If we’re walking Jesus’ path we’ll encounter Jesus’ people.
There Are No Shortcuts
In Luke 4:14-30, we read of Jesus’ return to his home in Nazareth and the message he delivered to those in his home synagogue.
However, it does not go well.
Trust me, I know what it’s like to preach a bad sermon. In fact, I even know what it’s like to preach a bad sermon at my home church! But I’ve never preached a sermon so bad that the whole congregation took me to the edge of town to throw me off a cliff!
Then again, it helps that we don’t have any cliffs nearby.
The final verse of the story is somewhat cryptic. With his entire hometown attempting to toss him off the brink, Jesus simply walks away. Surprisingly, Luke gives no indication that the escape was miraculous or mystical. He simply writes, “But passing through their midst, he went away” (Luke 4:30).
In other words, it’s as though Jesus escapes by taking a different path.
Since You Are the Son of God . . .
If you listen closely, you’ll notice an echo from the story at the beginning of this chapter. Just before this scene unfolds, the devil tempts Jesus in the wilderness. Specifically, in the third temptation, we read:
And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to guard you,’ and
On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
“Throw yourself down from this great height. Your Father will save you, and everyone will know exactly who you are.” In other words, the temptation wasn’t merely to display his identity; rather, it was a call to be Christ without the cross, to receive worship without sacrifice. Ultimately, it was a shortcut.
Take the Long Way Home
When I read about Jesus’ rejection in Nazareth, I can’t help but wonder if he—having grown up in that town—knew a hidden path away from the cliff. I picture him slipping through familiar streets, taking the same route he once walked as a child to escape the angry crowd. Yet, while he may have avoided danger that day, the rest of Luke’s Gospel tells a different story—one of a long, deliberate journey toward Jerusalem and the cross.
There are no shortcuts on this path, only encounters along the way—encounters with the poor, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed (Luke 4:18).
At the end of chapter 4, Jesus declares, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose” (verse 43). He encounters others, engages them, and the gospel spreads.
If we’re walking Jesus’ path, we’ll encounter Jesus’ people. The question is, will we engage them, or will we simply pass through their midst?
Will we find that Jesus has passed through our midst as well?
Listen to “Walking Jesus’ Path”
