I wanted to share some thoughts regarding Jesus’ moment in Nazareth where he is asked to read in synagogue yet sets off a fire storm that would ultimately turn family and friends into a murderous mob. I want to walk through this passage found in Luke 4 to explore some take-aways that I think will inspire and challenge our faith. A few questions need to be addressed…Question 1, why did Jesus seemingly flip a switch from teaching to rebuking based on this community’s seemingly encouraging comments following his reading? Doesn’t the text say that they spoke well of him and the gracious words he spoke? Question 2 follows the response of the community. What initially set off this community regarding what Jesus spoke? Was it solely an inherent disrespect based on their familiarity with who he was, that they had seen him through all growth stages? Question 3, why did Jesus choose these two Gentile examples? And do these examples relate to the reading he just spoke a few moments earlier?
