One of my favorite aspects of studying Scripture is the joy I find in discovering its depth. God’s Word is richly intricate and beautifully interconnected. The more I read and internalize the Bible, the more I begin to observe both the depth of individual books and the manner in which different books build off each other and echo each other’s images and themes. While our culture has a fondness for achievement and completion, when it comes to Scripture, I think a certain slowness is often necessary. In reflecting deeply upon God’s Word — both individually and with others — we give space for the truth, comfort, and challenge of the Bible to be made more evident.
I experienced such a moment of appreciation this academic year while preparing for a chapel message. I was able to make the space to dig deeply into Luke 4:14-30, in which Jesus speaks in the synagogue at Nazareth. The story begins with Jesus returning to his hometown shortly after his ministry had begun. He had received widespread praise in other towns (v. 15), but the reaction of his former neighbors was ambiguous at best. They testify about and were amazed at Jesus’ words (in which he describes his ministry like a year of Jubilee), and then ask, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” (v. 22).
While both “amazement” and “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” can be taken positively or negatively depending on tone, Jesus’ response in verse 23 shows that his neighbors did not accept his prophetic authority. His unapologetic and Scripture-soaked conclusion (vv. 24-27) essentially boils down to a challenge: the disbelief of the residents of Nazareth doesn’t foil God’s plan, it just means that they will miss out on participating in what God is doing. Enraged, the residents of Nazareth form a mob and drive Jesus up to the top of a cliff outside the town to kill him. But incredibly, “Jesus walked right through the crowd and went on his way” (v. 30).
What we should recognize, then, is that as Jesus began his ministry he boldly spoke the truth, was rejected by his own people (his hometown!), was dragged outside of the town to a high place, and people attempted to kill him. Does this sound familiar? What commentator F. Scott Spencer points out is that readers of Luke who are familiar with Jesus’ story should catch the parallel: Jesus’ ministry begins as it ends. At the end of Luke we read that Jesus’ teachings enrages Jews in Jerusalem (Lk 19:47), that his own people, the Jews, reject him and insist on his death (Lk. 23), and that he is dragged outside of the city to the high place to be killed (Lk. 24). This time, however, Jesus does not supernaturally escape death as in Luke 4. Instead, he commits his spirit into his Father’s hands and lets his life be taken (Lk 23:46).
As we approach the holidays, it is likely that you will hear and read yet again well-worn scriptures and frequently preached-upon texts. I’d encourage you to take the time to consider them anew. Pick up a new resource, compare stories in different translations, or simply pause, pray for guidance, and reflect deeply on the short passage at hand. May you find great joy in the depth of God’s Word this fall.
