Lamb of God: A Novel

Chapter 19

Nazareth

Jesus unrolls the scroll that includes the sayings of the prophet Isaiah. He faces the audience, takes a silent yet still deep breath before he reads from the scroll the passage he has selected:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me.

For this cause he has anointed me:

to preach good news to the poor.

Yes, he has sent me to heal the broken-hearted,
to proclaim release to captives

and restoration of sight to the blind,

to set the oppressed at liberty—
yes, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

All have eager hearts as they listen to the inspired Scripture, being read from the mouth of Jesus. Then, perhaps startlingly, Jesus rolls up the scroll and hands it to the synagogue attendant, who is confused even as he accepts taking that scroll. Jesus has not finished the tail of the passage: "...and the day of vengeance of our God."

Jesus is at a synagogue—the Nazareth synagogue. Nazareth, it was here where he was raised. It is the Sabbath day, so Jesus is here, as he usually does when he lived here. The people are wondering as Jesus sits down why the part of "vengeance" is dropped. Isn't that our hope, that God would take "vengeance" on our oppressors—the Romans?

Everyone looks at him as he's in his sitting pose, the customary pose for teaching. "The Messiah—meaning 'anointed one'—will relieve the oppressed, liberate the captives, heal the afflicted, restore sight to the blind, and reveal to the world the light of truth."

Some of the people express their acceptance of these words. He can hear "Praise the Lord"s and "Amen"s echo from the people of Nazareth. He can hear someone saying, "Blessed is he who makes intercession for those in need and restores sight to the blind!"

Jesus then gives them the surprise: "This very day this passage has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Silence. Dead silence.

Jesus' family is there—Mary, his half-brothers, and sisters. The women are seated on one side while the men are on the other. James makes a brief sigh looking at his sib make such a claim. Really? Does Jesus REALLY believe this about himself?

"What?" the people finally speak after the stunned silence. "Is he claiming this passage?"

And that's when they realize that Jesus excluding the part of "vengeance" means he isn't planning to rebel against Rome, so they find this erroneous. "Who does he think he is? Is he saying he's the Messiah? Is this not the carpenter's son?"

The elder of the synagogue, Rabbi Joel, was watching all this from a distance. He finally speaks what he thinks, "What a showoff! You would have to comply with the sanctioned Oral Law to be the Promised One."

But Jesus doesn't back down. "It figures you'll be asking me to prove my claim... and show off miracles to dazzle you." But then he adds, "Truly I tell you, no prophet should expect being accepted in his own country."

And then he explains—with the Scriptures—that the Jews had been rejecting God's messengers, and so God will have to turn to the Gentiles. He says prophets were often rejected, and that many were sick in Israel, but those weren't healed, but those outside of Israel.

Oh, how that is hurting the pride of the Jews. And they get angry with the preacher. "You dare say Israel has departed from God?" they hiss at him. "Besides, who are you to say such things?"