A few weeks ago, we were having supper with our neighbors. And their son told us how he was a pole vaulter in high school. And his friend & teammate was Sandi Morris who is now one of the best female pole vaulters in the world. She won silver in the last Olympics. And gold at the Indoor Championships last year.
Last July the hometown girl came back to Greenville for the Liberty Bridge Jump-off and set a world record that year, clearing 16 feet, 3 inches.
Now imagine next year at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo that Sandi Morris wins the women’s pole vault gold medal. A few days later she flies back to Greenville.
And a huge crowd gathers at the airport.
Her friends are there. Her family is there. People who’ve known her since she was a kid. And Sandi steps out of the plane and walks down waving.
But instead of cheering, she’s met with jeering.
Instead of congratulating her, the hold up signs that say…
“You’re offensive to us, Sandi.” “Greenville finds you offensive.”
Can you imagine the world’s greatest female pole vaulter was rejected like that—by her hometown? Sandi would be stunned.
But this is exactly what happened to the world’s greatest preacher. When Jesus comes back to His hometown, He is rejected. V. 6 says “He marveled because of their unbelief.”