Prophets
Not Accepted in Their Hometown
(Luke
places this story early, Matthew later.) {Matthew}
Coming
to his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus taught in the synagogue. His wisdom and
power to do miracles amazed the people. They knew his parents, Joseph, a carpenter,
and Mary; his brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas and his sisters. (Personal
Thought: no sisters’ names. Women, in general, weren’t as valued as men at
that time or in this time in many places.)
Jesus
offended the people. (Luke gives a more detailed reason why.) He did few
miracles there because of their lack of faith and said, “Only in his hometown
and in his own house is a prophet not honored.”
Luke
Adds References to Elijah and Elisha
(Luke
emphasized Jesus’ coming for all people, not just the Jews.) Jesus read from
the scroll of Isaiah: ‘The Spirit of the Lord has appointed me to preach good
news to the poor, proclaim freedom for prisoners, sight to the blind, and to
release the oppressed.’ (Personal Thought: though sometimes literal
miracles, I think Jesus mostly referred to this in the figurative sense of
people’s spirits needing to be freed.)
Everyone
staring at him, Jesus said, “This scripture in now fulfilled.” Everyone praised
him, amazed at the word’s coming from Joseph’s son. He said, “You will quote
the proverb to me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do the miracles you’ve done
elsewhere in your hometown.’
“As
proof no prophet is accepted in his hometown, I tell you that in Elijah’s time
when a famine went on for three and a half years in Israel, he was not sent to
the many widows of Israel, but to a widow in Sidon. In Elisha’s time, though
many in Israel suffered with leprosy, only Namaan the Syrian, was cleansed.”
Feeling
Slighted
Furious,
the people drove Jesus out of town and up to a cliff in order to throw him
down, but he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
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