Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about Him spread quickly through the whole region. He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 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. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:
“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, and that the time of the LORD’s favour has come. ”
He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at Him intently. Then He began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”
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?” 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.’ But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in His own hometown. “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. 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. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.”
When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. 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, but He passed right through the crowd and went on His way.
Luke 4:14-30
There are some of you who maybe surprised by this Gem. The fact that I have included 17 verses in one Gem when we have been moving slowly through the temptations. Now suddenly I include 17 verses in one Gem. Yesterday we saw how the published versions handled the passage. I am of the opinion this is one segment.
Notice too what happens when we compare the synoptic Gospel accounts.
I have combined the two segments of the GNB approach Jesus Begins His Work in Galilee and Jesus is Rejected at Nazareth as one. I agree with the NIV approach. The emphasis is not in the introduction to ministry it is found in the Rejection at Nazareth. There is no big deal about this as Nazareth is in the Galilee region it is one of the towns of the Galilee. Notice that Luke alone is the one who records this rejection at Nazareth and sets in this context. This is what is important to Luke at this point. Following this he is back on track with Matthew and Mark.
But hang on a minute something is wrong here. Is Luke in fact the only one to record this incident of rejection in His home town? Are Matthew and Mark really silent on this event? No, in fact they both record a visit to Nazareth where Jesus was rejected but they include it in a different sequence. In Matthew’s case it is found in Matt 13:54-58. In Mark it is found in Mark 6:1-6. Time to check out whether we are talking about the same event or not. Compare all three accounts and see what you think.
That’s enough to ponder for one day; more in the next Gem. Perhaps I should give you more than a day to do that. I will see what I think tomorrow. Maybe there will be a Gem tomorrow and maybe I will make you wait until Monday again like I did a week or so ago. I will see what I feel to do and what response I get from you all.
“I did it and failed” is so much better than “woulda shoulda coulda”.
Bon Jovi
Never confuse having an opinion with thinking.
Rick Warren
Yesterday’s excellence is today’s mediocrity + tomorrow’s failure! Excellence is not STAGNANT!
Rick Godwin
Fertilize your mind with great thoughts, because you’ll never go any higher than you think!
Rick Godwin
When you’re arguing with a fool, make sure he isn’t doing the same thing?
Rick Godwin