Overcoming Familiarity: Embracing the Newness of the Gospel

"The Ordaining of the Twelve" by James Tissot

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[Jesus] went away from there and came to His hometown, and His disciples followed Him. And on the Sabbath He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to Him? How are such mighty works done by His hands? 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?” And they took offense at Him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief.

And He went about among the villages teaching (Mark 6:1-6).

Grace to you and peace from God our Father the Lord Jesus Christ!

There once was a young Christian man. He was baptized a week after he was born. Each night, his parents read Bible stories to him. As soon as he was able to speak, he learned to fold his hands, bow his head, and pray. The first prayers were simple ones: “Come, Lord Jesus,” and “Now I lay me down to sleep.” Soon he was saying the Lord’s Prayer and even adding his own petitions.

He attended Sunday School almost every week, where his teachers told him how God created the world and everything in it in six days. He heard about Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, Noah and the great flood, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, and other Old Testament heroes.

He learned about Jesus’ birth, miracles, and teachings. He heard how Jesus had suffered, died, and rose again from the dead. The young man looked forward to the annual Christmas program, Easter breakfasts, and VBS.

When he was old enough, he went to catechism classes, where he learned about his faith in a more adult way. He memorized the explanations of the Apostles’ Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer. He studied the sacraments—Baptism and the Lord’s Supper—and then was confirmed in the faith.

About this time, things started to change in his life. He continued attending the High School Bible class and youth group activities only because his parents insisted. Slowly, he began distancing himself from the Christian faith.

By the age of 19, he had endured enough church services, Bible classes, potlucks, and retreats to last a lifetime. He withdrew from the faith because it had been “forced” upon him. He thought, “My parents gave their whole lives to the church, and what did it get them? Surely, no more comfort than the next family. It was something we did but with little joy and meaning.”

Now, though, at the age of 30, the young man senses some uneasiness in his soul. What will happen? We’ll see. But first, let’s look at another story.  

After a lengthy vacancy, a church finally received an answer to its prayers: a new pastor arrived. The church had been stagnant for years. Its membership was getting older, and some had even feared that they might have to close. But the new pastor saw things differently than those who had preceded him. He had many ideas for the church’s outreach and used words like “mission,” “hospitality,” and “evangelism.”

Things were changing. New faces were appearing. New Bible studies were starting up. His sermons seemed very earthy and even practical. He talked about real things. Some were amazed and pleased. Others were upset and longed for the good old days. Then a few whispers came around the church that “he’s too big for his britches.” What will happen with this church? We’ll see in a few minutes. But first, let’s turn to another story—the story in our Gospel.

Jesus came to His hometown of Nazareth. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue. Reading from Isaiah, He showed how the ancient prophecy was fulfilled in His ministry.

At first, the people were pleased with Jesus’ gracious words. But when Jesus warned them against unbelief, their sentiment turned against Him. Many were amazed and upset. They asked themselves: “Where did this man get these things?” In other words, “Where did He get these things?” This ordinary man they knew so well, and these astonishing things seemed utterly beyond Him.

Their conception of Jesus was that He was a man just like themselves, who had lived with His relatives in Nazareth for many years. They saw no reason to believe He was much different from them, much less that God had specially anointed him. That’s why they took offense at Him.   

That’s why Jesus said, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” And that’s why Jesus could not do any miracles there except lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them. It’s not that Jesus didn’t have the power to perform miracles at Nazareth, but that so few people came to Him for help. Even when the people living in other localities did not believe in Jesus, they at least brought all their sick to Him.   

 The stories of these three young men have several things in common. However, perhaps the most critical issue is the inability of people to get by their narrow perspectives when confronted by the newness the Gospel brings.

The man in the first story was “narrowed” by his childhood experience of Christianity. He couldn’t get beyond the idea that going to church was something that you had to do, and he couldn’t see any immediate benefits, so he had chosen to withdraw from the faith.

The church in the second story couldn’t get used to someone presenting such new ideas—even if they were Biblical! They were so set in their ways that any attempts to bring change were resisted. They forgot why they had been established in the first place. They were missing the exciting way God was working in their midst simply because they had never done it that way before.   

The people in the third story, the hometown folk of Nazareth, couldn’t get beyond seeing Jesus as a carpenter and Mary’s boy. They couldn’t believe that God could work in one from such humble beginnings, let alone begin to think that there was much more to Him than they realized. And in the process, they rejected the Gospel message He proclaimed.

If we’re honest, we must admit that we all suffer from those same difficulties. Like the first man, our narrow view can prevent us from seeing the bigger picture. Caught in our little resentments and mixed emotions, we might easily lose sight of what’s really happening.

Like the church in the second story, our narrow view can limit what God wants to do in our lives. It can cause us to complain and rebel when we should support and lend a hand. It’s easy to get comfortable and settle for maintaining the status quo. But God often calls us to get uncomfortable and try new things. Discomfort often accompanies meaningful growth.

And, like the people of Nazareth, we can begin to think we are so familiar with something or someone that we don’t even realize that there is much more to them than we ever realized. In the process, we can fail to miss what’s really happening. We can miss the Gospel message.

But we haven’t finished any of our stories yet, have we? Whatever happened to that young man who felt like he had faith “forced on him”?

Seeing his children grow stirred his empty soul. He remembered the Bible he had received as a confirmation gift almost twenty years earlier. He dug it out of the cedar chest that held all of his childhood mementos. Wanting to get to know the Jesus he had never really known, he became determined to read the Gospels for the first time.   

He reached John 20:30-31, “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may^ believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

It all clicked for him. He realized that God’s Word was more than just an “old, old, story.” It was the Word of life. It was an account of God’s grace and His eternal plan of salvation. It was the story of Jesus and His love.

Then the Word, like a new tune you can’t get out of your head, had its way with him. He realized his need to be fed by God’s Word. Finally understanding why his parents had found their faith so important, he asked his wife if they could attend church the next Sunday.

And what about the church in the second story? Well, they watched that young pastor closely for a while. They saw him dedicate his time to his people—loving them, being there for them, and showing them what hospitality and mission look like.  They ended up loving that pastor so much that they’d follow him into almost anything new. Why? Because he was showing them what Jesus is like.

And what about the people of Nazareth who rejected the hometown boy? Well, Jesus went on to die on the cross for them, just as He did for you and me. Three days later, He rose again from the dead. After His resurrection, you could find His mother and brothers, even some of those very people who rejected Him, loving and serving him, and—oh, yes—believing that this carpenter, this Mary’s boy, was and is the very Son of God!

Amazing things can happen when God’s Word takes hold of our hearts! Faith that once seemed dead and dry can be rekindled. Changes that were once viewed with mistrust can be seen as positive advancements for the cause of Christ. Jealousy and resentment can give way to love and devotion. When the Holy Spirit works in our lives, God can take even the most hardened heart and make it into fertile soil for His Gospel seed.    

By God’s grace, may we realize the great gift He has given us in His Son, Jesus Christ. May we learn to crave His holy Word, eagerly drink it in and eat it up every time it is served to us, and look for every way to share that message with those around us. May God grant this to us all.