Mark 6:1-6
6 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Luke 4:16-30
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”
24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”
28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
Summary
Familiarity Breeds Contempt: Nazareth was full of people who thought they knew Jesus. Similarly, American churches today are full of people who think they know Jesus. The proverbs rings true: Familiarity breeds contempt. The people of Nazareth had grown up around the carpenter’s son, but the implications of Jesus’ self revelation had disturbing implications for their worldview and their daily lives. In like manner, many American Christians had grown up around Jesus, but have never been challenged by His teachings or authority. As a result they take Him lightly, which is not how one should respond to the Lord of Glory.
A False Christ: People may be accepting and enamored with a version of Jesus they deem safe and respectable, who makes no claims of supremacy or demands on our lives, and who’s beliefs and values are conformed with their own. They can tolerate Jesus on their own terms and give Him as much or as little devotion as they choose. In other words, they form a false idol of Christ in their minds according to their own image. Beware of a god who looks like you and approves of everything you do! Such a god cannot deliver you from the real God who will judge you. Psalm 50:21-22, When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before you. Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you.
The Scandal of Christ’s Lordship: Indifference is dormant offense. Indifference, when exposed, turns to offense, and offense, when confronted, turns to rage. There is no room for indifference when it comes to Christ.
Offense and Unbelief, Different Sides of the Same Coin: Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith. Their unbelief was not for a lack of evidence, but a lack of willingness to understand. The Bible diagnoses unbelief as a matter of the will, not the intellect. They didn’t believe Him because they didn’t want to believe Him. Romans 1:18-20, 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Unbelief is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: One of the boldest declarations of the Bible tells us something Jesus could not do. Granted, upon reflection, there are things our all powerful and perfect Savior cannot do- for example, sin. But in Nazareth, His mighty works are limited by the skepticism, hostility and low expectations of his neighbors and countrymen.