Nazareth's Outrage Against Jesus
Summer, AD 27
The Bible story:
There are two incidents of Jesus being rejected at Nazareth. The second one occurs late in AD 28 and is found in Matthew 13 and Mark 6. We will be looking at the first instance, which is found at Luke 4:16-30 and occurs early in his ministry during AD 27. (Jesus was crucified in AD 30.)
Jesus arrived at his hometown of Nazareth and entered the synagogue, as was his custom at the weekly Sabbath gathering. They handed the scroll of Isaiah to him, and he read a passage that may have been preselected according to a defined scripture sequence, or (less likely) he may have selected it himself. The reading was one of grace and promise, proclaiming release of captives and freedom for the oppressed.
Then Jesus gave the scroll back and sat down. This was the signal that the Scripture reading was completed and the reader was expected to give a commentary or a sermon on the contents. (The scripture was written in Hebrew, but the commentary was done in Aramaic, the language of the people.) He did not disappoint them. Amazingly, Jesus declared that this scripture had been fulfilled in the hearing of those present around him.
But then Jesus radically changed his tone. "No doubt you will tell me to do here in my hometown those things that I did in Capernaum. saying 'Physician, heal yourself.'" They had clearly heard about healings he had conducted in Capernaum. But then Jesus cited two scripture instances where strangers had been healed or remediated at a prophet's hands, while the hometown people were not.
The townspeople then threatened to throw Jesus down the hillside, but he walked through their midst untouched.
The story in context:
A harmony of the Gospel stories show the sequence that brought Jesus here. After picking up his first five disciples near the site where John the Baptist was preaching, Jesus invited his disciples to come with him to a wedding in Cana. Jesus' mother and his brothers were also invited to the wedding, so no doubt his new disciples became acquainted with Jesus' family. There the servants observed Jesus changing water into wine, and there is no reason not to assume that the servants told everyone else about that.
Right after the wedding, Jesus and his disciples went to Capernaum along with his mother and brothers, and visited the house where Peter's mother-in-law (and Peter himself) were living. No healings are recorded here except for the mention by Jesus.
Jesus stayed only a few days at Capernaum on this visit, leaving to visit Jerusalem for the Passover of AD 27, and to overturn tables in the temple court. He did not return to Galilee at this time but went into the Judean wilderness with his disciples to baptize people, while John was baptizing elsewhere.
When Jesus returned to Galilee he visited Cana and healed a nobleman's son (by long distance) who was in Capernaum near death. Perhaps this was the event in Capernaum of which the Nazarenes were thinking.
What's Going On Here?
Not only do the Nazareth townspeople know that Jesus did a healing in Capernaum, they evidently know that Jesus intends to move from Nazareth to Capernaum. In fact, this is probably the thing that brings Jesus to Nazareth. I believe that Jesus, as an intense student of the Scriptures, may have owned a collection of scrolls which he had acquired over the years. He may also have inherited some from his adopted father Joseph. As the youngest family member, this may have been his only portion of the inheritance. Oldest half-brother James would surely have inherited the family home.
Nazareth, by the best estimates, was probably a village of 200 or so people. Would a town of 200 people today have their own doctor? Probably not, and very likely not for poor Nazareth. The addition of a man who could heal diseases would surely be a welcome addition. But when Jesus leaves Nazareth on this day, he goes to establish himself with Peter at his mother-in-law's house in Capernaum, which was of a size that could accommodate a great many disciples. Sooner or later, his mother Mary probably moved there also.
Another twist to this story is the presence of Jesus' family in Nazareth, consisting of his mother, four brothers and two or three sisters. It is hard to see how a town that small, with maybe 40 people attending Synagogue (leaving out women and children) would have the nerve to attempt violence on a family member. The brothers would have defended Jesus. They may not have believed in him at this point, but there is no evidence of any rancor against him to the point of violence. My only explanation is to guess that the family was out of town at the time of his visit, The brothers may well have been employed as carpenters at the nearby big city of Sepphoris.
Jesus never refused to heal an Israelite, so that could not have been the problem. But when he returned here later, he found that there were very few in Nazareth who had the faith to be healed. Jesus "marveled" at that.
What's the Lesson?
Have you ever called on Jesus to heal you, or to heal a family member? Have you lost someone who you prayed for? Were you angry, or wanted to push Jesus off a cliff?
I was bitterly angry at God at one time, when my family was falling apart and I had no way to do anything about it. Everything I tried failed. I don't recall wishing Jesus to fall off a cliff, but I do remember refusing to look at God for weeks. That was a terrible time for me. It ended when I answered an altar call and rededicated my life to Jesus.
If you are angry at God, seek him all the more. Reconciliation with Jesus is your only hope. And may God bless you richly and bring you healing in your spirit.
Deacon Rolin
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