The Way of the Innocent

Jesus and his disciples were sent to Galilee by the Spirit

News of him spread:

Many were healed

Some were delivered from the demonic

Rumors of the Messiah

Jesus went home to Nazareth.

Jesus taught in the synagogues as he went.

Jesus read from Isaiah at Synagogue

The scroll of Isaiah was handed to him to read from, and whether he chose the passage or someone chose it for him, he interpreted the text as referring to himself.

Some might hear him declaring that he was like the Prophets of old, and others that he is the promised one to come and fulfill the prophecy.

At first the people were amazed and astonished.

Then, they started asking questions.

“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

Not David’s son OR God’s son.

He can’t be the Son of God if he is Joseph’s Son.

‘Who does he think he is anyway?’

Jesus replied in a way that contradicted common sense.

“Physician, heal yourself” or your people.

He responds with the truth, that prophets are not accepted in their own hometowns, because they don’t simply “take care of their own”

They may have heard this as, ‘God does not take care of his own,’

‘You are not a chosen people,’

Or, ‘God takes care of your enemies’

Either way, they didn’t like what they heard.

It would sound like heresy, make them angry and want to kill him.

We might like what we hear in the news, until we hear that it is others who get the benefit.

We don’t see our own faults when we are too busy looking at the faults of others.

We need another way to find our innocence again.

We need to hear the truth and accept it, that it might set us free.

Jesus provides a way to God for those who don’t deserve it.

Prophets go with grace to those that God directs.

Even the prophets of old were directed to minister among Gentiles.

Many Jews rejected the prophets, and many would end up rejecting Jesus to the point of his death.

Jesus claimed the mission of the prophets because their mission was God’s mission to restore all people to God.

God graciously goes out of the usual way, to those that have less ability to know the truth of God for themselves.

The Jews knew of God’s goodness and grace through God’s moral law and Covenant made with them.

Others were on the periphery and had to rely on what they gleaned on the outside.

Jesus goes to those who are on the outside, drawing them to God.

Jesus commissions his disciples to draw others in by conveying God’s grace.

To convey the truth that our enemies are given a special way into God’s presence is to risk the anger of loved ones.

Whether we approve or not,

God’s grace will not be stopped. Innocence will be restored. God’s supreme rule of love and grace will reign supreme.