Jesus’ hometown crowd didn’t think much of him – they said he was behaving way above his station. Why weren’t they happy a local had made good? Human nature is like that, when people we know change, we don’t hesitate to remind them of the foibles of their past as if their changing is offensive to us. But God’s story is one of transformation; shepherds become kings, fisher-folk become evangelists. God desires authentic change. Paul warns of boasting of things that are not substantial, but when genuine transformation happens, the church is called to walk around rejoicing, like the psalmist.
Unfortunately, we can be more like Jesus’ boyhood town than the psalmist, especially when we are stuck in our attachment to the past. We become distressed about what might be lost, or fearful that we will be overlooked and then admonish the people who are bringing transformation – not necessarily harshly, but rebukes couched in gloss are still rebukes. Perhaps by looking clearly and with integrity at what we admonish, we might see how God calls us forward.
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