PAMELA Nobbs, member of Churches Together in Hexham clergy and lay group, reflects on Luke 4. 21-30:

“Last week we saw Jesus speaking in the synagogue of his home town, Nazareth, about the Scriptures and himself.

“At first, people ‘spoke well of him and were amazed at his gracious words’, but this changed and no-one could quite accept this local lad was the real McCoy!

“Isn’t it the case that when a family or community produces someone who rises within their profession their expertise is often belittled?

“Jesus was expecting to hear the saying ‘physician heal yourself’; this has even crept into our own language meaning it is often easier for a doctor (or expert in any field) to attend to the needs of others rather than his or her own. In a moral sense the phrase can mean that we should attend to our own deficiencies before pointing out those of others.

“Jesus also gave examples from Jewish history of prophets who could not effectively minister on their home patch. His words enraged the religious members of the local synagogue, so much so that they wanted to kill him by throwing him down the cliff upon which their town was built.

“Having not been accepted in his home town, Jesus travels more widely throughout the country. Wherever he goes there will be those who reject him, but always some who accept him. This has
been the case for the past 2,000 years. Where do you stand?”