Rachel Workman:
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Matthew
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Mark
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Luke
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John
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53 When Jesus had finished telling these stories and
illustrations, he left that part of the country. 54 He returned to
Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was
amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do
miracles?” 55 Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we
know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.
56 All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all
these things?” 57 And they were deeply offended and refused to believe
in him. When I read this the first thing that comes to mind is how many
times have I myself done this? Is there someone who I believe can not
possibly have a certain amount of knowledge in order to carry out God's will?
I suspect that I'm as much of a sinner as they were. Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.” 58 And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief. Have I put myself in the same situation as Jesus' hometown? Has my disbelief limited the miracles Jesus has performed in my life? |
6 Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his
disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. 2 The next Sabbath he began
teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked,
“Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?”
3 Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary[a] and the brother of James,
Joseph,[b] Judas, and Simon. And his
sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to
believe in him. 4 Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” 5 And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief. I do like Mark's account there. Because of their unbelief he COULDN'T do any miracles. It's wasn't a matter of he wouldn't but he couldn't. I think I stand in my own way at times. Just like these people did. And still after he performed healing they still didn't belief which amazed Jesus. Again, I think I've done the same thing. I believe his blessing are for everyone but myself. I limit what Jesus is able to do in my life. |
16 When he came to the village
of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the
Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17 The scroll of Isaiah the
prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where
this was written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” How beautiful are these verses?
20 He rolled up the scroll,
handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue
looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The
Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” I can
almost hear the gasp and whispers across the room.
22 Everyone spoke well of him
and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this
be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
23 Then he said, “You will
undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do
miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ 24 But
I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.
25 “Certainly there were many
needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for
three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. 26 Yet
Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a
widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. 27 And there were many lepers
in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was
Naaman, a Syrian.”
28 When they heard this, the
people in the synagogue were furious. 29 Jumping up, they mobbed him and
forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended
to push him over the cliff, 30 but he passed right through the crowd and
went on his way. Is anything too hard for our Lord? They intended him
harm. They would have known exactly where he was and somehow he just passed
right through the crowd. Amazing.
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