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Oct 14, 2025 18:00pm

Walking Through Luke: Rejection in Nazareth

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Rejection stings.
Whether it’s rejection by a friend group or someone you have a crush on, a job opportunity, or a college application, rejection comes for all of us at some point. It can be difficult to handle when you have your heart set on something and it doesn’t work out.

When my family moved from Kansas to Arkansas, I had been working at Subway in Kansas for about two years. I enjoyed the job. Of course, the Subway I worked at was in a small town, and I only worked three-hour shifts, but it was a relatively easy job, and it allowed me to make some spending money as a teenager.

When we moved to Arkansas, a member at the new church my dad pastored knew the manager of one of the local Subways. He gave me her number, and I called and set up an interview. I went in, got an application, filled it out in the restaurant, and immediately handed it in. I told the manager that I had two years of experience working at Subway. She took my application and told me she’d give me a call.

Unfortunately, we moved right around Christmas time, so there were lots of holiday jobs already filled. There was no position for me at that Subway. I didn’t get the job, and it actually took a little over a year for me to find one. That rejection stung, and even though it wasn’t a big deal, it was an opportunity I lost out on. For a whole year—my senior year of high school and going into college—I had no regular income.

In Luke 4:16–30, Jesus returned to His hometown after spending some time ministering in Capernaum (v. 23). He had apparently taught in the synagogue before. These people were familiar with Him. Of course, it was a small town. Everybody knows everybody. I have lived that experience, so I can relate.

Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah. The text He read is in our Bibles today as Isaiah 61:1–2. When He finished the reading, He boldly declared, “This Scripture has been fulfilled.” He was claiming that the Messiah spoken of in Isaiah, who brought a year of the Lord’s favor, was Himself. The people could not reconcile that with the carpenter’s son they knew from childhood. They became so angry they were ready to throw Him off a cliff. But He simply walked out of the crowd and got away.

Jesus was rejected by the people who should’ve known Him best. This seems sad to us, but it should be no surprise. Jesus said (John 15:18–21) that if they reject Him, they will reject us, too. This means that even people close to us may turn us away when we try to tell them about Jesus. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. Their eternal souls depend on it, and the fullness of their life on earth depends on it, too.

It would be easy for us to say we don’t want to be rejected and just give up. We could let life pass us by, not worrying about anything but ourselves. That’s what’s comfortable, right? We don’t like doing things that make us uncomfortable. But Jesus died not so that we could be comfortable, but so that we could have eternal life—and an abundant life lived for Him now—to share that gift with others. Following Him is hard. But the truth is, life is hard with Him or without Him. With Him, at least He is there to comfort us. He knows rejection—He experienced it firsthand. He can help us through it.

Think about those you love most—your family, your friends, your boyfriend or girlfriend. Do you know they’re saved? If you don’t, you should love them enough to find out. Flying under the radar and not causing trouble—that’s not love. That’s our comfort zone. That’s where we feel safe.

We all have to decide if this is real for us or not. Why are we here? Do we really believe the things Jesus taught? Have we really grasped it? Do we understand the depths of God’s love for us? Do we understand that God doesn’t want us to live life like everyone else, but He has a plan and a purpose for us that is so much bigger and better than what we can plan for ourselves? Yes, it might be uncomfortable. Yes, it might lead to rejection from some—but if He’s with you, none of that should matter. The life He calls us to is better and more meaningful than whatever we build for ourselves.

There is a second half to the verse Jesus quoted. He spoke of “a year of the Lord’s favor.” We are living in His favor—a time when anyone can come to Him in faith and be welcomed with open arms. But the second half of that verse hasn’t come yet. It says, “and the day of vengeance of our God—to comfort all who mourn.” God’s vengeance will come someday. The only way to escape it is to know Him as our Savior. Maybe you’ve done that. Have your family? Have your friends?

If you don’t know, don’t wait to find out. Ask them. Plead with them. If they reject you, at least you tried. But if they don’t—if they accept what you’re saying and learn about Jesus and get saved—you had a part in doing something incredible. You helped save them from God’s vengeance and wrath. That’s what we should want for all our loved ones…if we really believe what we say we do. Is it real? If it is, rejection won’t matter. All that will matter is surrendering our lives and living in a way that honors God.