If we become a star athlete or acquire great wealth our high school or home town may honor us as “Person of the Year” or dedicate a plaque to us. But if we challenge people to do great things, there may be no plaque for us. Jesus entered the synagogue in his home town of Nazareth and read a passage from Isaiah that prophesied the coming of the Messiah and then He said it had been fulfilled in their midst. The people of Nazareth knew Jesus well. He grew up and lived among them. He was one of them. He was like them. He had not yet done anything to indicate that He was the Messiah, but the people knew the Messiah would do great things. If Jesus was the Messiah, there was no reason why they, too, could not do great things. If Jesus could not prove to them that He was the Messiah, there would be no pressure on them to be better than they wanted to be. Jesus knew that familiarity breeds doubt. He challenged the people of Nazareth to accept Him despite their doubt – to have faith in Him. Do we sometimes doubt Jesus? Do we accept Him as Messiah despite our doubt? Do we have faith in Him?
