*Luke 4:16-30
Jesus returns to Nazareth and is rejected by his hometown synagogue, but escapes unharmed.
- Jesus’ Custom of Synagogue Attendance:
- Jesus, following his custom, goes to the synagogue on the Sabbath day.
- Reading from the Prophet Isaiah:
- He is given the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and selects a passage to read aloud.
- The passage he reads speaks of the Spirit of the Lord being upon him to proclaim good news to the poor, freedom for the prisoners, sight for the blind, and liberty for the oppressed.
- Claiming Fulfillment:
- After reading the passage, Jesus declares that the scripture has been fulfilled in their hearing, indicating that he is the fulfillment of the prophecy.
- Initial Favorable Reception:
- Initially, the people speak well of him and marvel at his gracious words.
- Doubts and Challenges:
- However, they begin to question Jesus’ identity, recognizing him as Joseph’s son.
- Jesus anticipates their skepticism and challenges their lack of faith by referencing examples of prophets being rejected in their hometowns.
- Escaping Rejection:
- Jesus highlights instances where God worked outside the boundaries of Israel, indicating that God’s blessings are not exclusive to any particular group.
- This angers the people, and they attempt to drive him out of the town and off a cliff, but Jesus escapes unharmed.
Luke 4:16-30 reminds us that following Jesus isn’t always easy, but we must stay faithful. When Jesus preached in His hometown, the people first admired Him but then rejected Him because He challenged their expectations. This teaches us that truth isn’t always popular, but we should stand firm in our faith, even when others don’t understand or accept it. Like Jesus, we should stay committed to God’s calling and trust Him, no matter how people respond.
Luke 4:16-30 (WEB)
4:16 He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.He has sent me to heal the broken hearted,to proclaim release to the captives,recovering of sight to the blind,to deliver those who are crushed,19 and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”20 He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”22 All testified about him and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will tell me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.’ ” 24 He said, “Most certainly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land. 26 Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian.”28 They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue as they heard these things. 29 They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff. 30 But he, passing through the middle of them, went his way.