Luke 4:28-30 (NIV)
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 off the cliff.
30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
Reflection
These verses come after a strange encounter between Jesus and his friends and neighbours in his hometown of Nazareth.
Jesus has been doing just fine in Galilee after his temptations in the desert. At least until he gets to Nazareth. Everything starts out well; he reads from Isaiah in the synagogue (Luke 4:18-19)
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
Because he has chosen me
To bring good news to the poor.
He sent me to proclaim release to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind;
To set at liberty those who are oppressed
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
And everyone is very impressed even remembering that he is Joseph’s son.
Maybe his announcement that he was the fulfillment of the passage and he really meant that he WAS the one God was sending got them thinking, maybe stories of his healings and preaching preceded him and they expected he would do the same for them. But surprisingly he announces: Nope, he’s not here for them- just like some of the prophets before him, and giving the examples of Elijah and Elisha, he says he will be like them and be rejected by his own town because he was sent to others.
“These are the blessings God will bring but not to you!” Jesus tells his friends, his neighbours, his family.
Could be a little off-putting! After all they were the people who supported and nurtured him. Why wouldn’t he devote his gifts and talents to them? Why wouldn’t God bless them first!
It would be as if Jesus said to the churches today- “Forget you guys, I’m the Good News to everyone else!” We might be a little put out – after all we’ve been faithful, we’ve tried- and we are still here! Why would Jesus walk out on us? (By the way – Jesus hasn’t). But we might in the moment get a little angry- well, that congregation in Nazareth got a whole lot angry and ran Jesus out of town- up onto a precipice. There was no way out for Jesus.
I have this image of Jesus standing alone on the top of this cliff, a crowd of angry people hemming him in. What could he be thinking at that point?
Am I really a prophet or did I just get lucky with some preaching and healing?
Am I rejected by these people or did I provoke them into an angry mob?
Will I be Good News to the poor, the brokenhearted, the captive, the oppressed?
Am I right?
Am I wrong?
Where does my future lie? Over a cliff? Or is the way forward back through this crowd?
Which path is My path?
And then he makes his way silently back through the crowd, goes on to Capernaum and starts healing people. This is his chosen path.
How many times in our lives have we been or felt like we have been crowded to the precipice and had the courage to walk back, to pick up our lives and go on? To just go on humbly and quietly (or not so quietly), getting through whatever crisis we are facing, helping people where and when we can, following in the footsteps of Jesus.
Amen
Prayer
God of the universe, creator of galaxies and rivers and people,
authour of hope and giver of peace,
there is no end all that is amazing on this planet we call home.
Help us to find the sacredness in all that surrounds us.
Help us to learn from the stories of others.
Help us to notice your presence in all that we say and do.
Holy God you call us to serve in many ways
Help us to be aware of times and places we can help in any way.
Compassionate God
there are many people and situations that sadden our hearts today.
People who are sick in mind and body and need healing,
May you bring them peace and hope.
People who are persecuted and oppressed by systems of injustice
may they see justice.
Children are being attacked because of the colour of their skin,
people are being targeted because of their religion and the language they speak
and the clothes they wear. Help us as individuals and as a society to see beyond all these barriers
And to see only our brothers and sisters.
We lift all our hurts up to you, we lifts up our neighbours sorrows, we lift up our plants wounds.
Hear our prayers, O Lord.
Amen
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 off the cliff.
30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
Reflection
These verses come after a strange encounter between Jesus and his friends and neighbours in his hometown of Nazareth.
Jesus has been doing just fine in Galilee after his temptations in the desert. At least until he gets to Nazareth. Everything starts out well; he reads from Isaiah in the synagogue (Luke 4:18-19)
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
Because he has chosen me
To bring good news to the poor.
He sent me to proclaim release to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind;
To set at liberty those who are oppressed
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
And everyone is very impressed even remembering that he is Joseph’s son.
Maybe his announcement that he was the fulfillment of the passage and he really meant that he WAS the one God was sending got them thinking, maybe stories of his healings and preaching preceded him and they expected he would do the same for them. But surprisingly he announces: Nope, he’s not here for them- just like some of the prophets before him, and giving the examples of Elijah and Elisha, he says he will be like them and be rejected by his own town because he was sent to others.
“These are the blessings God will bring but not to you!” Jesus tells his friends, his neighbours, his family.
Could be a little off-putting! After all they were the people who supported and nurtured him. Why wouldn’t he devote his gifts and talents to them? Why wouldn’t God bless them first!
It would be as if Jesus said to the churches today- “Forget you guys, I’m the Good News to everyone else!” We might be a little put out – after all we’ve been faithful, we’ve tried- and we are still here! Why would Jesus walk out on us? (By the way – Jesus hasn’t). But we might in the moment get a little angry- well, that congregation in Nazareth got a whole lot angry and ran Jesus out of town- up onto a precipice. There was no way out for Jesus.
I have this image of Jesus standing alone on the top of this cliff, a crowd of angry people hemming him in. What could he be thinking at that point?
Am I really a prophet or did I just get lucky with some preaching and healing?
Am I rejected by these people or did I provoke them into an angry mob?
Will I be Good News to the poor, the brokenhearted, the captive, the oppressed?
Am I right?
Am I wrong?
Where does my future lie? Over a cliff? Or is the way forward back through this crowd?
Which path is My path?
And then he makes his way silently back through the crowd, goes on to Capernaum and starts healing people. This is his chosen path.
How many times in our lives have we been or felt like we have been crowded to the precipice and had the courage to walk back, to pick up our lives and go on? To just go on humbly and quietly (or not so quietly), getting through whatever crisis we are facing, helping people where and when we can, following in the footsteps of Jesus.
Amen
Prayer
God of the universe, creator of galaxies and rivers and people,
authour of hope and giver of peace,
there is no end all that is amazing on this planet we call home.
Help us to find the sacredness in all that surrounds us.
Help us to learn from the stories of others.
Help us to notice your presence in all that we say and do.
Holy God you call us to serve in many ways
Help us to be aware of times and places we can help in any way.
Compassionate God
there are many people and situations that sadden our hearts today.
People who are sick in mind and body and need healing,
May you bring them peace and hope.
People who are persecuted and oppressed by systems of injustice
may they see justice.
Children are being attacked because of the colour of their skin,
people are being targeted because of their religion and the language they speak
and the clothes they wear. Help us as individuals and as a society to see beyond all these barriers
And to see only our brothers and sisters.
We lift all our hurts up to you, we lifts up our neighbours sorrows, we lift up our plants wounds.
Hear our prayers, O Lord.
Amen
