Matthew 13:53–58 (ESV)
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54 and
coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother
called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense
at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
I know many men go off to the seminary to enter the ministry. Often, the congregation that sent them have hopes of having him come back to serve as pastor. Often, it is
not a good idea and falls short. They knew him before becoming a pastor and the people often have a hard time welcoming back the man as a pastor, because they know so much about him. This is what causes the problem in today’s reading.
Notice that the people at the synagogue questioned “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?” But the problem comes from knowing Jesus while growing up and knowing his parents. Remember that Jesus was without sin,
but they had a problem with him being the Messiah when he was a local boy. Jesus states “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”
I pray: Spirit of God, thank You for calling me by the Gospel and enlightening my heart. Amen.