“Faith Journeys with God in the Land” Part 68 - Nazareth Precipice

The Precipice of Nazareth is located between the city of Nazareth today and the Jezreel Valley. The view form here is spectacular, especially towards sunset. In this episode we walk on a section of trail that gives us a great view in all directions!
In Jesus’ day, Nazareth was only a small town. It was so small that ancient Jewish sources don’t mention it at all. Additionally, it was Nathaniel who asked, “What good can come out of Nazareth?" (John 1). Yet of course the cluster of families living on the ridge of the town included Mary, Joseph, and Jesus.
The ridge upon which the town of Nazareth was located separates the Jezreel Valley to the south (Jesus’ “backyard,” if you will) and the Lower Galilee to the north. Following Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, He returns to the Galilee and comes “home” to Nazareth. Luke 4 preserves the story of Jesus in the synagogue here.
Here is the unfolding of the story (Luke 4:16-29). It’s worth reading it to understand Jesus’ redemptive purpose.
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed m, to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoner, and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’ “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed-only Naaman the Syrian.” All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
Jesus was sharing His redemptive purpose that day! On this Sabbath morning, apparently many people didn’t like what He said (and what He didn’t say). Yet no doubt others would become followers of Jesus after listening to how He unfolded and interpreted the Scriptures (namely, Isaiah). They would witness the miracles He did, and they listened to HIs teaching about the kingdom.
Today, we are invited to be followers of Jesus too! We are to live out a life where people (using Philips words in John 1) “come and see" Jesus living in us. Our mission in life is to reflect Jesus in all that we do and say.

[@agustinsanchezcortell5678]

Gracias. Shalom.

[@annettaliverpool2315]

Shalom and blessings, from Guyana South America 🇬🇾, thank you so much for these faith journeys.