Mary’s Lent Diary (Day 13)

Jesus is back in Nazareth. It is lovely to have him home, I can spoil him a bit. 

Today is the Sabbath so, as always, Jesus went to the temple, and so did I.

Jesus was invited to read. He was given a scroll, and he stood up and read the words of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1,2):

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. The Lord has chosen me to tell good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad. He sent me to tell the captives and prisoners that they have been set free. He sent me to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness.”

Then Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down.

All eyes were on him and you could have heard a pin drop.  Everyone was waiting for him to speak and, when he did, this is what he said:

“Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Mouths fell open.  People were amazed.  They turned to their neighbours, whispering; Isn’t this Joseph’s son?  The one my boy played with when they were kids?  The one who worked as a carpenter and fixed my table?  Wow, it is, and see how well he is speaking!

Jesus didn’t seem to hear them, as he said, “I know what some of you are thinking. You think I should perform miracles in my home town, just as I did in Capernaum.”

I’m not sure where he got that from as it seemed to me that people were being really positive about him but, as usual, he was right.

He went on to tell them that no prophet is accepted in his home town.  And then carried on to say that God had chosen to reach the Gentiles, not just the Jews.  Both were included.

Well, that was like a red rag to a bull!  Everyone was suddenly furious – who did Jesus think he was?  Everyone knew that God had chosen the Jews, so what was all this about including the Gentiles?

The whole crowd of them forced Jesus out of the town, chasing him to the top of the hill so that they could throw him off it.

I realised what they were planning to do but I could do nothing to stop it…I could not even keep up with the crowd.  They were so angry.

I tried not to think about the fact that I would never see Jesus again…that sword was piercing my heart again.

When the crowd returned, though, they were really subdued.  I thought they would be happy, but they seemed more confused than anything.  Apparently, when they reached the top of the hill, Jesus had just walked through the crowd and got away – and no one had been able to do anything to stop him!

What a relief!  I don’t know where Jesus is going now, but at least I know he is alive.

A litter bin overflowing with rubbish

The Bible tells us that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath ‘as was his custom’ (NIV) or ‘as usual’ (NLT)

Jesus knew and modelled the importance of going.

What about us with Church?

Do we know the importance of going?

And do we model it?

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another…

(Hebrews 11:25)

Jesus said, in Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”

Church comes in lots of shapes and sizes.

May being part of it be our custom, as it was with Jesus.

In Jesus’ day, the bottom of the cliff was where people threw their rubbish.

In wanting to throw Him off the hill, the crowd was aligning Him with rubbish.

Perhaps you feel people align you with rubbish.

Jesus knows what it is to be treated like rubbish.

Basically, the people wanted to treat him as they would an empty wrapper, or a scraped-out tin, or discarded food (or their cultural equivalents!).

They were treating him like rubbish.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize…

 (Hebrews 4:15)

Jesus understands.

He understands what it is like not to fit in.

To be seen as different.

To be misunderstood.

To be treated like rubbish.

He gets it.

But Jesus walked away.

He didn’t allow people to treat him like rubbish.

He walked away, and they didn’t follow him.

Is there anything you might need to literally/emotionally/spiritually walk away from?

Jesus had just read: The LORD has chosen me to tell good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad…..

So the people knew – or should have known - that Jesus was going to do just that.

He was on His way to take good news to people who were struggling.

And the crowd didn’t follow Him.

They didn’t go with Him to the poor, to the sad, to the hurting, to the trapped.

Do you?

Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassionately on this world.

(Teresa of Avila)

Lord Jesus,

Thank you for modelling a good way.

Please help me follow it.

Help me follow You.

I don’t want to be like the crowd and stay behind.

Please show me how I can be Your hands and feet today.

Amen

Mary’s Memo Who can I be Jesus to today?