Hometown Time Machine

Have You Seen a TARDIS?

My hometown has a time machine. I’ve never seen it, but I’m totally convinced it’s around. I’ve never noticed a TARDIS, a souped up DeLorean, any Flux Capacitors, or a WABAC machine. But I know it’s there somewhere.

Why? Because every time I go home, I travel back in time. I suddenly become twelve years old again. Instead of being a husband, dad, and grandfather, I believe the lie that I’m still an underachieving, awkward middle schooler.

Who Says You Can’t Go Home?

Let me put it another way. Jon Bon Jovi asks the musical question, “Who Says You Can’t Go Home?” In many ways, author Thomas Wolfe seems to have the most appropriate answer. “You Can’t Go Home Again.”

In Mark’s bio of our Savior, Jesus apparently has a similar problem. We read about the time the Lord comes back home only to be dismissed by the people who watched Him grow up. Prophet? Messiah? Are you kidding me?!? He’s just Joe and Mary’s Boy.

Who Is Jesus?

It’s a key moment in Mark’s account of Christ. The mega-theme of the first eight chapters focuses on His identity. Who is Jesus? The author provides story after story where people wrestle with this question. As a result, Mark drops it all at our feet and forces us to decide for ourselves.

Here in Mark 6:1-6, we see our Savior heading back to His hometown after some very crazy days. It all begins with Jesus’ weird, bug-eating cousin baptizing Him and the other two Members of the Trinity show up to fully endorse Him as the Son of God (Mk 1:4-11).

A Rapid-Fire Pace

With the rapid-fire pace of an action movie, Christ stares down the devil (Mk 1:14-15), assembles His ragtag team (Mk 1:16-20; 2:13-14; 3:13-19), performs one miracle after another (Mk 1:23-34, 40-45; 2:1-12; 3:1-7, 10-12; 4:35-41; 5:1-43), and teaches like nobody before or since (Mk 1:21-22; 4:1-34).

While Jesus draws huge crowds, He also draws the attention of Jewish religious leaders. According to them, He’s preaching and teaching without a license (Mk 2:6-7, 16, 24-26; 3:2-6, 22). Even His own family has serious doubts, not just about His identity but His sanity (Mk 3:21, 31)!

No Garden Variety Teacher

If you’re scoring along at home at this point in Mark’s Gospel, it’s becoming pretty stinking obvious that this radical Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth is no garden variety traveling teacher. Could He be divine? Could He be the long awaited Hero God promised to send?

As Jesus rolls back into Nazareth, He’s stepping back into the hometown time machine. The folks living there just can’t see Him as anything but Joe and Mary’s oldest Boy. The carpenter’s kid. And who can forget the local scandal her pregnancy caused?

Heading Home

Mark picks up the story with Christ and His team hitting the road from Capernaum, which was just the scene of doubleheader of healing (Mk 5:21-43). “Jesus left that part of the country and returned with His disciples to Nazareth, His hometown” (v1).

He’s heading home. Ah yes, Nazareth. These days, just about every person on the planet knows it as the city where Jesus grew up. It’s a destination vacation. To this day, the local chamber of commerce leverages their hometown Boy made good. Don’t forget to visit the gift shop on your way out!

A Hick Town in the Boondocks

But a couple of thousand years ago, Nazareth is anything but famous. It’s a hick town in the boondocks of Galilee. The population of this bump in the road is a couple of hundred if you’re being generous.

If you want to confirmation of its image as a hillbilly hamlet, check out what one of Jesus’ own disciples had to say about it when found out that’s where He’s from. ‘“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. ‘Can anything good come from there?’” (Jn 1:46).

A Second Chance

This isn’t Jesus’ first homecoming after beginning His ministry. Luke tells the story of a previous visit to the local synagogue when our Savior reads from Isaiah 61 and basically announces that He’s Messiah (Lk 4:16-31). Take about a mic drop moment.

Yeah, that didn’t end well. Local yokels not only aren’t buying it. They just see Him as Joe’s Boy, NOT the Anointed One. Next thing you know, they run the Lord out the synagogue and try to throw Him off a cliff.

While some much smarter Bible experts think Mark tells the same story Luke describes, I tend to agree with A.T. Robertson. He believes Jesus is giving Nazareth a second chance. And why not? It’s where His mom and the rest of His family lives.

Our Savior on the Sabbath

When the next weekend rolls around, we see Jesus making His return to the local house of worship. “The next Sabbath He began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were amazed. They asked, ‘Where did He get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?’” (v2).

No surprise to finding Him teaching in the local synagogue. If it’s a Saturday, chances are you’ll probably find Jesus teaching God’s Word at a worship service somewhere (Mt 4:23; 9:35; 13:54; Mk 1:21; Lk 4:15, 31; 6:6; 13:10; Jn 18:20).

A Sucker Punch

When Jesus teaches, you can count on people being blown away. Some things just go together. Peanut butter and jelly. Bacon and eggs. Batman and Robin. Anytime you see Christ on the platform, you’ll find an audience in the palm of His holy hand (Mt 7:28; 13:54; 19:25; 22:33; Mk 1:22; 7:37; 10:26; 11:18; Lk 2:48; 4:32; 9:43).

Mark’s word choice that the NLT translates as “amazed” is interesting. It’s the Greek verb εκπλησσω/ekplesso. It literally means to punch unexpectedly, like a surprise attack or a sucker punch. It’s being shocked almost to the point of panic and fear.

Jesus teaches in a way that catches us off guard. He shocks. He astounds. He overwhelms. He bewilders. That’s exactly what happens this particular Saturday at the synagogue in Nazareth.

The Crowd Turns Ugly

But without warning, the crowd turns ugly. That’s when the time machine does it’s magic. They suddenly don’t see Him as the Teacher of God’s Truth. Wait a minute! That’s Joe and Mary’s oldest Boy.

“Then they scoffed, ‘He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And His sisters live right here among us.’ They were deeply offended and refused to believe in Him” (v3).

Christ the Craftsman

First of all, did you know this is the only time Jesus is called a carpenter in the entire Bible. Yup. You’re looking at it. As a matter of fact, the only time someone refers to Christ as “just the carpenter’s Son” in Matthew’s version of this same event (Mt 13:55).

Actually the word we translate as “carpenter” (Gr. τεκτων/tekton) actually means craftsman, artisan, builder, or maker. It describes someone skilled in using a variety of hard materials like wood, stone, and metal (possibly all three).

Swinging a Hammer

If you’ve ever been to Israel, you know there’s not exactly a lot of lumber. Stone was and is the predominant building material in the land. I’m not saying Jesus and His adoptive dad weren’t carpenters. But chances are, they weren’t simply carpenters.

For instance, there was a massive construction project in Caesarea Philippi at the time. It’s just 38 miles from Nazareth. Did Joseph and even Jesus work there as craftsmen, carpenters, and masons?

It does seem clear that the Lord clearly carried on the family business, swinging a hammer just like His earthly dad. The Son of God isn’t some squeaky clean holy man afraid to get his hands dirty. He’s a blue collar laborer who knows what it means to put in a hard day’s work.

Building and Restoring

So what does being a carpenter have to do with being our Savior? I love how David Naugle puts it. A craftsman makes what is needed and restores what is broken. In very simple terms, he creates and redeems. That’s EXACTLY what Christ does. For us. For His creation.

Jesus is the Master Craftsman. He’s making something special in each one of His followers. No matter what you’re like now, He guarantees to complete the project (Phil 1:6). You can bet we’ll all be His masterpiece (Eph 2:10).

Dredging up an Old Scandal

Mark points out how the locals refer to Him as the “son of Mary” (v3). Either Joe has already died or they’re dredging up the old scandal of being conceived before His parents were married. Probably both. In other words, they see His status as Messiah and prophet as well as His birth as all illegitimate.

NOT an Only Child

Check out the size of Jesus’ family! He’s got at least seven siblings. Some religious traditions try to say Christ was an only Child. There’s just one little problem with that. The Bible. Kinda difficult to work around that.

Jesus is the first born and the oldest of five boys. While His brothers and sisters didn’t believe their big Brother was Messiah at first, that all changes when He came walking out of the cemetery three days after His funeral.

James not only ended up believing in His big Brother, but went on to lead the church in Jerusalem (Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; 1Cor 15:7; Gal 1:19; 2:1, 12), and write a book of the Bible called, what else, but “James.”

Kid brother Judas, also known as Jude (you DO understand why he would shorten his name, don’t you?) also wrote a letter to the followers that’s in the NT.

Triggering Trouble

The naysayers mention Jesus’ family as a way of dismissing Him. So much so that they’re “deeply offended” (v3). This is a powerful word in the original language (Gr. σκανδαλιζω/skandalizo). It’s where we get our word “scandal.”

It means to totally reject someone or something while at the same time becoming angry and indignant. It comes from the Greek word σκανδαλον/skandalon which describes the trigger or trip wire in a trap.

Who Do You Think You Are?!?

What Jesus says and does in the synagogue that Saturday triggers trouble among the people of His hometown. They’re memory of Him trips them up. They didn’t just blow Him off. They blow up.

Can’t you just hear them? I can’t believe You would do such a thing!  How dare you!! Who do You think You are?!?!? Spoiler alert: He’s EXACTLY who He thinks and says He is…the one and only Son of God.

Powdered Butt Syndrome

When the hometown crowd turns ugly, it’s almost like Christ saw it coming. “Then Jesus told them, ‘A prophet is honored everywhere except in his hometown and among his relatives and his own family’” (v4). This is apparently a common saying back in the day.

It’s sorta like what financial guru Dave Ramsey likes to call the “powdered butt syndrome.” That’s when people have a hard time taking guidance from whose diaper they’ve changed.

Naugle says sometimes we’re just too close to people and too big for our own britches to recognize the true greatness of others, even if they’re standing right in front of us! Jesus experiences that first hand in His hometown.

The Hero from Nazareth

A couple of interesting points when Jesus uses proverb. Our Savior clearly sees Himself as a prophet. This would be a fulfillment of a prediction Moses made a few thousand years before (Dt 18:15; Acts 3:22; 7:37).

But the locals can’t swallow that Jesus is Messiah, much less a prophet. Ironically, previous prophets had predicted that the Hero whom God promised to send would be actually be a Nazarene, which comes from one of the Hebrew words for “Branch” (Is 11:1; Mt 2:23).

Christ’s Kryptonite?

We then read one of the saddest verses in the New Testament. “And because of their unbelief, He couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place His hands on a few sick people and heal them” (v5).

If you’re like me, this has me scratching my head. Did their unbelief limit His divine power? Is their rejection some sort of divine Kryptonite to Christ?

Get into Position

Well, we can be sure of one thing. Jesus didn’t stop being God! I think John MacArthur nails this one. This verse suggests that because the locals don’t believe Him, folks don’t come to Him for healing like they do down the road in places like Capernaum.

Their disbelief put serious limits on their ability to receive God’s blessing. It’s a powerful warning that we need to do everything possible to place ourselves in position to be on the receiving end of His grace!

Knocking Jesus’ Socks off

As God in the flesh, few things catch Jesus off guard. The great Nazarene rejection is one of them. Mark writes, “And He was amazed at their unbelief” (v6). He doesn’t lose His cool. He doesn’t blow His stack. He feels sorry for them.

There’s only one other time when something knocks Jesus’ socks off (well, I guess He probably wasn’t wearing socks, but if He did, they would be off!). That’s when a Roman army officer trusts in Christ’s heavenly authority to heal one of his employees (Mt 8:10).

When People Don’t WANT to Believe

A.T. Robertson finds an interesting contrast between these two events. With the Roman soldier, Jesus marvels at finding faith where you might not expect it. With His own hometown, He marvels at the lack of faith where you might expect it…and that includes His own family!

Here’s the bottom line, the very sad bottom line. Some people just don’t want to believe. There’s nothing you can do, nothing you can say, no evidence you can provide that will change their mind. Jesus is staring back at a synagogue full of those very people.

Nazareth in the Rearview Mirror

And with that, our Savior packs it up and puts Nazareth in His rearview mirror. “Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people” (v6). Mark literally says Jesus went in a circle visiting the other small towns.

A truckload of NT scholars think the last half of verse six probably belongs in verse seven. But take just a moment to consider the emotion of that moment. This is where Jesus grew up. These are the people Jesus He’s known the best and longest. Neighbors. Friends. Family. How it must have broken His heart to get the cold shoulder to the greatest news ever offered.

When You Go Home

What’s it like when you go home? If you’re like many people, you’ve changed a lot since you left. You’ve grown up. If you’re a follower of Jesus, God is changing you from the inside out. He’s making you more like His Son.

As a result, you may think there’s a time machine hidden in your hometown too. When you head back home, the folks who knew you may have a hard time seeing you as anything but that goofy teenager who left town a couple of decades ago.

A Divine Appointment

Maybe you’ve tried to explain the change. Maybe you’ve attempted to share the story of what Jesus has done in your life since you left. Don’t believe the lie that you’re still the same kid they remember.

Take advantage of those opportunities. God is providing a divine appointment to tell them about the One who’s turned your life right-side up. It’s an open door to share the Good News and personally introduce them to your Savior.

Give God the Benefit of the Doubt

And don’t forget to turn that around. Ever run into someone years later and figured they were the same person you knew back in the day? They mention their faith in Christ but you have serious doubts.

Give God the benefit of the doubt. As Jesus says a little later in Mark, “Everything is possible with God” (Mk 10:27). Don’t forget there are a lot of people who aren’t buying what He’s done in your life!

In the meantime, I’ll keep looking for that hometown time machine.

A Warning Sign on the Banks of Denial

“If we deny Him, He will also deny us” (2Tim 2:12).

The Nile is the longest river in the world. It runs through eleven countries. And just about every mile on the Nile is loaded with danger. Crocs. Hippos. Snakes. This might make for a fun ride at Disney World but an extended swim in the real Nile is ultimately fatal.

In the same way, a long swim in denial can also be killer. Specifically, when it comes to the longterm rejection of Jesus. (See what I did there?) In a letter to his young friend Timothy, the Apostle Paul warns, “If we deny Him, He will also deny us” (v12). By “Him” and “He,” the man from Tarsus is talking about Jesus. By “we” and “us,” he’s talking about you and me. 

Think of Paul’s words as a warning sign along the banks of denial. A lifetime of rejecting Jesus will make killer crocs seem like the least of your worries. Continually shoving away our Savior with a spiritual stiff arm eventually results in Him giving us the eternal Heisman. That’s because God will give us what us want. If we don’t want Him, He won’t force Himself into our lives. If we reject Jesus here in this life, it would be incredibly cruel for Him to drag us to heaven to spend eternity with Him. As the old saying goes, the gates of Hell are locked on the inside.

Paul sure knows a thing or two about being locked up. He’s writing to Timothy from behind bars (2Tim 1:8, 16; 2:9). Historians tell us he’s a prisoner inside Rome’s Mamertine Prison. It’s a tiny terrible dungeon that’s home to the empire’s Death Row. The apostle knows the clock is rapidly running out (2Tim 4:6-7). He pleads with his young friend to make one last visit before it’s too late (2Tim 4:9, 21).

Why is all that background important? Well, if we don’t know the original reason why the human authors wrote these individual documents we call the Bible, we won’t know how to apply them to our own lives. Otherwise, we’ll make the mistake of pulling stuff completely out of context and totally misuse it. Think of the label that reads “apply as directed.” When something is misapplied, it’s not going to work like it should. Scripture is no different.

One cool tidbit about 2 Timothy 2:11-13 is that these verses contain lyrics lifted from a first century worship song. The apostle’s inclusion of these words lets us know they contain God’s truth. It also makes me wonder if he has this song stuck in his head while he walks the Green Mile. Do you have go-to tunes that you sing, hum, or whistle when times are tough? Seems to be what the former Pharisee is doing here. Call it an ear worm from Jesus.

Paul cuts and pastes four lines of lyrics loaded with great theology. First we see that following Jesus is a matter of life THROUGH death (2Tim 2:11). Second, life with Christ doesn’t come with an easy button but it hold the ultimate in delayed gratification (2Tim 2:12a). Third, we see this warning sign on the banks of detail (v12b). Fourth, Jesus has the faith we need when we have none (2Tim 2:13). Anybody know Chris Tomlin? If so, see if you can get him to cover this tune on his next CD.

Let’s be honest, that third line carries scary stuff: “If we deny Him, He also will deny us” (v12). It SHOULD freak us out. It’s SUPPOSED TO! My rejection of Jesus guarantees His rejection of me!! Is Paul telling us that anytime my faith wobbles and I turn my back on Christ, I’ve booked my ride in a hand basket headed straight to Hell? Considering my rather sketchy track record when it comes to following Jesus, it’s something I need to look into.

The key seems to be the repeated use of “deny.” This is the Greek verb αρνεομαι, which means to refuse, reject, renounce, or repudiate. Think of these four “Rs” as tributaries of denial. We see this word used when we walk down the Hall of Faith in Hebrews and read Big Mo’s plaque. “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused (Gr. αρνεομαι) to be called the son of Pharoah’s daughter” (Heb 11:24). He renounced his royal connection in order to lead God’s people to freedom.

Later in this same letter to Timothy, we read how lazy slacker who fails to provide for his own family “has denied (Gr. αρνεομαι) the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1Tim 5:8). In other words, if someone so self-absorbed that he refuses to care for those God has put under his care, that’s proof he’s never tasted the grace of Jesus in the first place. He’s renounced his faith in a very practical way.

But is there a better place to check out rejection of Jesus than Peter’s denial of our Lord in the early morning hours of Good Friday? Each one of Jesus’ biblical biographers use αρνεομαι when describing the moments when the apostle called the Rock crumbled when questioned by a middle school girl (Mt 26:70, 72; Mk 14:68, 70; Lk 22:57; Jn 18:25, 27). He didn’t just do it once. Not just twice. He went for the triple crown of denial. The rooster crowed when Pete chickened out. 

In one of the most amazing examples of mercy you’ll find anywhere, we later see the resurrected Jesus lovingly restoring the fallen leader of the disciples. Who would have blamed Christ for taking Pete to the woodshed, chewing his apostolic tail, and personally kicking him to the eternal curb? But that’s exactly what did NOT happen. 

Strolling along the beach of the Sea of Galilee, the Lord restores a repentant Rocky (Jn 21:15-19). Matching the same number of denials, Jesus asks Peter if he truly loves Him. Three times the broken apostle says he truly does. Three times our Savior showers him with grace and puts Pete back in the game.

This means there is forgiveness for short term seasons of rejecting Jesus. I mean, if Christ can bring back a three-time denier like Peter, what kind of mercy is there for you and me? The risen Carpenter/Rabbi didn’t stop there. He transforms this cowardly three-time denier into the brave leader who will stare down the Sanhedrin! 

What have you said and done that makes you think you’re disqualified from His love? If you’re like me (hopefully you’re not but probably you are), there have been those times you’ve punked out during a conversation when people are trashing those goofy Jesus Freaks. Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. Taken the t-shirt to Goodwill. Whatever you’ve done, I’m pretty sure you haven’t denied personally Christ in His physical presence three times in 15 minutes. 

If and when we reject Jesus, there’s just one thing left to do. Repent. Make a 180. Turn back to Him. He’s right behind you. He’s waiting for you. If or when you ever do deny Jesus, repent and ask for His forgiveness. It’s NEVER too late on this side of eternity to return to Him. Rejection. Repentance. Restoration. Do not pass “Go.” Do not collect $200. Do it now.

So Rocky’s rejection is NOT what Paul is talking about here. The apostle writes about those who spend their entire lives declining God’s free gift of salvation. Jesus tells His Twelve, “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies (Gr. αρνεομαι) Me before men, I also will deny (Gr. αρνεομαι) before My Father who is in heaven” (Mt 10:32-33). Dr. Luke records a similar warning using very similar language (Lk 12:8-9). Can you imagine something more terrifying? I can’t deny Jesus my entire life and expect Him to vouch for me when I meet His Dad. 

Over and over and over, Jesus plants warning signs on the banks of denial. It’s His big close to the Sermon on the Mount. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven…And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Mt 7:21, 23). Check out the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Mt 25:1-13). Now flip over to the Parable of Narrow Door (Lk 13:22-29).

And we don’t just read these warnings in the Gospels. Paul tells Titus to look out for anyone who’s all talk and no action when it comes to following Jesus (Titus 1:16). Christ’s best friend John wants us to keep our distance from liars “who denies (Gr. αρνεομαι) that Jesus is the Christ. No one who denies (Gr. αρνεομαι) the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also” (1Jn 2:22-23). And who better to listen to on the subject that Peter (2Pet 2:1).

Don’t make the mistake of thinking Jesus makes a single invitation of salvation to each one of us. Yes, it IS a limited time offer only because it’s limited to the time we spend above dirt. God pursues us our entire lives. Chases us. Hunts us down. The English poet Francis Thompson referred to our relentless Redeemer as the Hound of Heaven. 

It turns out God is the ultimate Seeker. King David wrote a song all about how there’s no escaping our Savior’s never-ending pursuit (Ps 139:1-8). Jesus says He won’t rest if just one runaway sheep from His flock of 100 is on the loose (Mt 18:12). And He doesn’t chase us down to hurt us. Or in the words of David, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Ps 23:6). We’re chased by grace in order to save us from ourselves.

Despite being relentlessly and lovingly pursued our entire lives, many of us make a career of rejecting Jesus. The result is not good. Not good at all. “If we deny Him, He will also deny us” (v12). Our lifetime of denial ultimately leads an eternity of His denial. Here’s the deal. We may think there’s always time left to turn back to Jesus. But the bottom line is we really don’t know how many ticks are left on our clock. Could be a decade. Could be a year. Could be a month. Could be a week. I think you get my point. 

That’s exactly what Paul is trying to get across. So he plants a warning sign on the banks of denial. And you thought killer crocs were the problem.

Li'l Fugitive and the Flash Go AWOL

“You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes” (2Tim 1:15).

Think it would be pretty cool to have your name in the Bible? Imagine one of the authors of Scripture dropping your name and people reading it for the next few thousand years. A mention, any mention, even in one of those long tedious lists of some family tree filled with names you can’t pronounce. 

But imagine your name making its way onto the pages of God’s Word as the bad example. You get timeless ink for all the wrong reasons. So maybe a regrettable tattoo isn’t the worst thing. That’s exactly what happens to a couple of Paul’s former friends as he writes to Timothy. “You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes” (v15). Apparently when the going got tough for the apostle, the folks he thought had his back got going in the opposite direction. Namely a couple of guys known as Li’l Fugitive and the Flash. 

We’ll get back to those guys in a moment. Allow me to bring you up to speed on Paul’s deal. He’s writing to his protege, a young pastor named Tim. The apostle is in Rome doing hard time in Caesar’s SuperMax, otherwise known as the Mamertine Prison. He’s on Death Row (2Tim 4:6-7). He desperately needs a visit from his spiritual son (2Tim 1:2; 4:9, 21). Most of the letter is loaded with urgent last minute instructions and encouragement. With the clock ticking down, the apostle passes the baton of ministry.

Paul is sure Tim’s got the scoop on what went down when the Romans arrested him. “You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me” (v15). Tim knows. Shoot, seems like everybody knew. It was in all the papers. The news of the apostle’s apprehension apparently went viral. But that’s not all. Believers in the region immediately turned their backs on the very one who brought them the Gospel in the first place. The followers of Jesus suddenly unfollowed Paul.

Is the apostle saying every person on the Asian continent ditched him? Most of us know Asia as the largest continent on the planet from our days in World Civ with four times more people than any other. That’s NOT the Asia he’s talking about. You see, back in the first century, Asia was the name of a Roman province in the western part of what we know today as Turkey. Asia was about the size of Nebraska. It included some familiar city names such as Ephesus and Colossae, places with churches to which Paul wrote. It’s also the zip code for the seven churches in Revelation that Jesus dictated letters to John about. That’s the Asia Paul’s talking about.

Nonetheless, “all who are in Asia turned away from” (v15) Paul. I would love to say “all” doesn’t really mean that. But a closer look at the original language leaves no wiggle room. “All” means all and that’s all that “all” means. Apparently one hundred percent of the believers bailed on the apostle. When he tells Tim how they “turned away,” the apostle uses a verb (Gr. apostrepho) which means to reject, refuse, or desert. It carries the idea of abandoning the right thing to do for some serious wrongdoing. This is a compound word meaning to separate (apo-) by turning (-strepho). Instead of having his back, they turned their backs and walked away. They left Paul twisting in the wind.

Does the apostle mean these folks also ditched their faith in Jesus? I guess there’s the chance that some did but that doesn’t seem to be what’s going on here. I strongly suspect these folks simply bailed on Paul at his arrest. Like cockroaches running when the light comes on, they bugged out when Roman authorities busted the man from Tarsus. According to Robertson, we don’t know if believers in the Roman province of Asia refused to help Paul when he was arrested or if they possibly ditched him at his trial. One way or the other, all he heard at this critical time was crickets. Paul? Who’s Paul? I don’t anybody named Paul.

At this point, this is where we logically talk about how we should always stand strong with our brothers and sisters in the faith. You DO know that’s the right thing to do, don’t you? But here’s the deal. Too many times the followers of Jesus pull the ripcord on any relationship that gets messy. As many have said, the church has a bad habit of shooting their wounded. Maybe it’s happened to you. If so, I’m VERY sorry. Maybe you had your finger on the trigger. If so, apologize and repent. Remember, every believer is jacked up. That’s why we trusted in Jesus to begin with. 

Let’s be blunt. People are going to bail on you. Fellow followers of Jesus are are going to bounce just when you need them the most. If it hasn’t happened to you yet, you can bet the farm it’s going to happen. Sometime. Somewhere. When the chips are down and you need a friend, there’s going to come a time when all you will see are tumbleweeds. 

Just ask Jesus what it’s like. His crew ran like scared rabbits when He was arrested. The leader of His team acted like he didn’t know Him, not once but THREE times (Ps 88:8, 18; Mt 26:56; Mk 14:50). And once our Savior took on the entire load of the world’s sin (and if you’re scoring at home, that includes yours and mine!), even His Heavenly Dad left Him all alone (Ps 22:1; Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34). 

Because He experienced absolute and total abandonment, we never have to face it ourselves. Our closest friends may punk out, but Jesus promises, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt 28:20). He pledges His never-ending faithfulness and will “never leave you nor forsake you” (Dt  31:6, 8; Josh 1:8; Heb 13:5). Later in this letter to Timothy, Paul says Christ is faithful even when we aren’t (2Tim 2:13). You see, the God who is with us is ALWAYS with us. Even when the world gets the heck outta Dodge.

The apostle then drops the names of two guys who left him hanging, “Phygelus and Hermogenes” (v15). Imagine Paul specifically listing you as someone who left him in the lurch. Being named as a bad guy in the Bible is the ultimate black mark on your permanent record. But maybe, just maybe, the man from Tarsus didn’t name names. Maybe Phygelus and Hermogenes aren’t their real names at all. Could he be writing in code? Could he be calling them by their infamous new nicknames? 

The name Phygelus comes from the Greek verb phuego, which describes a hasty retreat from military aggression. We’re not talking about a casual stroll here. This is a sprint at high speed. It’s where we get our word “fugitive.” One researcher sees the name as a joke or putdown. It literally means the little fugitive or avoider. My guess is he was a real person but Paul spared him the embarrassment of using his real name. Instead he’s forever known as Li’l Fugitive.

His partner in crime is Hermogenes. His name is closely related to the Greek god Hermes. You may know him by his Roman name Mercury. This mythical deity was not just super quick but also slick trickster. Think of The Flash’s evil twin. Hermogenes’ name means “born from Hermes.” Whether this is a nickname or putdown he has earned, you can be sure Paul’s former friend turned his back with super speed. Now you see him. Now you don’t. 

This is the only time either of these dudes gets a mention in the Bible. Giving the Heisman to the man God used to spread the Gospel to the non-Jewish world and write most of the New Testament not exactly the rep you would want for the next 2,000-plus years. Apparently Paul cooked up a couple of aliases to save them some shame. The same can’t be said of Demas. Later in this letter, the apostle writes, “For Demas, in love with present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica” (2Tim 4:10). This is the very same guy who’s with Paul during his first time in custody (Col 4:14; Phm 24). 

I feel like I’ve seen this meme. 

Demas is a friend of Paul. 

Demas sees Paul arrested. 

Demas ditches Paul. 

Demas goes to Thessalonica.

Don’t be like Demas.

No, don’t be like Demas. Don’t be like Li’l Fugitive and the Flash and go AWOL.

Calling a Rainout

In sports like football and baseball, weather is a huge factor. When championships are at stake, you don’t want rain, snow, sleet, or cold playing a bigger role than the two teams on the field. Sometimes you have to postpone. Sometimes you have to call a rainout. There’s too much on the line to let weather impact the outcome. That’s exactly the situation we see as the camera zooms in on the scene in Ezra 10:12-15. Thousands of people are standing in a torrential downpour in the temple square of Jerusalem. In many ways, the fate and future of the Israelites hangs in the balance. Very important decisions need to be made. But the conditions are far from perfect for such a critical moment. The people readily admit their guilt and plead with Ezra to call a rainout. Instead of trying to rush and get everything done in a couple of days during wretched weather, let’s take the time to do this right. Like a good leader, Ezra listens to the people and modifies the plan. He calls a rainout.

So just why are several thousand people standing in the rain outside the temple in Jerusalem? The word is out that more than a couple Jewish men have thumbed their noses at the LORD’s command to not hook up with women who don’t worship the same God (Ex 34:11-16; Dt 7:1-6; Ez 9:1-2, 10-15; 10:2, 10). This became a huge deal after Yahweh delivers His chosen people out of captivity in Babylon for the past 70 years and allows them to return to the Promised Land under the leadership of men like Zerubbabel and Erza. Once they hit town, apparently some Hebrew dudes started checking out some of the local ladies and eventually starting hooking up and shacking up with them. Before you know it, these disobedient Israelites aren’t worshiping the God of Israel but bowing down before idols. 

Once Ezra gets tipped off, he gets ticked off (Ez 9:3-4). He prays publicly (Ez 9:5-15). He prays privately (Ez 10:6). Officials let everyone know that there’s a mandatory family meeting (Ez 10:7-8). They’ve got three days to get to the temple. Be there or be square. Sure enough, there’s perfect attendance for the meeting (Ez 10:9). As they grab a seat to hear what Ezra has to say, the skies open up. This isn’t just quick shower. We’re talking a torrential downpour. It starts and doesn’t stop. Ezra’s accusation of failing to trust God comes down just as hard as the rain. They’ve “broken faith and married foreign women” (Ez 10:10). He gives them a very simple two-point plan (Ez 10:11). Confess your sin to God. Ditch your pagan girlfriends. Hard words in hard rain.

This is a crucial moment in Israelite history. How will the people respond? What will they do? This could go badly. VERY badly. Let’s read on, shall we? “Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, ‘It is so; we must do as you have said’” (v12). Instead of telling Ezra that he has no right to tell them who they should date or sleep with, they realize the gravity of their sin. They shout back, “It is so” (v12). This is a very common Hebrew word (Heb. dabar) which means a word, speech, something that is said, or a matter that’s been discussed. In essence, the people respond, “Word!” You said that right, Big E. You’re all over it. You speak truth. That ain’t no lie. They big crowd goes on to say, “We must do as you have said” (v12). They confess their sin. They’re going to do what needs to be done. It’s critical to remember that when we confess our sin, we need to do something about it. Confess. Repent. React. Simply feeling sorry just doesn’t cut it. But can we be honest? Chances are this won’t be a one and done. We’ll mostly likely need to be in a continual state of confession and repentance as we lean on our most merciful God. He knows you and I are going to struggle on this side of eternity. It’s really no shock to Him.

The people readily admit their rebellion. Later they confess how they have “greatly transgressed in this matter” (v13). The original language uses the verb pasha’. It means to rebel against a ruler, revolt, or reject authority. They’re rebels with a sinful cause. They’re revolutionaries against the King of Kings. They’ve rejected the rule of Almighty God. Now before we get all high and mighty, we need to remember we’re no better than these folks. The Apostle Paul wrote to his Roman friends, “While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son” (Rom 5:8). Our supernatural civil war against God’s kingdom makes Al Qaeda look like a Boy Scout troop. Once again, God demonstrates His mind-blowing grace toward His people. He doesn’t just do great things for good people. He pursues His enemies and showers goodness on rebels. That includes you and me.

The people are ready and willing to do what needs to be done. But it’s raining. I mean it’s coming down in sheets. The terrible conditions require a slight change of plan. One, there’s a boatload of people to talk to. Two, it’s absolutely raining cats and dogs and they’re standing outside. Three, this is going to take a lot longer than a couple of days. Ezra tells us that “the people are many” (v13). There are several thousand sitting in the storm. Almost 1,500 men made the trip with Ezra (Ez 8:1-14). You can take it to the bank that this also was a huge problem among the larger number men who were already in the Promised Land and came back under Zerubbabel (Ez 2:3-67). Thousands of Israelites are getting soaked. “It is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand in the open” (v13). The people suggest Ezra call for a rainout. The monsoon conditions make it next to impossible for anyone to get a fair hearing. This is too important to rush through in the rain. “Nor is this a task for one day or for two” (v13). There are so many people involved that the eventual investigation takes three months under multiple judges (Ez 10:16-17).

At this point, the repentant people offer a suggestion. “Let our officials stand for the whole assembly. Let all in our cities who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of every city” (v14). The rain-soaked crowd asks the high priest if representatives could stand in for them to wrap up this massive meeting. It would streamline the process. And instead of trying to get this done in Jerusalem in the next couple of days, they suggest that we break this up into local hearings with local judges. Ezra, please call a rainout. This is too important to finish in these terrible conditions. 

They understand the situation. They realize that something must be done so that “the fierce wrath of our God over this matter is turned away from us” (v14). The original text literally describes God’s red-hot anger as His face is on fire! The LORD is certainly “slow to anger” (Ex 34:6; Num 14:18; Neh 9:17; Ps 86:15; Jnh 4:2), but that doesn’t mean He will never lose His divine cool. His fuse is very long, but it will eventually run out. The rain-saoked Israelites have stoked the blaze of His wrath with their rebellion and sexual sin. They’ve done it to themselves. Something must be done and done immediately. In a little less than 500 years, God will do something Himself to keep you and me from facing His anger. Jesus would come and take the full brunt of God’s fiery wrath for our sin so that we wouldn’t have to (Rom 5:9). We don’t have to step into the fiery furnace of the LORD’s anger. Jesus did that for you and me. Trust in what He did that we could never dream of doing for ourselves. 

There’s a very interesting little note that Ezra adds at the end before he calls a rainout. “One Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them” (v15). We’re not sure why they opposed the people’s suggested changes to the plan. It doesn’t appear to be because they had shacked up with their pagan girlfriends since none of them are listed among the guilty (Ez 10:18-44). You will find a dude named Meshullam in the list (Ez 10:29). This guy mentioned here is probably one of the “men of insight” Ezra used to find more Levites (Ez 8:16). We need to understand that opposition isn’t necessarily bad. It’s good to openly discuss important ideas, especially ones that impact a lot of people. And it appears that they eventually submit to Ezra’s leadership and do what he decides. But there’s at least some discussion.

Good leaders listen. They listen to God for His guidance through prayer and fasting. They listen to godly wisdom of those people He places in their lives. Like any good servant leader, Ezra listens. And on this day, he calls a rainout.