A prophet is not without honor

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.” ’ And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’ When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

- Luke 4:14-30

Jesus goes to his hometown and reads Isaiah's prophecy about the anointed one, the one who is to be anointed with Spirit. Luke's gospel has already described Jesus' anointing with the Holy Spirit at the baptism in the Jordan. So, we know that as Jesus tells the crowd at his synagogue, this prophecy has been fulfilled in him. They all marvel because they know him from their village. How could this be? He must prove himself.

But Jesus begins by telling them that he has anticipated their response, their disbelief, and that he will provide no such proof. He utters the now famous response that a prophet is not without honor save in his own country. Then he goes on to recount the stories of Elijah and Elisha, how their spiritual gifts were bestowed, not to those of their own country, but to a widow in Sidon and a leper from Syria. We know that these healings involved faith, and so it is with Jesus. Jesus is looking for those with faith, who will make this spiritual connection with him.

The most striking thing about this passage is Jesus' bold use of the truth. My first thought was simply a rather sarcastic one: "Jesus really knows how to win friends and influence people!" But he's there to teach, and his embrace of painful truth is complete. There were many widows and many lepers in the home country of Elijah and Elisha, but it was to outsiders that their spiritual gifts were bestowed. So it will be with Jesus - and he goes so far as to say this is the fate of prophets, to be honored not in their own country but elsewhere. He does not shy away from confrontation with those in his home country, who do not believe; he does not shy away from the rebuke that will enrage them.

Indeed their rage is so great they wish to kill him. But it's not yet his time and he eludes the crowd. I admire Jesus' fearlessness in speaking the truth. It is truth that is his number one priority. I can't help but reflect that when I've been outspoken, I've been made to regret it - and my prayer is to understand when it's worth the sacrifice, and when speaking the truth to please God is more important than maintaining peace. Even a rebuke from Jesus isn't necessarily going to be accepted peacefully! Do we know when it's the right time to speak? There were times Jesus chose not to speak, as well. God grant me the discernment to know what time is right for me, and the wisdom to accept truths that I need to accept.