Read: Isaiah 61 & Luke 4:14-30
And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown." (Luke 4:24 ESV)
Jesus grew up in Nazareth. It was his earthly home. A small town with probably around one hundred inhabitants, the chances are pretty good that Jesus pretty much knew everyone by name. What would you think if someone you've known for a long time came and told you they were God? I think I would probably respond a lot like the crowd in Nazareth.
Sometimes its hard to go home and be taken seriously. The people who have known you the longest can sometimes be your harshest critics. They still see that little kid they watched grow up. When faced with that actuality we have to confront it as Jesus did— by lovingly stating our purpose, vision, and calling.
We might not be given an actual platform to vocalize our entire directive in a single setting. This is where relationships become so important. Relationships give us context and platform to share what God is calling us to do in a way that is natural. You may still catch flak like Jesus did, but go with your heart and your gut.
Jesus declared his intentions and mission in very specific terms by reading from Isaiah 61 that day. It was a prophetic kind of declaration. It was his mission statement. It still is today. How has Jesus fulfilled the claims of Isaiah 61 in your life? Do you know anyone that needs to hear these promises from Jesus? Do the people who are close to you believe what you have to say about Jesus? Sometimes sharing life's big moments with people from our past, even people close to us, can be really hard to do. The difficulty doesn't release us from the obligation of doing it.