Thaddeus tells us about a difficult visit to Nazareth and his experience of being sent out:

               We have been sent out by Jesus, the twelve of us. He paired us up and sent us out like Noah’s animals, two by two.  That’s better than going alone, but it’s still rather scary!   Thankfully my partner, Philip, is good with people and a natural enthusiast for Jesus.  His friend Nathaniel, a bit of a sceptic, was not chosen to be one of us, so Philip was glad for someone to partner with.  We will get on well together, whatever we may face.

I wonder how they will respond when we come? 

               I say this because Jesus has just had a very bad experience.  He took us home with him, up the mountain to Nazareth.  It’s a small place, with a very tight-knit community and many living in cave-houses, would you believe it!  Not much to see and do there, but Jesus wanted to visit. Perhaps, he hoped to patch things up with his family after he upset them in Capernaum?  Or, maybe, he wanted to re-assure them he was safe after what had happened to his cousin, John?

               Actually, his family didn’t give us any trouble.  It was the neighbours who kicked up a stink. They wanted to hear from him, and invited him to speak in the synagogue. He did so gladly, but they just could not get their heads around the fact that it was Jesus talking to them like he did.  I mean, ‘Where did he get that from?’ they asked. ‘Isn’t he just the carpenter we have always known?  Isn’t he Mary’s son – brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon?  Don’t his sisters live just round the corner? So where does he think he has got all this ‘wisdom’ from?  He’s not fooling us that he is anyone special; we know he is not!’

               They just could not let Jesus out of the box they held him in and they were offended by his claiming to be something else.  Carpenters don’t get to be Rabbis around here (let alone the Son of God!)

               For his part, Jesus was shocked and astonished by their reaction – their complete lack of faith.  Everywhere else, people were speculating that he was Elijah or a prophet. Even Herod, in his guilt, thought he might be John the Baptist come back to life!  But here, his own people insisted he was a nobody!  Perhaps they had really come to believe the saying ‘Nothing good ever comes from Nazareth’.  Hear that enough times and maybe it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

               Jesus put a brave face on it, remarking philosophically that a prophet is never recognised in his own town.  But I could see he was hurt by it.  He called the visit off early, moving on sooner than we expected.  There was no point staying where you were not welcome.  His time could be better used.  His hands were tied here, you see, being as they would not let him do or say anything.  (But he still laid hands on a couple of poor folk and they were healed!)

               So, when he sent us out, he wanted us to learn from that experience: ‘If you are welcomed, then stay in the town. But if you are not welcomed, then don’t worry: just brush the sand off your feet and move on.  Don’t let any sense of rejection stick. There will be plenty of others who will be glad to welcome you.  And you won’t need to take anything with you, because they will happily provide.’

               He was right!  Though we went out in trepidation, we came back rejoicing.  Most people, it turned out, were so welcoming.  They were hungry to hear about Jesus and his message.  In his name, and with his authority, we were able to drive out all kinds of evil spirits and many people were healed.

               And so, Jesus’ name was being talked about everywhere and his fame was spreading throughout the land. Except in Nazareth, where he remained a nobody.  Funny that, isn’t it?