A Rock of Refuge

February 2, 2025 homily on Psalm 71:1-9 and Luke 4:21-30 by Pastor Galen

“Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress” — Psalm 31:3

You Can’t Go Home Again

There’s an old saying that goes, “You can’t go home again.” While it is sometimes possible to physically return home, the saying captures the reality that after being away for a significant length of time, we often discover that we’ve changed—and so have the people and places we left behind. You can never truly go back to the way things were.

The saying, “You can’t go home again” comes from the title of a book written by Thomas Wolfe and published in 1940, in which the main character, George Webber, is a fledgling author who has written a successful novel about his family and hometown. But when he returns home, he discovers that his family and friends are furious about the way they were depicted in his book, and their anger drives him away from his hometown.

Jesus too was driven away from his hometown. Last week we read about how Jesus went back to his hometown of Nazareth and preached in the synagogue. He read from the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21), and at first everyone spoke well of him and was amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth (Luke 4:22). 

But Jesus wasn’t content to “leave well enough alone,” and (from their perspective) went too far when he told them that the prophecies he came to fulfill — the ones about bringing good news to the poor, and freedom to those who were oppressed — were not just for people who looked like them, but for their enemies as well.  He did this by pointing to biblical examples where God performed miracles for enemies of Israel, like the widow at Zarephath in the days of Elijah, and Naaman the Syrian in the days of Elisha. This idea, that Jesus came for the whole world—even their political enemies—made the people of his hometown so furious that they drove him out of town, and even tried to throw him off a cliff. But Jesus escaped, walking right through the crowd, and he went on his way.

No Prophet is Accepted in their Hometown

Although Jesus was physically unharmed by this experience, I can only imagine how disheartening this must have been for Jesus. Yes, Jesus was God, who took on flesh and lived among us. And in his divinity, he knew that all of this was part of the divine plan. But while Jesus was 100% God, Jesus was also 100% human, and it must have hurt terribly to be rejected by the very people he had grown up around. It must have pained him deeply to see the anger on their faces — to know they were so furious that they wanted to hurl him from a cliff.

But Jesus did not let this experience derail him from his mission. After all, as Jesus pointed out, he knew that prophets are never accepted in their hometowns (see Luke 4:24). The task of a prophet is to proclaim the truth, as difficult as it may be for people to hear. And for all us, whether we have the gift of prophecy or not, when we choose to follow Christ and make Jesus the Lord and Savior of our lives, it can be upsetting to the people we grew up around — the people who expect us to do and say the things we used to do and say. Sometimes the people who grew up around us are the most resistant to our message. They don’t want to see us change. 

But Jesus was secure in his identity and calling, and he did not let the folks in his hometown derail him from the task he had been assigned. And so he went on to preach the Good News and proclaim freedom to those who were oppressed. To all who were oppressed, not just the people who looked and dressed and acted the way the folks in his hometown did.

Our Real Home is In Heaven

There’s another reason why Jesus didn’t let the people in his hometown derail him from his mission and purpose, and that is because Nazareth was not his true hometown. Yes, it was where he grew up. But Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world. His real home was in heaven. And though he came down to this earth and became one of us, he was secure in his identity as the Son of God. His worth and value was not in what people thought of him, but rather it was in his connection to God the Father and to the Holy Spirit. And so Jesus was able to move freely in this world and was not held back by other’s perceptions of him, because his real home was with God in heaven.

Of course, the same is true for us as well. As followers of Christ, we have been adopted into the family of God (see Romans 8:15). “We are children of God” ( 1 John 3:2), and that means that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). And our citizenship in heaven supersedes our citizenship of any nation here on this earth.

And so if you have ever felt a little out of place here on this earth, or if you’ve ever experienced rejection because of your faith in Christ, or if you have ever felt like no one truly understands you because of your faith in Christ, it could be because your “hometown” is not your real home town. Our real home is with God in heaven. Our identity is as children of God, and that changes everything.

When we truly grasp this reality that we are citizens of heaven, that ultimately we do not belong here, and when we begin to grasp the fact that no matter where we go, God is with us, then we don’t have to try to keep going back to the way things were. We don’t have to try to keep seeking the approval of our family or those we grew up around, or anyone else. Because all that truly matters is how God sees us. And, as followers of Christ who have been adopted into the family of God, we are God’s children. And that is all that matters.

A Rock of Refuge

Earlier this morning we looked at Psalm 71, in which the psalmist speaks of taking refuge in the Lord. In verse 3, the psalmist says, “Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress” (Psalm 71:3 NRSV). The imagery here is of a fortress carved into the face of a cliff, impervious to attack. Inside the stone fortress, the writer of this psalm knows that he is safe from the attacks of the enemy.

We don’t know who wrote this psalm. But we know that King David wrote many of the psalms, and so it’s not difficult for me to imagine David writing this psalm. In 1 Samuel 22:1, David had to hide in a cave carved out of a rock when he was fleeing from the wrath of King Saul, and that cave became a sort of fortress for him. Perhaps that experience inspired the first few verses of Psalm 71:

1 In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame.

2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
    incline your ear to me and save me.

3 Be to me a rock of refuge,
    a strong fortress to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.

4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
    from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.

Toward the end of David’s life, King David’s son Absolam led a civil war against him and his kingdom was under attack. In verses 5 and following, the psalmist looks back, remembering how God has always been with him, from the time he was born:

5 For you, O Lord, are my hope,
    my trust, O Lord, from my youth.

6 From my birth I have leaned upon you,
    my protector since my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.

7 I have been like a portent to many,
    but you are my strong refuge.

8 My mouth is filled with your praise
    and with your glory all day long.

The psalmist then cries out to God, asking God to continue to be his strong rock and refuge:

9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
    do not forsake me when my strength is spent…

17 O God, from my youth you have taught me,

    and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

18 So even to old age and gray hairs,

    O God, do not forsake me,

until I proclaim your might

    to all the generations to come.

The psalmist knew that God was his true refuge, even more than any cave or fortress, and no matter his physical circumstances. God was the solid rock in which he could find safety and security. And so no matter where he went, and all throughout his life, he took comfort in the fact that God was with him.

Christ the Solid Rock

It may indeed be true, as Thomas Wolfe wrote in 1940, that “you can’t go home again.” Things will never go back to the way they were. We’ve changed, and the people and places we grew up with have changed. 

But we can take comfort in the fact that, as children of God, our safety and security and our true identity is in Christ. Jesus is the “solid rock” on which we can stand, and we can find safety and security in him. Truly Jesus has been with us from the moment we were born and will continue to stay with us our whole lives long. And so no matter what others may think of us, no matter how they may treat us, no matter what may come our way, we can find our refuge, our safety and security — our “home” — in him.

Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me

In a few minutes, we’re going to sing the hymn Rock of Ages as our hymn of response. 

As I was putting together our worship service for this morning, I was struck by the word “cleft” in the first line of this hymn. “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee…” A cleft in a rock is a cave which can serve as a refuge or a hiding place. Clefts are formed when tectonic forces cause stress and stretching within the rock, leading to cracks and fissures. The word “cleft” comes from the word “cleave,” to split into two. And so a cleft is a place of refuge and safety in the side of our mountain formed by the breaking apart of the rock.

And this is the imagery here of the song, “Rock of Ages.” Christ is our rock in which we can take refuge, but the safety and security that we find in Christ came at a cost —in order to become our refuge, Christ was wounded and broken. He gave his all, so that we can find our refuge in him. 

If Christ has been a refuge and a place of safety for us our whole lives long, and if he gave his life so that we could have new life in him, may we also give ourselves for others, that they too may find their refuge in Him. 

Amen!

Questions for Personal Reflection in Response to Today’s Sermon:

1. Have you ever experienced a moment when returning home felt unfamiliar or even unwelcoming? How did that shape your understanding of personal growth and change?
2. The psalmist describes God as a “rock of refuge.” Where do you seek refuge in times of hardship, and how can you deepen your reliance on God as your strong fortress?
3. Have you ever struggled with seeking the approval of others instead of resting in your identity as a child of God? How can you shift your focus toward God’s view of you?
4. What does it mean to you that “our citizenship is in heaven”? How does that reality influence your daily life and priorities?
5. The hymn “Rock of Ages” speaks of Christ as a refuge that was “cleft” or broken for us. How does Christ’s sacrifice inspire you to be a source of refuge for others?