He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue…And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

                                                                                                     Matthew 13:54,57-58

Today: Read Matthew 13

This chapter of scripture is full of wonderful parables used by Jesus to explain the kingdom of heaven. But it is the last passage that we will focus on today. Jesus returns to His hometown and begins to teach in the synagogue, a practice He had consistently followed as He traveled from town to town. The people marveled at His wisdom and miraculous powers. However, this scene doesn’t end like you might think. I believe there are three important items for us to consider.

First, scripture tells us that the people in Jesus’ hometown “took offense at Him.” To take offense is literally “to be snared by someone or something.” It means that the person acts as a stumbling block. It is to distrust someone and to see in another what we disapprove of and what hinders us from acknowledging his/her authority. Jesus is a stumbling block for anyone who is attempting to be right with God through works rather than faith. This was the problem that the 1^st century Jews had (Romans 9:32). It was unfathomable for some of the people of Israel to accept the fact that God had expanded salvation to the Gentiles (the rest of the world). I suppose there are multiple reasons why people take offense at Jesus, but the Bible talks a lot about how righteousness through faith rubs against the self-sufficiency and pride of humanity.

Secondly, Jesus makes a remarkable statement, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and in his own household.” Have you ever noticed that it is often much easier to reach strangers with the gospel than it is to reach your own family members? Those that are closest to us know us better than the rest of the world. Your family knows the “real” you. This intimate knowledge can sometimes act as a barrier to reaching our relatives because they expect (sometimes unfairly) for us as believers to behave better than we often do. Take for example the pastor who preaches a sermon on patience, only to yell at his family the very same afternoon. Jesus had no flaws, but perhaps the familiarity the people of Nazareth had with Jesus caused them to miss His real identity of being the Son of God.

Lastly, we are told that Jesus did not perform many miracles because of the unbelief of the people. By taking offense at Jesus, the people put their unbelief on display. It is impossible to trust (to believe) Jesus and at the same time take offense at Him. We will find ourselves on one side of the fence or the other. Unbelief is identified as the cause of Jesus’ lack of miracles in Nazareth. We are given many examples in scripture of Jesus connecting healing and restoration with faith. We are told that all things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23).

I hope today finds you trusting in Jesus. Whether or not your family joins you in praising God, keep praying for those closest to you and continue to be faithful to the One who has called you into service. May you find God doing far more in your life than you could have ever thought or imagined! (Ephesians 3:20)