#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.”
