistant people to him was his own Jewish people.  May we bold to speak the truth about Jesus even when it is not easy!