Come in, or Get out?

from Luke 4:14-30, Jesus is rejected in Nazareth

• Jesus was in home town. We have a little insight into his faith practice and his quality as a teacher. I can hear the excitement of the leadership at the Nazareth synagogue, knowing that Jesus is going to speak: “Come in! It’s Joseph and Mary’s boy, we’ve heard good things, COME IN!”

There was excitement at his reading of Isaiah 61… it’s one thing to have a local brush with fame (a friend of mine won a few gold medals in the Olympics in 92) but this is a little bigger, this passage is about Messiah! God’s very own anointed one, from our little community!! Hugs are exchanged, people hand out cigars, not only is promise of God to be fulfilled, it’s one of us.

• Recall this passage follows temptation by Satan in the wilderness… I don’t think it’d be far off base to call this a fourth temptation… Receive our praises, fulfill our expectations…

• But Jesus knows his calling, remains true to it, (why? Because he’s got the power of the Spirit. Conceived by Spirit, born under Spirit, announced by Spirit, baptized by Spirit, upheld by Spirit in the wilderness…)

(by the way, What’s stronger than Holy Spirit? People. People have the power to resist Spirit. (see Matt 13:58) )

Jesus hears their accolades and knows their expectations about Messiah to vanquish the Gentiles and restore Israel… this is what they’ve been taught, this is an expectation they cling to. 

But their interpretation, their teaching, is off. 

God will be fulfilling promise, yes, but not in a way they’re expecting. 

God’s power was demonstrated by Elijah with a Gentile widow (not Israel). 

God’s power was demonstrated by Elisha with a Gentile MILITARY COMMANDER.

• And the people get upset. 

Matthew 13 reports they were offended. WE’RE the ones slated to receive blessing, not them!  

Here in Luke they’re enraged and they seek to kill Jesus. 

CHURCH PEOPLE, mind you, seeking to kill Jesus. Church people who two sentences ago were clapping one another on the back celebrating him.

• And I wonder why. And I think it has to do with not being plugged in right.

Power steering… ever go out? You can be doing all the right things but if that power isn’t plugged in right, you’re suddenly fighting hard, and you immediately lose focus.

I think that’s what happened here.

The people of the synagogue were so focused on what they expected God to do that when God came along and didn’t fit their bill they wanted to clear the space for God to do it right (their way).

If you’re dead set on your expectation, and someone challenges it, walls go up. And it’s because of pride. 

But. 

If you’re plugged in right, if your pride is in the right place (humble before God) and God begins to do something different, it’s easier to say “you go, God, I’m with you. I wasn’t expecting that, but not my will but thine.” 

Whose church is it? Whose glory? When we give tithes and offerings, remember, we are returning to God what is his…

• What’s it look like to be plugged in right? 

Daily decision. In Word, in worship, in fellowship, in study, in service. Pray God show me what you want me to do. Jesus, be Lord and master in my life, you take the spotlight, you set my priorities. Open my heart to learn, set my pride aside.

• Where’d he go at the end of this episode? Tune in next week. 

And in the meanwhile examine what it means for Christ to be Lord in your life. 

Examine the connections you have with God and with the folks in the church. 

Examine whether you’re motivated by pride or personal glory or how freely you can step aside for God to do what God will do… 

Consider, when you encounter Jesus, whether you’ll ask him to come in or get out.

give the glory to God…

• Hymn 227 Thine Is the Glory