Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus at Nazareth) Part 2.
And they were astonished at the wisdom and knowledge of Christ. They knew him when he was a child. He did not have the formal education of a scholar. He did not have the wealth of a rich family. His father was a carpenter, they thought. He was a man of common means. He learned carpentry from his father. And they were common people. So how is it, they said, that he has come by these miracles and this wisdom to teach us in the synagogue. He was just a common man and astonishment had taken over the thoughts and minds of the people. It had turned them against him that they could not see. It had closed their eyes and blocked their hearing that they could not receive the message of the kingdom of heaven.
For Christ, the Son of God, walked among them. Christ, the Son of God, had come down from heaven. Christ, the Son of God, took the form of a common man and they could not hear his words. His own countrymen could not understand his teachings. His own villagers could not listen to the words of freedom given man from the mouth of God through Christ. Astonishment had taken them. Astonishment had closed their hearts that they were so shocked at his presences that their hearts could not accept the love that he gave. For he sought to plant the good seed of God. He sought to nourish the good seed that it may grow and produce the fruit of the kingdom of heaven. But the evil one had called astonishment to the scene to corrupt their hearts that they could not hear.
Astonishment had brought forth anger. Astonishment had brought forth confusion. Astonishment had brought forth jealousy. Astonishment had brought forth hatred. And the forces of evil blocked the message of the kingdom. The forces of evil worked against the words of Christ. For the seed was stolen when it was planted and the message lost. The townspeople said amongst themselves, "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Then where did he get all this?"
Christ, the common man they saw, was transformed. Christ was not the person that they knew. He was new. He was different. He was in God and God was in him. How often today, our own townspeople are astonished. How often today are our own church members astonished. How often today are our own family, our own co-workers, our own brothers and sisters, astonished and become jealous at the new person in Christ. Who does he think that he is? Who does she think that she is? How does she come by doing the things that she does? How does he get all of the promotions and positions that he does? Astonishment takes over and brings forth seven more demons and spirits more evil than the first. And our hearts become blocked. And our minds become closed. And we do not hear the message of the kingdom of heaven because astonishment has taken over and our hearts are filled with anger, and jealousy, and envy, and hatred, and all manner of evil. And we become hypocrites even in the worship of God in our own churches.
Christ brought us a message of love. He brought us a message of hope. He brought us a message of new life where we could be transformed from our old selves to new beings in Christ. Love one another as I have loved you, was Christ's last commandment to his disciples before going to the cross and sacrificing his life for us. Let us do the same. Let us love one another so that all men will know that we are his disciples. Let us open our hearts to the Advocate who will teach us. Let us open our hearts to the love that is in Christ that we may rid ourselves of astonishment and the other spirits that contaminate us. Christ offers us new life. Are we ready to receive it?
