Matthew 13:58Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But if His miracles raised their wonder, why did He not work many? Because He looked not to display of Himself, but to what would profit others; and when that did not result, He despised what pertained only to Himself that He might not increase their punishment. Why then did He even these few miracles? That they should not say, We should have believed had any miracles been done among us.

The Lord performed few miracles in that place due to their lack of faith, choosing to withhold His signs so that they would not remain in disbelief and face even harsher consequences. As a result, He worked only a limited number of miracles, preventing them from claiming that had He done more, they would have believed. It is important to recognize that Jesus is still disregarded in His homeland, among the Jewish people, while we, as outsiders, hold Him in high esteem.

From the foregoing discourse consisting of these parables, He passes to what follows without any very evident connexion between them. Besides which, Mark passes from these parables to a different event from what Matthew here gives; and Luke agrees with him, so continuing the thread of the story as to make it much more probable that that which they relate followed here, namely, about the ship in which Jesus slept, and the miracle of the demons cast out; which Matthew has introduced above.

Or we may understand it otherwise, that Jesus is despised in His own house and country, signifies in the Jewish people; and therefore He did among them few miracles, that they might not be altogether without excuse; but among the Gentiles He does daily greater miracles by His Apostles, not so much in healing their bodies, as in saving their souls.

You shall not allow the disbelief of many to diminish His power. He refers to miracles as manifestations of divine might. Consider the wisdom behind this. He performed certain miracles to prevent them from claiming, "Out of spite against us, He did not heal our sick," or "If He had also worked among us, we would have believed." Instead, He accomplished only a few miracles due to their lack of faith, as they refused to accept the signs performed. Consequently, Mark notes, "And He marvelled at their unbelief," highlighting their profound audacity. While Matthew remarks that "you cannot perform many miracles," Mark states, "And He could not perform any miracles there, except for healing a few sick people by laying His hands on them." How can it be said that He could not?

And this was the carpenter’s son who subdues iron by means of fire, who tries the virtue of this world in the judgment, and forms the rude mass to every work of human need; the figure of our bodies, for example, to the divers ministrations of the limbs, and all the actions of life eternal.

He taught in their synagogues where great numbers were met, because it was for the salvation of the multitude that He came from heaven upon earth. It follows; So that they marvelled, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these many mighty works? His wisdom is referred to His doctrine, His mighty works to His miracles.

Christ arrived in His native land, as it is stated, He came to His own, and His own received Him not (John 1:11). Indeed, when He declared, A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, He highlights the misfortune of lacking recognition among one’s own people, where the honor among one’s compatriots can lead to bitterness. The esteem of those close to us can become burdensome. When neighbors bestow honor upon each other, they often see it as a form of servitude. ‘And I did not perform many miracles there,’ He remarks, ‘due to their lack of faith. Miracles are absent where disbelief prevails. Though Christ expects no compensation for His healings, He feels discontent when faced with ingratitude instead of reverence.

The details of this matter are presented by Luke the Evangelist, while Matthew offers a more concise account: "AND HE DID NOT WORK THEM MANY Miracles FOR THEIR UNBELIEF." Mark further mentions that the Lord, prior to His attendance at the synagogue, had likely laid His hands on a few sick individuals and healed them. Thus, He was unable to perform any greater miracles there, resulting in His astonishment at their lack of faith. The blessed Theophylact explains that the Lord refrained from conducting numerous miracles due to their disbelief, as He wished to protect them from incurring a heavier judgment if, after witnessing the signs, they still chose to remain in disbelief.

"Due to their lack of faith": the ability to perform miracles relies not solely on God's divine power but also on the belief of those for whom the miracles are intended. This is why the Lord consistently sought faith from those who approached Him for healing—when faced with skeptics who demanded signs and wonders, He always refrained, even though He possessed the power to perform miracles. Such acts would have been meaningless to the faithless and indifferent. His intention was not to reveal Himself but to bring them to a place of benefit. Thus, when He could not achieve this purpose, He chose not to focus on His own interests, so as to avoid amplifying their condemnation... But why did He carry out 'not many' miracles?

The unwavering skepticism of the Pharisees, along with the astonishment of the crowds at the miracles performed by the Lord, validated Simeon's prophecy regarding the Christ Child Jesus, who was destined for both the downfall and the uplift of many in Israel, with a sign that was met with opposition (Luke 2:34). The Jewish people found it challenging to let go of their idealized vision of the Messiah's triumphant kingdom; however, it was even more perplexing for those closest to the Lord during His childhood, the people of Nazareth, to acknowledge His divine nature.