Who Does He Think He Is?
Sermon
When I returned from my first pilgrimage to the Holy Land, it felt a bit like a jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces were there and almost in position, but had then just slotted into place. I think what contributed most to this feeling was actually seeing the geography of the Holy Land for myself.
One big surprise for me was how close together are all those places mentioned in the Bible. Nazareth, where Jesus grew up, is way up in the hills in northern Galilee. From there, it's not much more than a stone's throw down to Cana, where he attended a wedding and changed the water into wine. And another half-day's walk would have taken him to Capernaeum, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Capernaeum was where his friends lived. Or at least, was the fishing village where the house of Simon Peter can still be seen today.
Today's gospel story starts from Capernaeum. Jesus had delivered the sermon on the mount, which took place around the area of Capernaeum. Then he climbed into the fishing boat with his friends and they set off across the lake - the Sea of Galilee. This was where the storm blew up when Jesus was asleep in the boat.
After the storm, they'd kept going to the other side of the lake, to the country of the Gerasenes, where Jesus had healed the madman who lived among the tombs there. But the villagers were terrified of such power, and they begged Jesus and his friends to make themselves scarce.
So the little band of fishing friends had come back again across the sea with Jesus, only to find that their fame had gone before them and a great crowd was awaiting them back in Capernaeum, including Jairus the leader of the synagogue whose little daughter was so ill. Jesus healed Jairus' daughter and saw to the needs of the crowd, and then, since he was only a step away from Nazareth, was minded to go home, as you do if you're in the vicinity.
He and his friends climbed the hills to Nazareth, and on the Sabbath day Jesus began to teach in the synagogue there. There seem to have been two reactions to his teaching. Some people were astonished by his wisdom and by his amazing powers. But other people were angry and jealous and resentful that one of their own had apparently had risen so far above them.
Nazareth was just a small village, and its people were hill people. They were probably all related, and they certainly all knew each other very well. Rather than rejoicing in this representative of their own village who was clearly so special, some of them "took offence".
It doesn't take much for some people to take offence. There are those who take offence not because they have been harmed in any way, but because they feel threatened. And some people feel threatened when other people have better fortune than they do themselves.
One family who won the lottery a year or two ago really did intend to continue in their old jobs and their old home, because they genuinely didn't want the lottery win to make any difference to them. To start with, most of their friends and neighbours rejoiced in their good fortune, although others deeply resented them. But before long, the mutterings spread. Things were said like, "Why should they take up one of our houses when they can afford to live anywhere? Why should they be allowed to work in this factory when they've got all that money and there are other people who are unemployed?" In the end, life became so unbearable for the lottery winners that they were forced to move away into a different area.
Some people feel threatened if someone they know well has the courage to move away and seek a better life. Those that are left behind can begin to feel inferior, even though with a little effort they themselves could follow a similar path.
There have been families in the past where working-class parents have been deeply upset if their children choose higher education. It's as though higher education in the family is threatening to the parents and makes them feel inferior to their offspring.
It often seems to be true that people take offence not because of some injury that has been done to them, but because something in their own make-up causes them to interpret outside events and actions as threatening to themselves.
And this does seem to be even more true with your own people. The one person who failed to rejoice when the prodigal son came home again, was the prodigal's brother. Rather than rejoicing, the elder brother took offence. He interpreted the event of his younger brother's homecoming as threatening to himself, and showed a deep jealousy and resentment.
And this is exactly what happened to Jesus in his own village. "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" said the villagers. "Who does he think he is?" And they took offence at Jesus.
The problem is, anger and resentment and jealousy cause disharmony within a person, cause dis-ease. They are underlying currents which act as blocks to God's love and healing power. And so Jesus found that even he was unable to perform many miracles in his own country among his own kin.
It's well known that a prophet is without honour in his own country. It's also well known in medical circles that you shouldn't treat your own. You may be married to a doctor, but he or she won't usually be your GP. Golfers are well aware that it's tantamount to instant divorce to attempt to teach your spouse to play golf. And driving instructors rarely instruct their spouse in the art of driving. Prophets are indeed without honour in their own country.
But it's interesting to note that Jesus was able to heal a few sick people in his home territory. When the chips are really down and people are desperate, they'll turn to anyone who offers hope. And Jesus was able to work with even a tiny amount of faith like that, faith no bigger than a mustard seed. God can work within anyone who has an open mind.
So the next time you hear great things about someone you know well, will you keep an open mind, even if that person was a pathetic wimp of a child? Will you accept and rejoice in their greatness? Or will you say, "Who do they think they are?"
One big surprise for me was how close together are all those places mentioned in the Bible. Nazareth, where Jesus grew up, is way up in the hills in northern Galilee. From there, it's not much more than a stone's throw down to Cana, where he attended a wedding and changed the water into wine. And another half-day's walk would have taken him to Capernaeum, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Capernaeum was where his friends lived. Or at least, was the fishing village where the house of Simon Peter can still be seen today.
Today's gospel story starts from Capernaeum. Jesus had delivered the sermon on the mount, which took place around the area of Capernaeum. Then he climbed into the fishing boat with his friends and they set off across the lake - the Sea of Galilee. This was where the storm blew up when Jesus was asleep in the boat.
After the storm, they'd kept going to the other side of the lake, to the country of the Gerasenes, where Jesus had healed the madman who lived among the tombs there. But the villagers were terrified of such power, and they begged Jesus and his friends to make themselves scarce.
So the little band of fishing friends had come back again across the sea with Jesus, only to find that their fame had gone before them and a great crowd was awaiting them back in Capernaeum, including Jairus the leader of the synagogue whose little daughter was so ill. Jesus healed Jairus' daughter and saw to the needs of the crowd, and then, since he was only a step away from Nazareth, was minded to go home, as you do if you're in the vicinity.
He and his friends climbed the hills to Nazareth, and on the Sabbath day Jesus began to teach in the synagogue there. There seem to have been two reactions to his teaching. Some people were astonished by his wisdom and by his amazing powers. But other people were angry and jealous and resentful that one of their own had apparently had risen so far above them.
Nazareth was just a small village, and its people were hill people. They were probably all related, and they certainly all knew each other very well. Rather than rejoicing in this representative of their own village who was clearly so special, some of them "took offence".
It doesn't take much for some people to take offence. There are those who take offence not because they have been harmed in any way, but because they feel threatened. And some people feel threatened when other people have better fortune than they do themselves.
One family who won the lottery a year or two ago really did intend to continue in their old jobs and their old home, because they genuinely didn't want the lottery win to make any difference to them. To start with, most of their friends and neighbours rejoiced in their good fortune, although others deeply resented them. But before long, the mutterings spread. Things were said like, "Why should they take up one of our houses when they can afford to live anywhere? Why should they be allowed to work in this factory when they've got all that money and there are other people who are unemployed?" In the end, life became so unbearable for the lottery winners that they were forced to move away into a different area.
Some people feel threatened if someone they know well has the courage to move away and seek a better life. Those that are left behind can begin to feel inferior, even though with a little effort they themselves could follow a similar path.
There have been families in the past where working-class parents have been deeply upset if their children choose higher education. It's as though higher education in the family is threatening to the parents and makes them feel inferior to their offspring.
It often seems to be true that people take offence not because of some injury that has been done to them, but because something in their own make-up causes them to interpret outside events and actions as threatening to themselves.
And this does seem to be even more true with your own people. The one person who failed to rejoice when the prodigal son came home again, was the prodigal's brother. Rather than rejoicing, the elder brother took offence. He interpreted the event of his younger brother's homecoming as threatening to himself, and showed a deep jealousy and resentment.
And this is exactly what happened to Jesus in his own village. "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" said the villagers. "Who does he think he is?" And they took offence at Jesus.
The problem is, anger and resentment and jealousy cause disharmony within a person, cause dis-ease. They are underlying currents which act as blocks to God's love and healing power. And so Jesus found that even he was unable to perform many miracles in his own country among his own kin.
It's well known that a prophet is without honour in his own country. It's also well known in medical circles that you shouldn't treat your own. You may be married to a doctor, but he or she won't usually be your GP. Golfers are well aware that it's tantamount to instant divorce to attempt to teach your spouse to play golf. And driving instructors rarely instruct their spouse in the art of driving. Prophets are indeed without honour in their own country.
But it's interesting to note that Jesus was able to heal a few sick people in his home territory. When the chips are really down and people are desperate, they'll turn to anyone who offers hope. And Jesus was able to work with even a tiny amount of faith like that, faith no bigger than a mustard seed. God can work within anyone who has an open mind.
So the next time you hear great things about someone you know well, will you keep an open mind, even if that person was a pathetic wimp of a child? Will you accept and rejoice in their greatness? Or will you say, "Who do they think they are?"
