#30 Rejected at Nazareth

#30 Rejected at Nazareth

Please first read: Isaiah 61:1-2.; Luke 4:16-31

President J.R. Clark, Jr.:

“Jesus comes to Nazareth; he goes to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom; he reads and expounds the scriptures; all the people are surprised at his ‘gracious words.’ He continues preaching and shows how God has blessed others than the Israelites, he charges them with expecting him to do his works there; and he shows how few have been ministered to in the past, and says no prophet is accepted in his own country; angered, they thrust him out of the synagogue and the city, then take him to the brow of a hill to cast him down headlong, but he passes through their midst and goes his way.”   

After Samaria Jesus continues to Galilee; he has been away for several months. He first goes to Cana, recognizing that the people in Nazareth will probably see him only as the carpenter … “a prophet hath no honor in his own country.” Jesus had grown up and worshiped as a youth in this very synagogue. Jesus considers they will only accept his miracles and this is not a sufficient foundation for their faith.

The Nazarenes are aware of the reported fame and miracles and doings of Jesus and will expect to see these things for themselves … they will want to test Jesus. The Galileans and those of Cana, however, gladly receive him … he is “glorified by all.”

For over seven centuries various Jewish prophets have foretold their people in detail of the events, actions, and locations regarding the coming of the Messiah. This has been a primary message of Isaiah, one of their most read and revered prophets. Many, if not all, of those attending the synagogue this day, and certainly their leaders would immediately recognize in Jesus’ words that he was announcing himself as the long-anticipated Messiah … this was blasphemy!

Synagogue worship on the Sabbath was mandatory for the faithful of these people and, as was his custom, Jesus is here to attend. In Nazareth there is probably only one synagogue. It would be simple in its appointments, features, and size, and face towards Jerusalem. Seating is segregated … women on one side, men on the other. The whole congregation will stand (including the reader) for the reading of the scripture, which for today is from Isaiah. The Jewish rule was for the audience to listen in silence and then be vocal with questions or objections, and react to their feelings after the reader gives his commentary on what he has read. Today that reaction will be one of indignation and rebellion.

A typical Sunday service presided over by the President or Minister would be something like this:

Singing a psalm

Reading of scriptures, rules, and blessings

Reading from the Torah (Law), and the Prophets … two main Bible pieces

Jesus was then handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah with a passage of scripture probably marked for him to read. As required he stands and reads what is in our Bible as Isaiah 61:1-2, and Luke 4:18-19, 21. Jesus, as was the custom, then sits down to expound on what he has just read.

Points to Consider:

The faithful knew and understood what and who these scriptures meant. All Jewry knew this referred to the Messiah, their deliverer (verses 18-19 and 21.) This was blasphemy!  “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me.”  “‘Anointed’ by God.”  “The acceptable year of the Lord.”  “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” Jesus knew in advance what their thoughts and reactions would be. They expected to see signs, wonders, and miracles, as they had recently been hearing about, instead they heard this. In our speaking it is as if he said, “I am here, I am your Deliverer, Messiah, your Savior.” Blasphemy! And their reactions would be as expected.

Probably as in our day, when a general authority or visiting church leader comes to visit we are excited to hear what they have to tell us. So it was in that day. Preaching was engraved in their history and the visiting authority was given free rein as to what he would say. Jesus first states what the work is that he is called to do; how he is qualified to do this work; and how he has been commissioned by God to this labor.

“Physician heal thyself,” was a well-known proverb among the Jews, and was especially used by the rabbis. A physician must heal himself of his diseases or he cannot have power to heal others. Their thoughts would be: you have performed wonderful works elsewhere but not here, and you are a native son of Nazareth … show us signs of your power and authority.

Symbolisms used by Jesus and understood by the Jews:

·         “poor” … the meek, humble

·         “broken hearted” … spiritually broken

·         “bruised and captive” … departed souls now in spirit prison

·         “blind” … spiritually, have had no chance yet to hear the gospel

·         “Acceptable year of the Lord” … the Father has said now is the time, day and place for the coming of the Messiah.  

Seeing their unfriendly reactions to his words of joy, healing and deliverance, he then turned to their long history of rejecting their prophets. He tells them because they have done this blessings have been withheld from them, the Lord’s chosen people; not only withheld but given instead to others.

Jesus picks two good examples of this: two ancient prophets dishonored by the Jews. (Elijah-Luke 4:25 Elijah, and Elisha-Luke 4: 27). They then gave great blessings upon other people … gentiles and foreigners. The implication here is that the Nazarenes are following the same pattern with Jesus. The audience upon hearing all these things was “filled with wrath” and “thrust him out of the city.”

What irony here: as Jesus slipped through the crowd and disappeared he gave them precisely the miracle/sign they were asking for. He will now use Capernaum as his home city.

Glenn R. McGettigan   

December 2014

References:

“Our Lord of the Gospels.” J.R. Clark    

“Doctrinal New Testament Commentary.” McConkie

“The Mortal Messiah.” McConkie

“The Life of Christ.” Farrar    

“Jesus the Christ.” Talmage  

“The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah.” Edersheim     

“The Gospel According to Luke, I-IX.” Fitzmyer    

 “Bethany Parallel Commentary of the New Testament.”     

“Smith’s Bible Dictionary.”