Jesus and rejection

Jesus and rejection

Jesus returns home                                                                                                                          Pg.1
Luke 4:14  Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15  He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 16  He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read,

It is important to note that he had already gained some fame and respect for what he had been doing just prior to coming back to Nazareth. Each of the towns had a synagogue and Jesus had been teaching in the various towns in the Galilee area. He came back to Nazareth to visit, and pay his respects and to partake of worship in the synagogue This seems to refer to what had been the habit of the life of Jesus while he had lived at Nazareth.  And surely all the people knew him.

Q.1 He returned to Galilee in the power of the spirit, what does that statement imply ?
Q.2 What reasons would bring Jesus back to Nazareth ?
Q.3 Going back to his hometown, and teaching. Would that be welcomed?

Jesus speaks
Luke 4:17  and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18  "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19  to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20  Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 22  All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.

This is the very heart of what Jesus is doing at this time. And it is what he tells the people there in the synagogue, He told them that the scripture in Isaiah 61:1 which he read to them there, was now fulfilled. and they spoke well of him and recognized him as Josephs son.  One would suppose that at that moment there were those who would be very pleased to see a hometown boy doing such a good job.

Q.1What do you think the townspeople felt about his presence in Nazareth at this time?
Q.2 Would there be any ill feelings or jealousy of him by some?
Q.3 What does the Isaiah scripture reveal to us as we read it?                                
Q.4 Would it have the same meaning to those Jews to whom Jesus was reading?                                
Q.5 What did Jesus mean by saying to them that the Isaiah scripture was fulfilled?



Jesus is critical                                                                                                                                 Pg.2
Luke 4:23  Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself!' And you will tell me, 'Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.”  24  "Truly I tell you," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown.

Here we hear Jesus beginning a critical observation as to what these townspeople probably will think of him. That is that a man ought to look at home, and take care of himself, and of those that belonged to him; and Christ was aware that his townsmen would object this to him, that if he was the person he was said to be, and could do the miracles and cures which were ascribed to him, he ought to do something of this kind at home, among them, who were his townsmen, neighbors, relations, and acquaintances. Familiarity breeds contempt; and we are apt to think meanly of those whose conversation we have been accustomed to;  He then quotes an old proverb, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown”.

Q.1 What is the reason that Jesus would speak out like this to his own hometown people?
Q.2 Is Jesus trying to provoke his fellow townspeople?
Q.3 Is there a possibility that he is reading the hearts of his townspeople?
Q.4 Do you agree or disagree that this old proverb is probably correct?

Jesus explains
Luke 4:25  I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.
26  Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon.
27  And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed--only Naaman the Syrian."
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.

Here Jesus speaks very frankly to the citizens of Nazareth. He taught in their synagogues, their places of public worship, where they met, not, as in the temple, for ceremonial services, but for the moral acts of devotion, to read, expound, and apply, the word, to pray and praise, and for church-discipline; and they were not responsive to his work in such a way that it served to show that they were changed in any way. And as an example he cites two instances; One where God thru Elijah does not come to the Jews during the three and a half years of famine, but only to a widow in Zarephath in Sidon who was in need. And anotherinstance where  there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed--only Naaman the Syrian." God responds to those who respond to his servants

Q.1 Is there something Jesus know about his hometown people?
Q.2 So what did the people think of this criticism?
Q.3 Were the townspeople seriously thinking of killing Jesus?
Q.4 Do you find their reaction too severe?
Q.5 Was Jesus response miraculous or simply the providence of God?
Q.5 What do we know about the providence of God?
Opening Prayer
Jesus our savior, and our intercessor, we pray your blessing tonight, on this study. We pray that you would put the words and their meaning into our hearts and minds,  those words that you would have us learn from this study. We pray that no word be spoken here tonight, contrary to thy will, and that all here will be subject to your guiding Spirit.We ask your blessing on all families represented here tonight and bless all those who are seeking your healing hand for illness or conflicting relationships. We pray that your grace may abound and give them healing.  These things we ask in your Holy name Jesus, AMEN

This is the return to Nazareth that Jesus does where his hometown people ultimately reject him. What does he do? It is our intention to learn the intricate and minute details of each event in his life with a teaching moment in it.  There is no word he spoke and no act he committed that is not of paramount import to any who seek Jesus and his teaching.  We will attempt to relate these events to life as we know it in our world today. We pray that we will never be faced with the realization that these townspeople come to know


Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, God of our salvation. It is you through your Son Jesus who has made us and not we ourselves. We sometimes become so wrapped up in our own network of concerns that we forget that it is You through your Son Jesus  who really is in control of our world. We pray that your loving concern for us will be such that we will learn to be attentive to the words of Your son Jesus and that we will listen to him. We pray that we will respond to His call, we pray that you will find us and teach and minister to us and that we will never be guilty of rejecting Jesus, and that our response will be acceptable to Him. In the Name of Jesus we pray. AMEN