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Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown.

March 4, 2024

2 Kings 5:1-15b  |  Luke 4:23-30  |  Psalm 42:1-7

It’s true, isn’t it? Those who know us in a certain context – family, friends, neighbors, co-workers seem to find it difficult to accept that there is more to us than the limited way in which they have known us.

So it was with Jesus. After his forty days in the desert, he traveled from town-to-town preaching and healing those with many illnesses. But when he returned to his hometown Nazareth and spoke with authority in the synagogue and read from Isaiah 61:1-2 saying:

“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, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

He ended with “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Those gathered in the synagogue went ballistic! Who does he think he is!

Even though he spoke with power and authority, his friends and neighbors were angry at him. Why? Because he was not who they thought he was, he was not fitting into the box they created for him.  He’s supposed to be a carpenter, just like his father, Joseph!

Sensing this, Jesus then said to them, “no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s own town.” And they would have killed him for not being who they wanted him to be had he not simply walked away.

While we are not all prophets in the biblical sense, I think we all have a message to share whether by word or by action and those words and actions may be contrary to what we usually do or say. When we behave differently, we sometimes make others uncomfortable especially if we step out of the persona that is expected. When that happens, there is often push-back rather than accolades from those whom we know.

Such an occurrence is hard for anyone, and it is particularly hard for us living in a world that seems more polarized than ever. But we know that we are in good company as followers of Jesus when we speak the truth or act with compassion even when there is a cost to be paid for it. And when we speak for people who are voiceless or aid those who have no help, we know that the kingdom of God has come near!

Betsy Fornal