A prophet is never accepted in his/her hometown

This Sunday we have just one reading, and it's from Luke. You may remember that this is the continuation of last Sunday's reading, which presents Jesus preaching in the synagogue of Nazareth, his hometown. This is the first long account we have of Jesus' message, so we can read it sort of like a mission statement for his ministry. The first part of his message was from Isaiah and it talks about God's Spirit anointing the prophet to bring good news to the poor, recovery of sight to the blind and release to the oppressed. Jesus reads that and begins his message with our first sentence, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.

When they hear that everyone is impressed and they speak well of Jesus. Things get dicey, though when Jesus continues. The issue, I think, is that he undercuts the idea that his hometown or even the nation of Israel (or the church) has a special claim on God. Now there is no doubt that God and Israel have an eternal covenant and that God loves Israel in a special way. But that doesn't limit God, and God shows love and grace to many surprising people. Here Jesus gives two examples of miraculous love shown through a prophet, both times to people who were not from the chosen people. That's often how God reaches out, but it's a message that is never popular with those on the inside. So, Jesus says, a prophet is never accepted in his hometown.

Blessings on the reading and on your Sunday worship,
Sam


Sunday 1/31 Luke 4:21-30

21Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’”

24And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.