SHARING BREAD
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on
from there. 54 Coming
to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were
amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they
asked. 55 “Isn't
this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers
James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren't
all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Matt
13:53-58 (NIV)
To be sure, familiarity breeds contempt. In our verses for today, our Lord returns to
His hometown of Nazareth for the second time only to be met by yet another
unwelcoming crowd. On His first visit Luke
writes that the townspeople - in fury – even sought to throw Him off of a
cliff! I must say that takes unwelcoming
to another level! We find this account
in Luke:
28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they
heard this. 29 They
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 down the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his
way. Luke 4:28-30 (NIV)
Interestingly, on both visits, the crowds were at first
amazed at His teaching and miraculous powers.
Wisdom and power oozed from every pour of the Master – who wouldn’t be
amazed? Indeed, the wording indicates
great astonishment over the depth of His insight as well as His achieving power
made manifest. Jesus was always wowing
the people by His Words and actions. I
am reminded of the crowd’s reaction to the authority of Jesus’ preaching in the
Sermon on the Mount - leaving His hearers once again both wide eyed and open
mouthed.
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the
crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because
he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. Matt 7:28-29 (NIV)
To be sure, the people standing in the wake of Jesus’ Words
and actions were consistently found astounded and amazed yet often befuddled,
offended and sometimes downright vicious because His presence always demands decision. When confronted by pure unadulterated Truth
we all stand convicted and sorely wanting.
The choice is presented – do we foolishly carry on or do we follow Him?
In our verses for today, Jesus’ hometown people could not
get passed the ordinary from which He hailed.
They foolishly and tragically clung to their transient feelings rather than
true faith which He presented. Feelings
drive may people’s belief systems rather than facts. Faith in what God says in His Word – or in this
case the Word made flesh – is not their most important issue it is how they
feel about what is said. Sadly, these
foolish people are more concerned about the abstract rather than the absolute,
about their wants rather than the Word.
“The best protection against Satan’s lies is to know God’s truth.” Anonymous
“He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his
end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” Blaise Pascal
Jesus does not trouble His heart over the reaction of the
crowds – He was well aware what was in a man’s heart – He calmly imputes it to the
common human attitude that undervalues first class people because they are perhaps
ordinary or local. Isn’t it so in our
day as well? We look to the superstars
on the screen or on the playing fields or in the business arenas or in politics
for counsel or wisdom - as if they were God - yet sorely neglect the very Word
that gives life. How stupid is
that? One thing for sure, their lives do
not often convict us or cause us to quit wallowing in the mud!
19 “This is the verdict: Light has come into
the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were
evil. 20 Everyone
who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that
his deeds will be exposed. 21 But
whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly
that what he has done has been done through God.” John 3:19-21 (NIV)
Our Lord Jesus desires so much more for us. He came to offer us a way that is far
superior to the sinfulness of the flesh and He equips us through the power of
the Holy Spirit to walk in it. We are
the losers when we do not follow – both now and eternally.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have
come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV)
What I glean from this:
· Wherever
Jesus went He wowed the crowds by His wisdom and power.
· Jesus is
fully aware of what is in a man’s heart.
I hide nothing from His all seeing eye.
· Jesus came
to give me life to the fullest measure.
I am the loser when I fail to accept what He freely offers – both now
and eternally.
