Philip Yancey, in his book, The Jesus I Never Knew, gives this illustration: "George Buttrick, former chaplain at Harvard, recalls that students would come into his office, plop down on a chair and declare, ’I don’t believe in God.’ Buttrick would give this disarming reply: ’Sit down and tell me what kind of God you don’t believe in. I probably don’t believe in that God either.’
And then he would talk about Jesus, the corrective to all our assumptions about God.
“For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven (Colossians 1:19-20).”
Where we have arrived in our progress through the Gospel of Matthew seems at first glance to be a short and simple account of the final visit that Jesus makes to the town where He grew up. How like the people in Jesus’ hometown are we, I wonder. How much de we assume about Him that is incorrect?
As we examine this story, it becomes apparent that there is much more happening than appears on the surface.
Most scholars agree that this is what is known as Christ’s “Second Rejection at Nazareth.” More on that shortly.
You heard me say, “Final visit,” right? Two other passages of Scripture mention Jesus returning to Nazareth and teaching in the synagogue there. Those are Mark 6:1-6, and Luke 4:16-30.
When we read these three accounts and the contexts that they are in, there seems to be a bit of a dilemma: are these three accounts of the same event, or two accounts of one event and a single account of a second event?
I don’t want to spend a lot of time on this because it can get pretty convoluted, and I want to keep this as simple and clear as I can. Let me not keep you in suspense – the answer is that there are two different incidents, two different times when Jesus is rejected at Nazareth, and we get a supporting mention in John 4:43-44 that helps us see this.
Let me give you a little bit of a time-line harmony of the Gospels to help us out. Let me preface this by saying that some want to use this story and the three differing timetables as proof that “the Bible is full of errors and contradictions and cannot be trusted.” Nothing could be further from the truth. It is just that, if you want to attempt to make that lie credible, this is, on the surface, a ready place to find the evidence to support that. Let’s look at it though. I’m sure you will find that the truth is really quite simple.
Okay, first of all, we have to understand that the layout of the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, are not as historical chronologies and were never intended to be. Luke and John, on the other hand, do follow a predominantly chronological order with only a couple of exceptions. Each of the gospels has a different approach and a different target audience.
As we saw before, Matthew does a very good job of collecting like-teachings of Jesus into pockets and strategically placing them throughout his Gospel record. The Sermon on the Mount and the Parables of the Kingdom are two such examples.
Matthew’s Gospel is an account of the long-awaited descendant of King David, promised to David and his people, the One who would be not only the true and righteous King of Israel, but King over all the earth.
The Gospel of Mark is the Gospel in a hurry, the story of the Servant of God and the Servant of the Word of God.
Luke’s Gospel is about Jesus the Son of Man, descendant of Adam and the One who brings God’s grace to all of humankind, Jew and Gentile alike.
The Gospel of John approaches from the Godhood of Jesus, the pre-eminence of Jesus, and presents to us Jesus, the Son of God.
When we look at a snapshot of the timeline of the four Gospels, we see that there is a layout of events in each that is on one hand somewhat chronological, and on the other hand somewhat sequential using other criteria. Luke and John do follow an almost straight chronology.
Some may ask, “Why would things be seemingly so out of order in Matthew and Mark, but not in Luke or John?” The answer really is quite simple: It takes all four of the Gospels to get the vivid picture of Jesus Christ that we have today, and each Gospel writer, like our newspaper reporters today, tells the same story from just a little different perspective. These men were either eye witnesses to the things they record or they were close and intimate associates of those who witnessed these things.
When these Gospels were written, there were many people who had become part of the universal Church, part of the Body of Christ, who were not Jews, who had never been to Palestine, and even many who had not even been born when Jesus had walked this earth.
The Gospel writers each had a picture of the Messiah that they were trying to paint using words. Each had a focus; each had a target audience, if you will. So, the order of things really is not at issue, especially since there are only a couple of instances where the order of things differs and, when they do, there is corroboration of the event within the chronology of one of the other Gospels to tell us where it fits within the chronology pf Jesus’ earthly ministry.
Let’s look at the three passages I mentioned that speak of Jesus visiting Nazareth:
Matthew 13:53-58: “And it came about that when Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. And coming to His home town, He began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they became astonished, and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom, and these miraculous powers? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?’ And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his home town, and in his own household.’ And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.”
Mark 6:1-6: “And He went out from there, and He came into His home town; and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, ‘Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at Him. And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his home town and among his own relatives and in his own household.’ And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands upon a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching.”
(One small note here: these two texts let us know that Jesus had four half-brothers – if there were more, they would have been named – and at least three half-sisters – they are mentioned in the plural with the word “all” instead of “she” or “both”.)
These two accounts are very similar and contain only a couple of minor differences. Now let’s look at Luke’s account in Luke 4:14-30.
The similarities between Luke’s account of Jesus’ homecoming visit and those of Matthew and Mark are evident. Yet, there are several significant differences that I believe eclipse those similarities and give strength to the position that these are two separate incidents.
First, in Luke’s account we are given the impression that almost no miracles except Christ’s miraculous escape from the angry mob took place, while the other texts indicate that a few miracles occurred.
Second, in Luke’s account, the disciples are not mentioned. It appears that Jesus is visiting alone, without His disciples. In the other accounts, which appear to report that same visit at a much later time, the disciples are said to be present.
Third, Jesus’ exodus from the scene seems quite different in the accounts. In Matthew’s and Mark’s accounts, Jesus seems simply to have left Nazareth and gone on about His ministry of preaching and teaching. In Luke’s account, we have a vivid description of the growing animosity of the locals toward Jesus, culminating in them taking Him “to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff (Luke 4:29).”
Fourth, in Luke’s account, we have very specific and pointed teaching given by Jesus and the response of His listeners indicates that they had never heard Him speak in this manner before. In the other two accounts, we get the impression that His teaching caused them to feel He was being uppity toward them.
Finally, the attitude of the people in Luke’s account is very positive and expectant at the beginning, while in the other two accounts, the people are skeptical and negative from the outset.
While the expression, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” is similar to the question, “Is this not the carpenter’s son?” or, “Is this not the carpenter?”, the meaning attached to them is quite different. One is given with a sense of wonder, the other with a sense of dismissal. In the same way, Jesus drives the moneychangers from the temple on two separate occasions, one early in His ministry (John 2:13-22), and the other just before His crucifixion (Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-46). When you read all four stories together you can see right away that the two different temple cleansings have some similarities, but they are clearly two separate events.
This distinction between Luke’s Nazareth visitation story and that of Matthew and Mark is an important one. If we did not grasp that distinction, we would have to interpret Luke’s account in light of the others, and there would be a great deal of discrepancy that we would need to deal with. But, since we understand the events to be two distinct events, we can interpret the information about them in proper light and there really is no difficulty.
In Luke, the people are still very positive and Jesus’ power is a wonder to them; they are struggling to get their minds around it all. In Matthew and Mark’s accounts, the power of our Lord is almost completely overlooked and they simply shrug Him off because they do not wish to receive Him as the Son of God.
During His first visit near the outset of His ministry, their objections came only as a result of being confronted by Him in His teaching time with the reality of their self-righteousness and pride. During this later visit, they simply say, “Yeah, yeah…we’ve heard it all before. Who does He think He is? Where is your kingdom then, oh, king?”
Why have I spent so much time on this? Because it is important for us to be able to understand and to help others understand what the Bible teaches and why. When something arises that could cause someone to doubt the inerrancy of the Scriptures, we who are disciples of Christ must be prepared to settle those doubts with the truth. For those unfamiliar with the Bible, we are able to dispel their doubts form the outset.
Also, we have a duty to see Jesus as he really is. That requires that we study the Scriptures with due diligence in order to be able to do so.
Okay, so let’s go on with our look at this visit as recorded for us here in Matthew 13:53-58.
What I would like to do is to invest a moment or two to set the stage for our story today.
Have any of you ever gone back to a place from your past, a place that meant a lot to you, a place where you had developed significant memories? Have you ever gone back to a place that reminds you of someone you were but no longer are?
What was that journey like for you? What were the emotions that cascaded over your heart and the vivid videos that tumbled through your mind? How impactful was that journey? Did it change you in any way? Think about those things as we talk about Jesus’ return to Nazareth for what will be His very last visit.
I have made such a journey. Not very many years ago, as a part of the healing that God said it was time for me to undergo, I made such a trip.
When I stepped out of my car, I was flooded by memories of people and events and details of it all that I had long ago forgotten. I almost felt assaulted by them, as if I had been sitting on a bench in the park, feeding the birds, and they had suddenly all taken flight in a rush, right up into my face. I was overwhelmed for a moment with a flurry of rushing memories that came so fast that I had to stand completely still until the moment passed.
I stood for a long time, looking at the last house we had lived in in that neighborhood, freely allowing those memories to come – more slowly this time. So many things I had forgotten.
After a little while, I took a walk down the once-familiar sidewalk. I saw both of the houses that we had lived in on that street. I recognized houses that other people whose names I suddenly remembered had once lived in. I walked a couple of blocks and came to an area that had been transformed from a heavily wooded place of mystery and adventure for a young boy and his friends into a paved street with homes and cars and lots and lots of sunshine.
And, as I walked around the neighborhood that sunny August afternoon, revisiting places I had not seen in over thirty years, I realized that who I had been was not who I had become – and that was okay; that was good. In fact, that was the message of hope I needed to come away with from that place.
It was okay because who I had become was stronger and healthier and more whole than the boy I had been had any right to expect.
A lot of bad things had happened to me the two times we had lived on that street. But it was all of a sudden very real to me that a lot of very good and fun things had happened to me there as well. There were experiences that I went through and friends I had made and places I had gone and things I had learned that had been of major significance in molding me and shaping me into the man I had become.
They say, “You can never go back.” “They” are right for the most part – and there really is no need to, except to allow where and who we have been to give us a proper perspective on who we have become. I cannot help but wonder how much of that Jesus felt that sunny, dusty day when He entered Nazareth, the town of His youth and young adulthood.
Jesus had experienced His own series of “firsts” when He had lived there with His family those many years. He had faced all of the challenges of growing up in a family and in a neighborhood and in a community that we all face.
He had run and played with His friends; He had listened to the ancient stories of His people and learned about His heritage. He had seen hurt and pain and disappointment, and He had seen laughter and friendship and celebration. He had experienced all of the things a boy would normally experience who came from the little high-valley town of Nazareth.
Nazareth was where He learned to do so many things. Nazareth was where He learned the carpenter’s trade standing at His earthly father’s bench. Nazareth was where He heard the rumors surrounding His mother’s story about her pregnancy before she was married to Joseph.
Nazareth was where He had seen brothers and sisters come into the world and into the family and had shared all of the experiences of a large, close-knit and God-fearing family. Nazareth was where He had felt the first stirrings of interest in girls as young men are want to feel.
The synagogue where he sat that day in Nazareth was the same one He had attended with His family Sabbath after Sabbath, seeing many of these very same people there week after week, month after month, year after year.
Our narrative today, as I said, brings us to Jesus’ last visit to Nazareth. He won’t ever be back this way again. As I was studying this passage this week, I couldn’t help but wonder what it was like for Him. I couldn’t help but wonder what He thought and felt as He walked those familiar paths, saw those familiar buildings, looked into the faces of people who were as familiar to Him as those in His own family.
Of course, we can only speculate, but I think we can speculate with a reasonableness that isn’t eccentric and isn’t blasphemous. One verse tells us something about Jesus that makes this a comfortable and reassuring kind of speculation; Hebrews 4:15: “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”
So as Jesus enters the old familiar synagogue in Nazareth – the one where He had listened Sabbath after Sabbath to the reading of and instruction in God’s written Word – the Living Word of God attempts one final time to reach the people nearest and dearest to Him with the good news of the kingdom. And He does so from the perspective that, just like the last time, they will probably see Him as the carpenter’s son and not as the Messiah. But He still has to try.
What we see in this story is something that is just as common for us and for people in the world of today as it was for those people back in Nazareth that day: we become insensitive to our own sinfulness and our own desperate need for the Son of God. We become so inured to what we think we know that we are unteachable.
How often have you heard someone say something about Jesus, something about church, something about God, something about faith, something about the Bible and thought, “Yeah, yeah…I’ve heard it all before. It’s always the same and it doesn’t mean anything new to me. Where is this supposed kingdom of heaven anyway?”
Think for a minute about how familiar you are with the words, “You have to believe in Jesus to get to heaven.” Do those words really have any significance for you? Do they strike the cords of your heart and make them hum, or are they so familiar they have become over-familiar? Ever hear the saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt?” What does that mean?
It means that we can become so familiar with something that we take it for granted and no longer really notice or pay attention to it. That was the situation that Jesus was in at Nazareth, and that is the situation Jesus finds Himself in in our lives oftentimes, too.
Matthew tells us, “And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.’ And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:57-58).”
This statement about a prophet seems to be an old adage that refers to the many occasions back in what we call the Old Testament where God sent His prophets to His people and they would not listen. They were so caught up in their own choices, their own lifestyles of open sin and rebellion against Him and His standards that He sent those prophets to outsiders to perform great miracles.
In Luke’s account, when Jesus taught that first time in the synagogue at Nazareth, He makes reference to two specific stories from the history of His people: Elijah and the Sidonian widow (Luke 4:26), and Elisha and Naaman, the Syrian general (Luke 4:27). For your homework, read 1 Kings 17, for the story of Elijah and the widow, and read 2 Kings 5:1-14, for the story of Elisha and Naaman. Both accounts will show you the truth of what I just said.
Now to go on. The closing phrase in our text for toady, “And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief,” is striking in its implications.
What is it that you are lacking in your life? Where is it that you feel powerless and defeated? Where is it that you feel so over-familiar with the things of God that they have no real significance for you? Do you realize that this is because of unbelief?
Remember that belief is not just to say that you accept the idea in your head. Belief from the perspective of Jesus Christ, from the perspective of His Word, is that everything about you and your life is controlled by the knowledge of what you believe. To believe is to obey.
If there is anyone among us here today that can honestly say that they have complete victory in every area of their life, that they have a total on-fire devotion for God and the things of God, that they have no area of their life where they feel powerless and defeated? Then please, share with the rest of us how you have gotten to that place in your faith walk. We need to know – I need to know because I want to live there, too.
If you are like me, however, you can honestly and humbly look at this story and pray this prayer with me:
“Lord Jesus, I am sorry that I have become so full of myself that I cannot see You clearly and cannot hear You plainly. I am sorry that I have allowed myself to become so lackadaisical about intimate time with You in prayer and personal worship that there is no real fire in our relationship right now.
“I am so sorry that I have allowed my sinful nature to get the better of me and gain control of that certain area of my life. Lord Jesus, I am sorry that I have become so filled with pride that I could not see how self-righteous I have become and how my heart has become hardened against the truth.
“Lord Jesus, please forgive my insensitivity to Your mercy and Your grace, things that cost You everything to be able to offer them to me. Break my heart over my sin as Yours was broken that day in Nazareth long, long ago, when those who knew You best would not allow You to transform their lives.
“I admit that I am in need of transformation. I admit that I am in need of forgiveness. I admit that I am in need of being tenderized, humbled and renewed to the abundant life of righteousness that You died to give me.
“I lay myself at Your feet. I accept Your chastisement and Your cleansing. I receive the washing of my soul by the power of the blood You so freely shed for my sins. I submit myself to You, once again or for the first time, to be in control of my life and my heart and my will.
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the loving forgiveness that You so freely give in response to my confession and repentance. Thank You for another chance to hear Your voice, to hear Your truth and to respond. Thank You for renewing a right spirit within me and for taking me into Your fold as one of Your own. Guard my heart against going down this path again.
“If I should wander, remind me of this day and bring me home again. I purpose not to wander but to remain faithful to the utmost of my ability and then to rely on You for the strength and ability to go beyond that.
“May Your name ever be praised and may You ever be glorified in my life. Amen.”
