Breaking Free of Familiar Contempt

Luke 4:24 -And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.”
After passing the test of temptation, Jesus returned to Galilee in “the power of the Spirit.” (Luke 4:14) He started to teach and do miracles in such a way that his “fame” (in Greek, the word is fame’) went out throughout the region. His ministry was very successful everywhere except in his hometown of Nazareth.

Jesus’ words in the passage above have been quoted many times as evidence of the old adage, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” This is a big part of the reason the military has always frowned on fraternization between officers and enlisted personnel. It can be hard for an officer to order a dear friend into a battle that may cost a life. It can be even tougher to accept such an order from a friend.

Today, though, I encourage you to look at this passage from another perspective. What if Jesus never left Nazareth? Would he have gained the “fame” and influence and impact his ministry had? Sometimes it is up to us to get out of environments in which we will never thrive. I am in no way endorsing violating covenants and commitments, especially marriage, but at some point we have to leave our parents’ home. Some of us may need to leave our region. It can be scary leaving the familiar, but often we need a fresh start where we will not be defined by our past and by previous relationships. Do you need to leave some familiar contempt?