Lent: People of Nazareth

Luke 4:20-30

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Not everyone who encountered Jesus responded positively. Not all were willing to have their unbelief transformed into faith. It seems like someone, even (especially?) a child, who never sins would stand out as noticeable in a village. It seems like those who saw Him and interacted with Him regularly as He grew up would realize there was something significantly different about Him. Yet when He speaks clearly to them that He is different, that He is the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophesy, they respond with anger. We may imagine the idealism of walking and talking with Jesus rather than hearing only the stories about Him that have survived the centuries, yet those who did walk and talk with Him in His hometown didn't recognize Who was in their midst. Rather than allowing the daily encounters to bless their faith, they rejected His claims and attempted to kill Him.
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Each and every person has a choice to make in how we will respond to Jesus. While He may not make Himself physically visible to us, He does reveal Himself through other people, through the words of the Bible, through Creation, through circumstances in our lives, and through quiet nudges in the depths of our hearts. We can choose to respond with joy, crowning Him as our Lord and Savior. Or we can choose to respond as the people of Nazareth did, rejecting His authority and living our lives without His input. How will you choose to respond to Him today?