Bible Reading: Luke 4:21-30
Jesus challenges the crowd with “doctor, cure yourself”, referring to a proverb from an ancient Jewish Midrash exploring Genesis. How can Jesus, the son of the carpenter Joseph, know so much and cure others? They did not understand that
Jesus was also God’s son. As an active Christian haven’t you experienced the same question, if not it is likely you will? As children of God we know the source for all we might do or be for others. Yet, like Jesus, we sometimes have to pass through the
crowd because our belief is rejected.
Some turned against Jesus, the one who spoke gracious words, or the one who spoke challenging words, and a mixture. He was liked and not liked. There were people who were very religious and liked him, who were the backbone of Judaism, and others
who went off him when he said what they didn’t like or agree with. He started with the Scripture but then went on to point out bits of the scripture they didn’t like to hear about foreigners. And later they would say sure we knew him as a kid and his family; that meant they could write off what he said. He was inviting them to the purity of
their religion.
Often happens when there are new challenges in the church. What is happening in the
church where the world we live in challenges old customs and beliefs about marriage, civil partnerships, divorce, and also how to welcome people to church who don’t feel they belong. All are welcome here in the love of God. We don’t give up what is essential to our church but we are brought into rethinking and sometimes to change, sometimes
to stay with what is an everlasting truth.
This happens in the church and in the family. We need to be able to live in love with different points of view and different ways of life. Child not baptised, marriage not in church, the people are more important. Jesus is challenging them to see everyone as important, and especially the poor. He would always do this. And they would kill him for it, because he never put organised religion before people.
The words which are at first upsetting may prove to be gracious words as they were from the mouth of the Lord.
Solomzi