BEN F. VICK, JR.
Jesus, having completed his early ministry in Judea with some success, had passed through Samaria to arrive in Galilee. He went to several places, including Cana of Galilee, where he had done the first miracle of his ministry (John 2). In Cana, he merely spoke the word to heal the nobleman's son in Capernaum (John 4:45-54). Luke records, "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up…." According to Josephus, the population of the small town located in lower Galilee is about 70 miles north of Jerusalem and about halfway between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
Indeed, the memories of thirty years must have passed through his mind. He may have harked back to the early remembrances of his mother and father, who had instructed him. Perhaps the old home place came to mind. Then there was the carpenter's shop where his earthly father, Joseph, taught him the trade. We are not told, but maybe some of his family still lived in that town. The text does not tell us any of this, but perhaps he rehearses memories of friends, relatives, and pleasant thoughts. There is nothing like returning to one's childhood days to recall good memories.
We are told that "as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day…." Since his parents were devoted Jews, he went to the synagogue every sabbath. Synagogues were built during the Babylonian captivity. A synagogue was built wherever there were ten Jews in a city or village. The Jews met in these places of assembly on sabbath days, feast days and the second and fifth days of the week. It has been said that there were 400 synagogues in Jerusalem.
Jesus "stood up for to read." In the synagogues, the law and the prophets were read and then expounded upon by the ruler of the synagogue or others. Standing was the custom for reading the scriptures; sitting for teaching (Matt. 5:1; Luke 4:20; Matt. 23:1-2). By Jesus' standing, it indicated his desire to read. All stood for the reading of the Scripture. According to the custom of the Jews, seven were allowed to read every sabbath – a priest, two Levites, and four Israelites. The law was read first, then the prophets. The book (or scroll) of Isaiah was delivered to Jesus. Scrolls were of papyrus, parchment, linen, or vellum (animal skins). Jesus opened the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19.)
This Scripture which Jesus read is from Isaiah 61:1-2. The Jews knew that this was a prophecy referring to the Messiah. "The Spirit of the Lord" came upon Jesus at his baptism (Matt. 3:13-17). He was thus anointed ("Messiah" or "Christ" means "the anointed one"). He was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor; he was sent to heal the brokenhearted; he would preach deliverance to the captives, recover sight to the blind, to set them who were bruised at liberty.
Jesus closed the book, gave it to the minister, and sat down, indicating he would teach. He began by saying, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." (4:22.) The townspeople knew his father; they knew him as a boy growing up in their town. Luke tells us, "And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?"
However, Jesus knew their thoughts. "And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country." (Luke 4:23.) They thought: You claim to be the fulfillment of this prophecy. Thus, you are claiming to be the Messiah. Ok, show us a sign as we have heard you did in Capernaum. Do the same in your hometown. Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country." He then gave two examples to show that refraining from doing signs in his hometown is not setting a precedent. He mentioned that during the three-and half-year famine, Elijah went to the widow of Serepta in Sidon and Elisha when he could have healed many lepers in Israel, healed none but the Syrian, Naaman (Luke 4:25-26).
What was the reaction to the Lord's words? We are told: "And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong." (Luke 4:28-29.) But Jesus, because his hour of death was not then, passed through the midst of them and went his way. John wrote years later, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." (John 1:11.)
There are some practical lessons to be learned from our Lord's rejection in his own hometown. Here are a few, and you may think of others:
1. Jesus was interested in reading the Bible (in this case, the Old Testament). We, too, should be interested in reading God's word (1 Tim. 4:13; Rev. 1:3).
2. The custom at that time and place was to stand up to read the Scriptures and sit down to teach. Jesus did not break tradition, even though he was the Son of God. When visiting a congregation, it has been my approach to go with whatever custom it has. Jesus did that. Alexander Pope said, "Be not the first by whom the new are tried, Nor yet the last to lay the old aside."
3. We need to teach our children the books of the Bible. We need to know the books of the Bible, and where to find certain verses or passages. Jesus had no difficulty in finding the passage to read.
4. Jesus could have quoted the passage, but he read it. He could have quoted it. So, why read it? It was the custom of the day. Perhaps also to emphasize it as the standard of authority.
5. Jesus said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." He made application of the passage. In teaching, there is instruction and application. A good teacher or preacher takes a passage, brings out the meaning, and then makes present-day application.
6. If the Lord's hometown people rejected him, should we be shocked if some reject the Lord's word today when it is taught? See Matthew 10:24-25.