Is this Jesus' Hometown?

July 5, 2009
“Is this Jesus’ hometown?”
2 Corinthians 12:2-10
Mark 6:1-13
Year B
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost



William Willamon – difference between experienced traveler and a new traveler. When you first take a trip you pack all sorts of things, you take your time to pack and make sure you have everything you need and everything you think you will need. But you soon realize – that it really doesn’t matter what you take. You learn to travel lighter.


Jesus sends us all on a journey – faith is a journey

With this message – Jesus sends us all out on that journey with this message: Travel Light, Stick together, and trust the wonders of God.


Independence day – celebrate the freedom of our country.

Yet reminder that independence is dependendence. Part of the paradox of life.

There is no where that the bible says that God takes care of those who take care of themselves.

Bible reminds us that we need each other, that we are to help one another. The message is all about living in community.

But Jesus takes it one step further and calls us to be a witness – to tell people who don’t want to hear you – the power of God.

The key phrase to witnessing is that you are to talk to people who don’t want to hear what you have to say. And will go through great lengths to tell you so.

Jesus learned about that , when his faith journey called him to go home.

We have been following Jesus journey around Israel, he has done some great things – he healed a crippled man, he healed a woman who has been suffering all of her life, he even bought a young girl back to life.

He found that his greatest challenge was witnessing to those in his hometown. He walks in the synagogue and speaks with authority, helping them to understand the scripture. And instead of listening to what he has to say – all they can think of is who is this talking to him. Isnt this Mary’s son? What does he know?

Isnt this the carpenter’s family what does he know about spiritual issues?

For us, it would be like our local plumber – deciding to teach a philosophy class at the community college. What does he can he possibility teach us about philosophy, when he has not spent the time studying?

It turns out that Jesus had a lot to teach them and us about our faith. His whole message was to look beyond what we know, what we study, what we have learned to be true all of our lives.

Jesus went against the grain, and he taught us to do the same. Tradition is a wonderful thing – but it is also something the gets us comfortable with the way things are. When we see pain, and suffering and violence, we get comfortable and don’t say anything, because every one else is comfortable with it too.

It takes a special person, with a special authority to talk to us and tell us that we need to listen to life in a different way.

Jesus was training his disciples and us to go against the grain – that is what it means to witness- to get comfortable with telling people things that they really don’t want to hear. And to stay the course.

The is the foundation of our independence – to tell England things they didn’t want to hear – and to be prepared to fight to make a change.

The three gifts of success in that process
Stick together
Travel light
And to trust God that if you are doing the right thing you don’t need to defend yourself. Trust in God that if you work for what is right – look for the wonders on your journey.

Witnesses for Christ is never an easy thing. Paul has to defend himself in Corinthians.

There are people who are questioning Pauls ministry. They think they are so much better than Paul. They think they have a better relationship with God. Paul uses Jesus advice – and says that he knows that he is right, and that he has a relationship with God, and that he trust in God to take care of him as he is persecuted. God’s grace is sufficient to take care of anything.

Bishop Romero in El Salvoador was certainly a witness for justice in the 1980’s He spoke out against the government, telling them they were not being fair to their peasants. That they were unfairly killing and oppressing them. He found that the more he spoke out against the status quo – it seemed the less people were willing to stand with him. Eventually, one Sunday morning the government killed him – while celebrating mass. But his witness lives on even today – he is honored for his words of justice to a country who was not willing to hear.

We are all called to be witnesses – but my question to you is not about your witness – but about the times when you hear a hard truth – when someone tells you something you don’t want to hear – how do you respond? Do you think? Do you pray? Are you willing to change? Do yo speak out?
Or do you remain silent in order to maintain the status quo? Are you in the forfront or in the background? Where does your faith in Jesus call you to be?

The same thing that prevents us from listening to others – is often the same thing that prevents us from speaking out ourselves.

Jesus tells his disciples that if people don’t accept them –to shake the dust off your feet and move on. Jesus finds that he has to walk away from his hometown – and notes that he was not able to do a a lot of work. Jesus has worked miracles in other places healing and renewing, but was only able to do a little work in his hometown. So he moves on.

There are lots of majc in wonder in Jesus words, the power of god is an amazing thing. But is is not the majic that matters – it is the witness. Our willingness to listen and to speak what we know.

They say that when Jesus returned to heaven, he was questioned by the angels – they were looking at how he was treated , how he was crucified, how he was criciticized. They saw that work that he had done with the disciples, how he talked with them and how they seemed to not quite understand what was going on. They saw how Paul had been treated, how bishop romero had been killed, and saw that the world was a force to be reckoned with. And they were afraid. Take nothing for the journey, travel light and trust God- is that all that it took. They told Jesus that was a pretty good thought – but did he have a backup plan for spreading the good news of love to the world. Perhaps he shouldn’t put so much faith in humans – maybe he should have a back up plan, a group of miracles to make things better when people fail. Jesus told the angels there was no backup plan – just the teaching to those who believe in him – travel light, stick together, and trust God
Travel light, stick together, trust god to work miracles.- Jesus is depending on you to get that and to witness to the world. You are the Lord’s only hope. Amen.