In 180 days, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will begin. Athletes from all disciplines are working hard in their training to be ready for the world’s biggest competition. Their focus is on winning the gold medal, and standing on the podium to hear their national anthem played. Yet another amazing experience would also await them a few days later, when they arrive back at Heathrow, or in Belfast, or Dublin, when they experience a triumphant homecoming. Can you imagine that? Being back in your hometown, being welcomed with crowds and cheering and jubilation? A homecoming hero.
You see the same with football teams. So last season (apologies if this is a painful reminder), Manchester City won the domestic treble - the league and both cups - and thousands turned out to celebrate as they drove around Manchester on an open top bus. The city turned blue as they celebrated their homecoming heroes.
Now, if that’s how homecoming heroes are celebrated for kicking a ball around a field, or being fast at running, then can you imagine what sort of homecoming welcome someone like Jesus would deserve? Flags and banners and balloons, songs and music and dancing, crowds and cheering and celebration - he’s one of our own! He’s one of us!
I mean, if Dungannon has a sign up stating that it’s the home of Darren Clarke, then surely Nazareth would be cashing in on the fact that Jesus grew up in its streets? [Now, you’re right, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but he then grew up in Nazareth, as Matthew 2:23 tells us] So when we read in Mark 6:1 that Jesus went to his home town, we’re expecting quite a homecoming hero’s welcome.
It’s what we would expect, having heard all that we’ve already heard in Mark’s gospel about Jesus. Last time, we heard about him healing the woman who had been ill for twelve years, and raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead. No doubt people would have talked about that, and word would have spread. And that’s besides all the other healings Jesus has performed, and the crowds that were following him, and all his teaching. He’s been touring about Galilee, but now he’s coming home. The home town hero.
Except, that’s not quite what happens. Jesus is not so much the home town hero as he is the prophet without honour in his home town. It seems so promising at the start, though, doesn’t it? Look at verse 2: ‘When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.’
That sounds good! Jesus is teaching, and the people in church that morning are amazed. Now, that could be really positive - it could be that they’re amazed at just how great Jesus is, and amazed at the excellent teaching that he is giving. Except, that’s not how they’re reacting: instead, their amazement is entirely negative.
First of all, they wonder at what Jesus is teaching: ‘“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles?”’ (2) In effect they’re saying, who does he think he is? He went away from here and now he thinks he’s all high and mighty.
And then they show that they know exactly who Jesus is: ‘“Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offence at him.’ (3)
All through this term, through this section of Mark’s gospel, we’re asking the question: Who is Jesus? And the people of Nazareth have no doubt about who Jesus is. He’s nothing special, he’s just a wee fella from about here who now thinks he is something. He used to do a bit of woodwork but now he thinks he’s a preacher and miracle worker. But sure we know his family, we know all about him.
Can you imagine that? They knew Jesus better than anyone else. He had grown up in their town. He had played in their streets. And they can’t get beyond that, to see who Jesus really is; to see how great Jesus really is. So much so, that they’re offended at him! It’s almost as if they were over-familiar with him - they had their notions about him and couldn’t see him in any other way.
Could that happen to us as well? That we’ve always thought of Jesus in a certain way; maybe a particular image from a children’s Bible or a picture, and no matter what else we hear about Jesus, no matter what else he may say to us in his word, we will only think of him in that one way, whether it’s right or wrong.
And so Jesus recognises that, far from the homecoming hero, he is, to the people of Nazareth, the prophet without honour in his home town: ‘Only in his home town, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honour.’ (4) Perhaps you’ve found this yourself. You might be ready, and willing, and able to talk to anybody about your faith in Jesus. And who are the hardest people to talk to about your faith in Jesus? The people who know you best - your own family. Do you know what? Me too.
But did you notice what Jesus claims about himself in those words? The people of Nazareth see him as a carpenter, but Jesus says that he is (at the very least) a prophet - a prophet without honour, granted, but he is at least a prophet. And yet they couldn’t even accept that. And they couldn’t accept him. And so they couldn’t accept his ministry - no miracles, except for a few healings. And it’s Jesus who is amazed in verse 6 - amazed at their lack of faith.
It’s homecoming heartbreak, as Jesus is treated as a prophet without honour in his home town. But that doesn’t stop Jesus in his mission. It’s not that he is rejected at Nazareth and he gives it all up to become a carpenter again, having heard the truth in the Nazareth synagogue. No, he is undeterred in his mission, and in fact, ramps it up.
Up to now, the mission has been centred exclusively on Jesus. The proclamation of the kingdom has only been happening where Jesus is. But now, the mission is shared, and as Jesus goes, teaching village to village, he sends out the disciples two by two (just like the animals going into the ark!). Jesus shares his mission with the twelve, and he also shares his authority with them - authority over evil spirits. What Jesus has done, the disciples will now do as well.
And their work is by faith. Nazareth were faithless, but the disciples are to live by faith - not by bringing along a packed lunch or loads of supplies or even a change of clothes. They can take a staff, but no bread, bag or money; sandals but no extra tunic. They’re to stay at one house in the town (not shifting about as they get better offers). And they’re to shake the dust from their feet if they are rejected.
It’s a short-term strategy for effective ministry in this particular period of time, as Jesus proclaims the gospel in Galilee. Now, there isn’t just Jesus doing it; there is Jesus plus six pairs of disciples - meaning that seven villages at once are all hearing the good news, as the disciples go on work experience, practicing what they’ve seen Jesus doing.
And we see the effects in verses 12 and 13. ‘They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.’ They preached, and they healed. And it wasn’t just a few sick people who were healed (as it had been in Nazareth). No, now there are ‘many’ demons drive out and ‘many’ sick people who are anointed and healed.
Just think of the stir going around the country. Villages are turned upside and turned around by the visit of Jesus and his disciples. Everyone is talking about it - and as we’ll see next week, word even reaches to the palace of King Herod. The kingdom is coming all over the place, except in Jesus’ hometown.
Could it be that we think that we know all about Jesus? We’ve grown up with him, hearing stories about him since our childhood. We’ve always been aware of him. But nothing will move us from our settled opinion about him; our pre-conceived notions about him.
As we continue to follow Mark’s gospel story, please don’t think to yourself, oh I know all about Jesus, I know who he is. Keep listening, and thinking, and growing in your 2020 vision of who he is - in all his power and might and majesty. Make him your hometown hero, rather than regarding him as a prophet without honour.
And, as we think about Jesus, let’s also consider what he thinks about us. May it never be that Jesus would think of us as he thought of the people of the synagogue in Nazareth that day, in the words of verse 6. They were religious, they were in the church of their day, and yet, they were, ultimately, faithless: ‘And he was amazed at their lack of faith.’
We are so familiar with Jesus; with his word; with his stories. May it never be that we have all that, and yet lack faith in him. So keep listening and thinking, as you grow in your faith in Jesus, this rejected prophet without honour, and yet, our hometown hero, our prophet, priest and king.
This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday morning 26th January 2019.
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