HOST: Michael Whitworth
He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.
Jesus' time in Nazareth was difficult and disappointing. He came to them as the Master Teacher, but they only saw the one who had grown up in Nazareth—the son, the brother, the carpenter. They discounted His authority and wisdom and questioned His power. Such was their unbelief that, people had flocked to Jesus in other places to have their sick healed, in Nazareth, even His restorative powers were not accepted, and He had little opportunity to display His mighty works. What can we learn from this event in the life of Jesus? While there are several valuable lessons to be learned here, maybe the greatest is the one revealed in the last statement: "And He went about among the villages teaching." Jesus was refused by His own city, the people who had known Him the longest, but He kept teaching. He faced their ridicule, skepticism, and rejection, but He kept teaching. Many times in our lives, we will be rejected, turned down, maybe even scoffed at for our attempts to share Jesus with friends, family, coworkers, and others. Many will not accept us or our message, but we must remember that not even Jesus was successful all the time, so keep teaching!
How should we deal with people who reject or ridicule us for trying to share our faith?
Don’t forget to pray and have a great day!
