All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove Him out of the town, and took Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But He walked right through the crowd and went on His way. Luke 4:28-30

In the 1800s, there was a European violinist who, with his priceless Stradivarius violin, gave one impressive performance after another. The next day the critics would write: “This is something wonderful. We have heard the music from the Stradivarius.” It didn’t make any difference where he played: church, concert halls, or command performances before royalty—the comment was consistent: “This is something wonderful. We have heard the music from the Stradivarius.” It didn’t take all that long before the violinist got tired of having all the accolades go to his violin.

Frustrated, he went to a musical pawnshop and picked out an old, weathered, worn-out violin. That night he took the five-dollar fiddle, not his Stradivarius, to the sold-out concert. For two hours his fingers flew across the strings of the five-dollar fiddle. In his dressing room he waited impatiently, for the glowing reports that he knew his manager would bring. When the manager arrived he said, "Congratulations. All agree. 'This is something wonderful. We have heard the music from the Stradivarius. '"

If it was hard for the violinist to be written off, think how Jesus must have felt when He returned to His boyhood home in Nazareth. As a hometown hero, He should have received a banquet or a parade. That didn’t happen. After Jesus laid claim to being the Messiah, Jesus’ friends wrote Him off. They tried to write Him off permanently by trying to throw Him off the town cliff. They didn’t succeed and Jesus walked down the road and, as far as we know, out of the lives of His childhood companions forever.

That was not the last time Jesus was written off. Today, people are still trying to do their best to ignore Him. They should learn from the men and women of Nazareth: It is far better to acknowledge Jesus as Savior today rather than as your angry Judge later on. Do not ignore the Savior who has come to forgive you of your sins. Do not neglect Him, who by His blood gives believers a new life here and in eternity. Don’t ignore Jesus.

Excerpt from The Lutheran Hour sermon preached on February 1, 2004

THE PRAYER: Lord, as the world writes you off and ignores you, help me to focus my life and heart upon You. I praise you as my Savior, seeking to live my new life to Your glory. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Today's Bible Readings: Leviticus 21-22    Mark 10:1-31

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