As was his right, Jesus spent some time teaching in the synagogue at his native town of Nazareth. The townspeople were quite amazed to hear the local carpenter's son speaking as he did. "Where did he get his wisdom and his miraculous powers?" All his family were well known to the people and they knew he could not have got it from them but they failed to make the next step as to what could be the real origin of what he was saying and doing. In the contrariness of human nature, they were so impressed that they rejected him! A perfect example of familiarity breeding contempt. It might be helpful for us to see how often and where we ourselves have been guilty of this. How often have we written off what people we know very well, or think we know very well, suggest to us? It is important for us to realise that God can communicate with us through anyone at all and we must never decide in advance who his spokespersons will be. Finally, we are told that Jesus could not do in Nazareth any of the wonderful things he had done elsewhere "because of their lack of faith." His hands were tied. Jesus can only help those who are ready to be helped, those who are open to him. How open am I to accept things in his way?