Leaving Home

Follow Along with the Message

"And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. (15) And he began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. (16) And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood to read. (17) And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed Him.  And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,(18)  'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor, and He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, (19) to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.' (20) And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. (21) And He began to say to them, 'Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.' (22) And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, 'Is this not Joseph's son?' (23) And He said to them, 'No doubt you will quote this proverb to me, "Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done in Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well." (24) And He said, 'Truly, I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. (25) But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when a great famine came over all the land; (26) and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. (27) And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them were cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.' (28) And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; (29) and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of a hill on which their city was built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. (30) But passing through their midst, He went on His way" (Luke 4:14-30).

"You can't go home again" (Thomas Wolfe).

When God sent His Son, He made Him a layman.  Not a preacher (for 30 years at least).  A carpenter.

Unconscious ceiling.  NOT what Scripture says.  "Until we all attain to the unity of the faith. . .to a mature man. . .the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-13).

"There are great men who make everyone feel small.  There are really great men who make everyone feel great" (G. K. Chesterton).

I CAN BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

"He returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit"(v. 14).  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me"(v. 18).

      As a man, Jesus lived in cooperation with and submission to the Spirit.

     "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" (Acts 19:2).

"How much more will your Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Luke 11:13).

I CAN BE A MAN OF SCRIPTURE AND SYNAGOGUE

     Lifelong commitment to Scripture.  To its authority and sufficiency.  

"Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman who needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of God" (2 Timothy 2:15).

I CAN BE A MAN OF SYMPATHY

     Poor.  Captive.  Blind.  Oppressed.

     "Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them" (Matthew 9:36).     

     "It is a question of discipline," the little Prince told me later, "When you 

     are finished washing and dressing each morning you must tend your planet" (Antoine de Saint-Exupery).

     His way of caring was to preach truth.

I CAN BE A MAN OF STRENGTH

     "They were filled with rage" (v. 28).

     Smallville, Kansas (Jerry Seigel).  Superman's hometown.  

     God's favor (v. 19) diktos, to take by the hand, to accept

     No prophet is welcome (v. 24) diktos, same word.

     God reaches to us, we don't reach back because it would require us to change.

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He left!  He wondered whether anyone realized what was lost.  

"He could do no miracle there except He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He wondered at their unbelief" (Mark 5:5).

"I go to prepare a place for you.  If I go, I will come and receive you that where I am you may be also" (John 14:1-3).