Hometown Prophet

                                     Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany

In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus read from the book of the prophet Isaiah, and began to say, 

"Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." All spoke well of him and were amazed 

at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" He said

 to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say,

 'Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.'" And

 he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown. But the truth is,

 there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three

 years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent 

to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in 

Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the

 Syrian." When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up,

 drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built,

 so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and 

went on his way. Luke 4:21-30

Hometown Prophet 

They don't like you when
you get too big for your britches
when you grow beyond them
when you make them look small. 

We forget how hard it is
to be left out in the cold
to follow always at a distance
to bear shame and embarrassment
always compared to another.

Love invites us to do our all
for those who do not understand
for those who make us uncomfortable
for the one who try to run us out
and even for those who want us dead.

God's heart is bigger than we know
full of space for those we cannot
rooms for those who we shut out
rest for the exhausted bullies
time for the anxious and the weary.

The Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth:
 Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
 one God, for ever and ever. Amen