It’s hard to convince some people that what we are saying is the truth. The rejection they use to justify their dismissal is a form of disbelief, revealed through the misguided assumptions they have about our message, and their familiarity with us.

Social media has made everyone part of a “community” of sorts. We seem to think our judgments and dismissal of fellow believers are OK because we believe we understand all there is to know about the person we have dismissed without first gaining a deeper understanding of the message and the messenger. It happened in Jesus’ day and is still happening today within the Church whenever a topic arises that contradicts our current assumptions.

When this happened to Jesus in his hometown of Nazareth, He said, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family” (Matthew 13:57). Perhaps this is where the phrase, “Familiarity breeds contempt,” came from.

The lack of honor took place because of the familiarity people had with Jesus, labeling Him as a hometown boy. At first, His visit appeared to be going well when Jesus first returned to Nazareth: “He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” (vs. 54). Then the tide turned, and the scoffing began when their familiarity with Jesus released a spirit of disbelief in the city.

The people of Nazareth justified their disbelief by scoffing about the Lord, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things? And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him” (vs. 55-57).

The word “offended” here means to place a stumbling block or an impediment in the way of something. The offense blocks a person from seeing and hearing the word of the Lord. More specifically, it means to see in another person what we currently disapprove of and reject any further input from them. A premature disapproval of someone is what fuels and justifies our rejection of them.

There are consequences of this kind of dismissal. As a result of the citizens of Nazareth’s unresolved offense against Jesus, “He did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief” (vs. 58).