And when he was come into his own country,
he taught them in their synagogue,
insomuch that they were astonished, and said,
Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
Is not this the carpenter's son?
is not his mother called Mary?
and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
And his sisters, are they not all with us?
Whence then hath this man all these things?
And they were offended in him.
But Jesus said unto them,
A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Matthew 13: 54-58

* * * * *

My world view, when I am the focus, lends itself well
to thoughts, attitudes and behaviors that are self-protective,
designed to take care of me in some way.
It leaves no room for God.
We seek safety, the comfort of the familiar, what is known to us,
rather than seeking to know God
and finding safety in relationship with Him
during the stretching experiences
He allows to enter our lives.

I wonder whether those in Jesus' hometown of Nazareth
weren't stuck where we so often find ourselves.
They knew what they grew up with.
Life seemed to have a rhythm that was familiar.
It required little thought.
Neighbors were known; patterns of relating were practiced.
Then Jesus came back home and entered their synagogue.
What He said and what He did not fit together well
with what they knew and understood.

His family had lived in the community for years.
Jesus was not who they expected Him to be.
What He said and how He said it, what He did,
these were different.
Because it was different, they were offended.
Yet, He spoke truth.

Do we, too, find it difficult to embrace newly revealed truth,
choosing instead to be offended?
Or do we risk to look deeper,
seeking to find Scripture that supports it,
knowing that letting go of what we have always known and believed
may be needful if we are to continue to learn and grow?

Maybe we are as guilty of rejecting Jesus
as were those in His hometown of Nazareth?
Are we blocking God's work among us here and now
in some similar way?

Prayer:
God, you have so much to teach us.
Help us not to close our eyes to seeing truths you present
because we are a patterned people,
and You are a God who often works differently than
what we expect or are comfortable with.
Open our ears to hear more of your truth
and to accommodate to it
rather than to choose the route of offense
that blocks you from manifesting Yourself among us here and now.

Twila Charles Leichty
6. February 2010