I vividly recall my very first sermon, a Sunday in November, 1969, in the congregation where I was raised, St. Paul’s, Chicago Heights, Illinois. I was their “homie” and they received me most kindly.
When Jesus returned home to Nazareth for his first sermon, people “spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth” (Luke 4:22). So far so good, but when Jesus went on to puncture their self-righteousness by comparing them unfavorably to Gentiles, they ran Him out of town. Jesus analyzed the situation perfectly. “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown” (Luke 4:24). This is His quotation from Mark: “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household” (Mark 6:4)
Sometimes familiarity breeds contempt. Other times it just breeds ho-hum. It’s wonderful when a pastor fits in nicely with his people, but does that familiarity make God’s Word too routine to us when he preaches and teaches? “Ho hum. Yeah, pastor keeps talking about that.” When a pastor becomes one of us and beloved, our “homie,” might we become offended when he pricks our self-righteousness? Might we hear the Good News that He shares with no fresh joy, as if we don’t need the Savior as much as other people? Beneath those questions lies the real question: Have we known Jesus so long that He’s our “homie” whom we welcome publicly but don’t really receive inwardly?
“Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that, by patience and comfort of Your holy word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” Amen. (Lutheran Service Book, collect 148)