Matthew 13:55Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Jews were amazed and questioned, saying, ‘How does He possess such wisdom and power’ (Matt. 13:54)? - They referred to these abilities as either miraculous acts or true wisdom.

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Upon His arrival in Nazareth, Christ refrained from performing signs so as not to provoke further jealousy among the Jews or deepen their condemnation due to their heightened unbelief. Nevertheless, He presented teachings that were no less astounding than the miracles. However, people, lacking understanding, chose to scorn Him, focusing on the one they assumed to be His earthly father, despite having many examples in the past where seemingly uneducated parents bore remarkable children.

Imagine if Jesus were simply a man and not divine. What could have hindered Him from performing remarkable miracles? Their attitude reflects both ignorance and jealousy, as they should have found joy in the fact that their homeland produced such extraordinary blessings. The Lord had siblings through Joseph, who fathered them with the wife of his deceased brother Cleopas. After Cleopas passed away without children, Joseph took her as his own wife according to the law, and they had six offspring together: four sons and two daughters—Mary, referred to by law as Cleopas' daughter, and Salomia. ‘Among us’ instead of ‘live here with us.’

His brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, along with His sisters, are not all with us? From where did all these things come to Him? And they were tempted regarding Him. It is acknowledged that among the Jewish people, it is common to refer to relatives not only of the first degree as brothers, such as sons of siblings, who are also frequently termed brothers in our context, but also to uncles and nephews, similar to how Jacob and Laban were considered brothers, as evidenced in Scripture (Genesis 29:15). Thus, it is not surprising that maternal relatives are referred to as brothers of the Lord, just as Joseph's relatives might be called His brothers by those who believed Joseph to be the earthly father of the Lord.

The misjudgment of the Jews serves as both our redemption and our judgment. They perceive Jesus Christ merely as a human, viewing Him as the son of a carpenter, as expressed in the question, "Is not this the son of a carpenter?" It is not surprising that they are in error regarding His brethren when they have misidentified His father. This topic is discussed more thoroughly in the aforementioned work against Helvidius.

It is indeed remarked, ‘Is He not the son of carpenters?’ We have previously explored the reasons behind the Lord Savior's virgin birth and the significance of His birth within a betrothal, as well as the timing during the census. Now, it is beneficial to discuss the significance of having a carpenter as His earthly father. Through the figure of a carpenter, the Lord illustrates that His Father is the Creator of all, the Maker of the universe, as stated: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Although humanity cannot be truly compared to the divinity, this analogy remains fitting, for the Father of Christ skillfully shapes with fire and Spirit, diligently pruning away our flaws at their roots, swiftly handling lifeless branches (cf. Matthew 3:10, Luke 3:9). He possesses the wisdom to discern where to remove the excess, where to nurture the growth, to soften hardened hearts with the fire of the Spirit, and to prepare all of humankind for various callings through diverse means.

Isn’t this the son of the carpenter? Isn’t His mother named Mary, and are not His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? Are not all His sisters among us? This should be interpreted as a question, for they were confused and spoke among themselves. Among us, meaning of our own.

The people closest to Him do not give honor to the Lord. Despite the stunning wisdom of His teachings and the remarkable deeds He performed, they have failed to achieve true understanding due to their disbelief. They do not recognize that it is God who operates within humanity; instead, they refer to Him as father, mother, and brethren, while criticizing the work of the Father. However, it is clear that Jesus is the Son of the Creator, the One who forges iron with fire, who tempers all the might of the world with His judgment, and who shapes matter for human benefit in all pursuits. He forms from the raw substance of our bodies various parts for distinct functions and for the work of eternal life.

They ought to celebrate that their homeland had given rise to such a remarkable blessing, that the awaited Messiah had emerged from their humble town. Yet, jealousy and spite revealed themselves in their crude and unrefined hearts. Instead of receiving Him with reverence and wonder, their eyes were ignited with hatred, and a murmur of scornful disapproval arose: IS HE NOT THE SON OF THE FLOTUS? And who is He, really? Our neighbor, a mere carpenter. ISN'T HIS MOTHER NAMED MARY? Our Saint Philaret of Moscow observes, "They do not even know how to say Joseph, son of David, Mary, daughter of David; they are aware only of what is visible: that Joseph is a craftsman and that Mary is simply Mary.

He had previously focused His ministry in cities that were unfamiliar to Him, yet the time had come for His own hometown of Nazareth to be included. With the belief that news of His works had reached Nazareth and prepared the hearts of its people, He chose to reveal Himself in His native city. Upon entering Nazareth, He attended the synagogue on the first Sabbath, joining the gathered worshippers who came to pray and be nourished by the Scriptures. As a small town with a population of around ten thousand, Nazareth had only one synagogue, a straightforward rectangular structure with a ‘sanctuary’ oriented towards Jerusalem, a site of prayer that had been revered since Solomon's reign.

"Is He not the son of carpenters?" The residents of Nazareth may have either been uninformed or disbelieving regarding the miraculous incarnation and birth of Jesus Christ, perceiving Him only as the offspring of Joseph and Mary. However, they could not justify their indifference towards Him, for history has shown that even unassuming parents have given rise to remarkable children, as seen with David, Amos, and Moses. Therefore, Christ should have inspired reverence and wonder due to His lineage and the extraordinary wisdom He shared. This clearly revealed in Him not mere human education but divine favor. Yet despite what should have captivated them, they held Him in contempt. They questioned, "Aren't this and that His brothers?" Yet this should have intensified their belief.

The unwavering skepticism of the Pharisees and the astonishment of the people at the miraculous deeds of the Lord affirmed the undeniable reality of Simeon’s prophecy concerning the Godchild Jesus—He was destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and His sign would be contradicted (Luke 2:34). For the Jews, letting go of their idealistic vision of the Messiah's glorious kingdom was challenging, but it was an even greater struggle for the nearest witnesses of the Lord's infancy, adolescence, and youth—the residents of Nazareth—to acknowledge His divine nature.