June 9, 2025

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Familiarity Breeds Contempt

The story we studied this past Sunday in church really boggles the mind and makes you wonder. How could the people who knew Jesus, from the time he was crawling on all fours up to the time he could walk on water treat him with so much contempt? Had I lived in Nazareth at that time, would I be celebrating him, or would hostility and jealousy being pouring from every pore? Can you say what side you might be on in this situation. Hint, like almost everyone it probably is not the right side. Now let me catch you up on what started this discussion.

Jesus had for some time being going throughout the region baptizing, healing and preaching. Than Jesus decides let's head for the home town. I'm sure he thought it would be wonderful to spread God's love and healing with the people he knows, and who know him, best. Not so fast my friend. While I don't have confirmation about this, I'm pretty sure this might be where the phrase "you can't go home again" might be referring to.

After Jesus's arrival, on the Sabbath, he got up and went to the synagogue to teach. As he started to teach the people they were initially amazed and awed. He was teaching them unlike the scribes and teachers of the law. He taught with such authority, passion, and knowledge. The awe and excitement was fleeting and dissipated quickly. Resentment and jealousy reared up and spread quickly in the crowd. Who does this Man (Son Of) think he is? Don't we all know his mother and father? Didn't we watch him, and his brothers and sisters grow up? He's nothing special, and how dare he present himself as anything other than the carpenter's son? The next thing you know he'll be telling us he's the Messiah. Well........

Jesus was teaching from the scroll of Isaiah. This portion of the scroll was prophesying about what the anticipated Messiah would do when He appeared on the scene. Jesus than as much as said that he was He, when he after putting the teaching scroll down, said “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). That doesn't sound like much but to those that understood the scriptures knew that he had just inferred that he was God's Messiah. That was the final straw. There was no way this carpenter's son was the Messiah. Familiarity breeds contempt. They quickly determined that is was time for this man to go. Not just from the synagog but from the land of the living. Blasphemy deserved nothing less. They were not successful because it was not God's will at that moment for His Chosen One to die, but this would serve as a vivid example of just how ugly and destructive jealousy and envy can be. There a reason it made God's top 10 list.

In the present you can't go home again. Take heart, there will be time, when I don't know, under Christ's glorious reign on earth when you will alway be home. And it will be fantastic!!!

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