Jesus rejected at Nazareth by Alexandre Bida
As I sat in church and listened to the Gospel lesson, one verse jumped out at me. It was the passage about Jesus being rejected in his own hometown. He angered them so much the mob dragged him to the edge of the cliff to throw him off….But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. (Luke 4:30)
That is the verse which grabbed my heart. Can you picture it? These men all yelling at once, turning to each other, egging the others on. The voices escalate. A few curse words and shoves ensue. Their angst brewed to a tempest in a teapot and hey were so caught up in their anger and hurt they didn’t notice him pass through them, calm, quiet, unscathed. Reminds me of those old Westerns barroom brawls. The two cowboys who started it shakes hands, shrug and walk out, leaving the others in the midst of their ruckus.
I wonder how many times I’ve gotten so caught up in the moment that I fail to recognize Jesus standing there. Do I let my anxiety, anger, hurt or frustrations consume my attention to the point that I not only do not hear the message He has for me but perhaps turn my anger towards Him? Like the men in Nazareth, do I want Jesus to do things my way more than I want to listen to His wisdom?
.Jesus backs off. Not out of fear for His well being, but because He knows, as any of us do, when someone is riled up they lose any ability to think rationally. No use trying to talk any sense into them. He lets lets me stew in my juices a while.
Emotions are not bad in and of themselves. But when we simmer on issues and stir them into swirls of bubbling gripes, do we not lose perspective? We cannot think clearly through the problem because our brain is clouded. Worry, frustration, anger fogs the reality. Molehills loom into mountains.
If only we can take a slow, deep inhale and exhale, perhaps we can simmer down and then open our faith ears to His message, learn the lesson, feel His healing power. The difference between the men at Nazareth and those at Capernaum was one simple thing- reception.
The next time, I hope I remember this Gospel lesson, stop and say, “Wait Lord. Come back. Sorry. I’ll listen to you now.”
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