Luke 4:21-23

“All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!”’”  vss. 22-23a

As Luke writes it, Jesus’ response to the folks in his hometown seems harsh to our ears. We wonder why he didn’t put the best construction on what they said instead of taking offense. The day that began with his triumphant return ended with his disastrous rejection, and it seems like Jesus exacerbated the situation instead of defusing it. But Luke wasn’t writing for the Nazareth Gazette and he really didn’t care about the details. So we should read the story as he intended it, a kind of parable that foreshadowed the ultimate rejection of Jesus by those who thought they knew him best. We still see that sort of thing going on in our churches and congregations. We can get real “cozy” with “our Jesus” and begin to think that we’re the insiders. As a result, when it seems we’re getting called out of our comfort zones, it can get uncomfortable for us. We’d rather stick with the familiar Jesus and assume that he will take care of our families, rather like an old-fashioned family doctor. So when a confronting message comes from Jesus, sometimes through a pastor, we can be irritated, and folks can even get angry. 

Thought for the Day: When folks get angry with a pastor what do they do?