And Jesus said to them: A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and in his own house, and among his own kindred.
ελεγεν δε αυτοις ο ιησους οτι ουκ εστιν προφητης ατιμος ει μη εν τη πατριδι αυτου και εν τοις συγγενεσιν και εν τη οικια αυτου
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
The Lord observes that all prophets are often disregarded in their own native lands, among their relatives and families. If they have notable kin, those relatives may be envious and consequently show them disrespect. If they come from humble beginnings, they may still face a lack of honor due to their origins.
The Saviour was aware of the shift in perception among His listeners and openly affirmed that He was the same Jesus they had previously known, fully cognizant of their spiritual state, as evidenced by the saying, “verily no prophet is accepted in his own country.” They might argue that, as a prophet, He should have displayed His miraculous signs and wonders in His own village, where He was well recognized, rather than in neighboring towns where He was less familiar. This led them to adopt a sarcastic adage, “Physician, heal thyself,” implying that He should not merely speak of His divine power but demonstrate it in their presence, especially since news of His miracles in Capernaum had reached them.
However, the Saviour responded that miraculous acts are not confined by geographical boundaries or familial relations; rather, they demand a certain openness of heart to be received. As they were reminded from the Scriptures, “there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, so that there was a great famine in all the land; and Elijah was not sent to any of them, but only to a widow in Sarepta of Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel under the prophet Elisha; and not one of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” Such tranquil reasoning, based on historical examples, only served to further agitate the crowd, who, in their bias, refused to accept the truth. They expressed their frustration, questioning whether they were deemed inferior to Gentiles and lepers in the eyes of this ‘carpenter.’ This provocation was unbearable for them coming from someone they considered one of their own, and their pent-up fury erupted uncontrollably. The preacher was no longer faced with murmurs of discontent but with cries of wrath. In a surge of violent emotion characteristic of this passionate and impulsive people, who were easily stirred like the tempestuous waters of their lake, they sprang to their feet, seized Him, and dragged Him out of the city toward the cliff. Nazareth lies in a valley surrounded by steep hills, and those cliffs, likely more daunting two millennia ago, were the scene of their intended act. They aimed to throw Jesus from one of those rocks, ready to commit an act that would forever stain their reputation. Yet, it was through the Saviour’s own power that they were spared from this heinous act. The moment for Him to bear the sins of humanity had not yet arrived, and so, passing through the midst of the enraged crowd, “He departed.” He left them never to return, and His voice was silenced in the synagogue of Nazareth. Some argue that Christ continued to preach in the synagogue of Nazareth, citing Matthew 13:54-58 and Mark 6:1-5 as evidence. However, the substantiation for such a claim is insufficient, as the accounts from these two Gospel writers appear to refer to the same event. This view is supported by Le Camus and others while Farrar presents a contrary argument with merit. Ultimately, He relocated to the nearby city of Capernaum, where there were greater opportunities for preaching and acts of mercy.
The phrase "could not perform any miracle there" does not imply that the Lord Jesus, the Almighty Creator and Sovereign over nature, lacked the ability to do miracles in His hometown. Rather, the lack of belief and indifference displayed by His fellow townspeople hindered Him from performing wonders among them. Faith is essential for miracles to occur, and this was notably absent among the Nazarenes (cf. note on Matthew 13:58). It is not that He was unable to act, but rather that their absence of faith prevented Him from doing so (Theophilus). Healing requires both the faith of those being healed and the power of the healer; therefore, the absence of one makes the other impossible (Grig. B. 3:87). Yet, even among those with minimal faith, some were blessed to experience His miracles; for when He laid His hands on certain sick individuals, He restored them from their ailments.
The ongoing skepticism of the Pharisees alongside the astonishment of the people at the wonders performed by the Lord validated the profound truth of Simeon's prophecy concerning the divine Child Jesus, indicating that He would experience both a fall and a rise for many in Israel, with His destiny becoming a sign to be revealed (Luke 2:34). For the Jews, letting go of their hopeful vision of a glorious Messiah's reign proved challenging, but it was an even greater struggle for those closest to the Lord during His early years in Nazareth to acknowledge His divine nature.
Despite their initial incredulity during His first preaching, the residents of Nazareth remained steadfast in their disbelief even after Jesus had disseminated the gospel throughout Galilee and Judea, substantiating His role as a divine messenger through numerous miraculous acts.
Upon returning to Nazareth with His disciples, He began to teach in the synagogue on the Sabbath, but His message was met with wonder. The people of Nazareth questioned each other, asking, “Where did this man come from? What is this wisdom that has been given to Him, and what are these mighty works performed by His hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of the carpenter? Is not His mother named Mary, and His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? And are not His sisters with us?” Unbelief did not only plague the townspeople but also extended to His own relatives, as noted in John 7:5. Consequently, the Lord echoed the sentiment from before (Luke 4:24) that a prophet finds no honor in his own homeland, among his relatives, or within his own household.
Faced with such disbelief from His fellow countrymen, Jesus Christ, as the beloved Evangelist illustrates, could not perform miraculous works, aside from laying His hands on a few sick individuals and healing them (Mark 6:5). St. John Chrysostom commented that He performed some miracles while withholding others to prevent further condemnation of their unbelief. Disturbed by the lack of faith among the Nazarenes, the Lord departed from His homeland and journeyed to other towns and villages in Galilee.
As the Good Shepherd (John 10:14), Jesus, as highlighted by the Holy Father, did not wait for those in need to approach Him; instead, He took the initiative to reach out, offering the two greatest gifts: the Gospel of the Kingdom and healing from all afflictions. He traveled throughout the towns and villages of Galilee, teaching in synagogues and healing various diseases. The sight of the crowds moved Him with compassion, as they seemed like weary and scattered sheep without a shepherd. Those who sat in Moses' seat (Matthew 23:2) and deemed themselves the sole bearers of truth (Luke 11:52) turned out to be blind leaders (Matthew 23:24).
Many among the people longed for the gracious Kingdom of the Messiah, seeking solace and fulfillment within it. Noting the harvest ready for gathering, the God-Man remarked to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” This was a call for workers aware that the field was not of foreign sowing but rather a result of what had been planted by the prophets and the entirety of the Old Covenant preparation for the chosen people to embrace the grace of the Gospel.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 26 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS