St Mary's, Appledore, North Devon

Reflection from Rev Paul Smith

Luke 4:24-30

Jesus in his home town of Nazareth.

Jesus added: “I tell you this, a prophet is never welcomed in his home town. Listen to me: it is true that there were many widows in Israel during the time of Elijah when there was no rain for three and a half years, and a severe famine spread through the whole land. Yet Elijah was not sent to anyone in Israel but only to a widow living in Zarephath in the territory of Sidon. And there were many people suffering from a dreaded skin disease who lived in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha, yet not one of them was healed, but only Naaman the Syrian.

When the people in the synagogue heard that, they were filled with anger. They rose up, dragged Jesus out of the town, and took him to the top of the hill on which their town was built. They meant to throw him over the cliff, but he walked through the middle of the crowd and went his way. (From the Good News Bible published by the Bible Societies and HarperCollins Publishers, © American Bible Society 1994, used with permission.)

Reflection

It is an important question that Jesus puts to us in this reading today. “A prophet is not welcomed in his home town.” This is not only about expectations then , and also our expectations now.

What expectations of Jesus do we have?

Yes, we must expect, but does that mean we take Jesus for granted? -- that’s his job, heal me! The people of Nazareth obviously knew about the healing Jesus had done in the other villages in Galilee. And now, on his return to his own people, they expected it in Nazareth as of right. Maybe there was a touch of arrogance. But arrogance cannot be found in a person who has a living faith in Jesus.

I expect we remember the story Jesus told about the Jewish leader (a Pharisee) and a tax collector (the lowest of the low in that society because they were collaborators)

They were in a place f worship and the Pharisee stood and prayed something like this to God, “O God, I’m a good chap, I do all the right things, I pray properly and I’m a good giver….”

And the tax-collector crouched and wouldn’t even raise his head up but muttered, “Lord a really trust you but I’m so bad, I don’t deserve a thing, help me!”

Jesus said it was the tax-collector rather than the other who went home justified.

Compare this illustration with the situation in Nazareth between Jesus and the townspeople. In effect they were saying, “Come on Jesus! You are one of us, of course you can do your healing here, you owe it to us!” And the result is the same.

What does this tell us about our attitudes? Once we begin to be proud of our faith and they way we practise it – when we are pleased with ourselves, that we have a church with good services and activities, then, in effect, we have let it all slip away.

It as a really frightening experience for Jesus, and probably not the only time.

So we need to take note of the attitudes of the good people of Nazareth and look at the way we feel about things. Not just about Jesus and our personal faith but our attitudes to other people and also the way we live our lives.

So we pray:

O God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; create and make in us new and contrite hearts that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may receive from you, the God of all mercies, perfect remission and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Common Worship: Collects and Post Communions, material from which is included here, is copyright ? The Archbishops' Council 2000

St Mary's, Appledore, North Devon

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