A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house

 

 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

 

- Mark 6:1–13 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side (that is, a return across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, after healing the demon-possessed man), a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

 

 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  My study Bible comments that this double response of being both astonished and offended occurs frequently with those who encounter Christ (Luke 11:14-16, John 9:16).  Christ's rejection in his own country is a foreshadowing of the rejection by the whole Jewish nation at His trial before Pilate (John 19:14-15).  Regarding Christ as brother, my study Bible comments that in Jewish usage, "brother" can indicate any number of relations.  Abram called his nephew Lot "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his "brother (Ruth 4:3); and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (2 Samuel 20:9).   Christ Himself had no blood brothers, for Mary had only one Son:  Jesus.  The brothers mentioned here are either stepbrothers; that is, sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, or cousins.  Jesus will commit His mother to the care of John at the Cross (John 19:25-27), an act which would be unthinkable if Mary had other children to care for her.  Christ's saying, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house," is so significant that it appears in all four Gospels (see also Matthew 13:57, Luke 4:24, John 4:44). 

Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.  Jesus could do no mighty work there because of the unbelief of all but a few in Nazareth.  My study Bible explains that this is not because He lacked power.  It says that while grace is always offered to all, only those who receive it in faith obtain its benefits.  Let us observe that He moves on about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.  This is a description of the first apostolic mission of the twelve.  These twelve are disciples (Greek μαθητής/mathetes, "learners"), who are now also apostles (Greek ἀπόστολος/apostolos, "one sent out").  My study Bible comments that Jesus gave them power to perform miracles, while He performed them by His own power.  Note that Jesus sent them out two by two.  In Matthew's Gospel, their names are listed in pairs, suggesting who may have traveled together on this first missionary journey (see Matthew 10:1-4).  Regarding anointing the sick with oil, my study Bible reports that this not only has medicinal value but sacramental value as well.  It says that as God's healing power is bestowed through creation (Mark 5:27; Numbers 21:8-9; 2 Kings 13:21; John 9:6-7; Acts 5:15, 19:11-12), so oil is a vehicle of God's mercy and healing in the Church (James 5:14).  

Jesus says, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  As we remarked above, this saying is so essential that it appears in all four Gospels, and so, we have to consider why this is so.  In today's world, we are used to a social media setting, which is pervasive on all levels, through all activities, and age groups.  So, we are used to each individual proclaiming their own truth and responding to public affairs all over our social media screens, be it on a mobile phone or personal computer or tablet.  As such, we might have many would-be prophets we know, both in public and private life.  From celebrities such as film stars or musicians to public personalities like pundits and professional journalists, we are used to hearing opinions about social affairs as a constant non-stop part of our lives.  Most of these people work at garnering followers, clicks, comments across the board on any number of platforms (including viewers on television) in order to make a living -- and frequently that means a very lucrative career.  We're all familiar with what is called "virtue signalling" by those whose jobs ostensibly have nothing to do with making pronouncement about the state of affairs in our country or our world.  Clearly, there is some benefit to doing so, otherwise why would so many who are ostensibly employed in professions that have nothing to do with this function be constantly engaged in such activities for all to see (and follow)?  The name of this game is publicity, a following, those who will repeat and broadcast a name or image far and wide.  Well, this is seemingly the opposite, antithetical image to the "prophet" Jesus names here.  His clear definition or image of a prophet is one who is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.  Throughout the Old Testament, and in the image of John the Baptist in the New, the prophets come to call the people back to God.  They rail against practices which have become popular and fashionable, against prevailing opinion among the high-placed and powerful "influencers" of their time.  Christ seems to imply -- and the events in His hometown of Nazareth clearly image -- that the very fiber or persona of a prophet and what a prophet does is going to irritate or scandalize those who might be considered "his own"; that is, those of his own country, his own relatives, his own house.  Let us keep in mind that for the ancient world, a "house" was not just a home but implied a whole household, including servants and properties.   The prophets come to call people out of a complacency, and it stands to reason that such a person would be one for whom the freedom to serve God came before everything else, even appeasing those of one's own country, relatives, and house.  This is an important image to keep in mind, as it hints at the scandal of the Cross, and Christ who will bear the shame of rejection in such an astonishing, overwhelming way that He is crucified as among the worst offenders, a punishment reserved for the worst criminals.  If we think about it, it stands to reason that a prophet would be one who does not conform to the prevailing fashions or mores or movements, but whose love of God is stronger than such.  St. Paul called himself and his fellow apostles those who had "been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now" (see 1 Corinthians 4:9-13, echoing Lamentations 3:45 of the prophet Jeremiah).  Possibly we might surmise that this episode in Nazareth, and Jesus' saying regarding dishonor, works to prepare the apostles for their future.  If we look at John the Baptist, we see a prophet who lives in radical poverty, set apart from his society, so strong is his single-minded devotion to God and God's purpose for him.  Similarly to Elijah, he wears skins of animals and a leather belt (Matthew 3:4; 2 Kings 1:8).  Christ, on the other hand, is criticized for eating and drinking with sinners, and here in His hometown, they cannot accept His gracious words and wisdom because they don't belong to one of His background and environment.  Suddenly He is a different person, because the power and authority of God is in Him, and their resentment means they lack faith in Him and His ministry.  A prophet calls us out of our complacency not for the sake of shocking or startling, not in order to gain followers or fame or money.  A prophet heeds God's call, and God often comes to call us out of something that is not good for us, or to announce something new we need to hear and to heed.  God's word gives us what is good, but always asks of us ears to hear, as Jesus so frequently says.  A prophet does not seek popularity, an image that is au courant, or a way to appeal to others simply in order to appeal -- but rather fidelity to the will of God, and God's truth in the message.  Let us understand the difference, and the importance of the saying we find in the Gospels. 

 

Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief

 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.  When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?  Is this not the carpenter's son?  Is not His mother called Mary?  And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?  And His sisters, are they not all with us?  Where then did this Man get all these things?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."  Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

- Matthew 13:53-58

Yesterday we read Jesus' teachings of parables of the Kingdom:   "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.  So it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."  Jesus said to them, "Have you understood these things?"  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."

 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.  When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?  Is this not the carpenter's son?  Is not His mother called Mary?  And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?  And His sisters, are they not all with us?  Where then did this Man get all these things?"  So they were offended at Him.  Jesus' own country is His hometown of Nazareth, where He was brought up.   His neighbors in Nazareth know His extended family (His brothers are considered to be either children of St. Joseph by an earlier marriage or cousins -- as it was customary to refer to cousins also as "brothers").  But my study bible remarks upon this double response to Christ of being both astonished and offended.  It says it is a frequent occurrence in those who encounter Christ (see Luke 114:22-30, 11:14-16; John 9:16).

But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."  Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.  This statement appears in all four Gospels (see also Mark 6:4, Luke 4:24, John 4:44).   This suggests its importance to our understanding of our faith.  My study bible says that Christ's rejection in His own country fulfills the rejection of the Old Testament prophets such as Elijah and Elisha (see Jesus' response in Luke 4:25-27), and it also foreshadows Christ's rejection by the whole nation at His trial before Pilate (John 19:14-15).

It's interesting to read Matthew's remark that Jesus did not do many mighty works in Nazareth because of their unbelief.  Again, it's an emphasis on the power of belief, and its crucial singularity in salvation.  If we think about Jesus' hometown, we understand that these are the people closest to Him.  They are the ones with whom he's grown up, who are most familiar with Him.  In simple worldly terms, a hometown is a place from which we take identity, a place we belong, or might need to defend and protect.  But those ties don't count in terms of the power of Christ to do "mighty works" in His hometown where He's come to visit and preach.  Moreover it is implied by the text that Jesus Himself would like to do these "mighty works" but He is, in fact, prevented from doing so by their lack of faith.  In Mark 6:6, we're told that Jesus Himself marveled because of their unbelief.  To my mind, this implies His desire to do His mighty works and healings, but without faith there was nothing He could do.  The text emphasizes many mighty works that could have happened, but did not, simply because of lack of faith.  In our reading from Saturday, a believing woman's touch of Christ's hem made this connection of power unleashed by her faith.  Jesus told her in response, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."   That is His acknowledgement of the power of her faith to allow Him to do a mighty work for her.  In our own lives, we can consider what this might mean.  In my own experience, I haven't experienced the kind of stupendous healing acts and mighty works we know from Christ's work in the Gospels.  But then again, how can we know what it would be like to stand before the human being who was God and be in His presence uniting heaven and earth and all things in existence?  But I have experienced the tiny mustard seed of faith and what it has done for me in my life, transforming through time and through persistent prayer and faithful following my entire life in ways I could not have imagined.  I know what it is to lose everything you thought you cared about, and to have it all restored a hundredfold -- and in many ways, small and great.  But all meaningful and important to me.  So try a little faith when everything else looks bleak, and don't dismiss its value in life.  You never know what Christ holds for you.  These people of His hometown dismiss Him because they're jealous.  They can't imagine where He got His learning or what He knows with authority.  You never know what God will hold in store for you to learn, listen to, and open your eyes to discover, that you would never expect otherwise.

Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country

 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.  And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.  And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.  And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.  And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
 And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which  proceeded out of His mouth.  And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"  He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself!  Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country."  Then He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.  But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."  So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.  Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

- Luke 4:14-30

Last week, we began reading the Gospel of Luke. On Friday, we read of Jesus' Baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan.  On Saturday we read that then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil.  And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.  And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."  But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'"  Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.  Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan!  For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"  Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.  For it is written:  'He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot  against a stone.'"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God." Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.  And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.  Just as Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, here He returns in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and begins His Galilean ministry, in which He is glorified by all.

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.  And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.  And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.  And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:  "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."   My study bible says that, being the eternal Son of God, Christ did not become the world's anointed Savior, but that He has always been our Savior from before the foundation of the world (John 17:24, Ephesians 1:4).  Christ spoke through Isaiah the prophet to say, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me" (Isaiah 61:1).  At Jesus' Baptism, the descent of the Spirit of the LORD like a dove (3:22), it was a sign that revealed the eternal truth of Christ to the people.   The acceptable year of the LORD is the time of the Incarnation, when the Kingdom of heaven has come to earth (see 2 Corinthians 6:2). 

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which  proceeded out of His mouth.  And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"  He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself!  Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country."  Then He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.  But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."  So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.  Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.  My study bible calls our attention to the double response of the people to Christ -- of both marveling and rejection.  It is a frequent occurrence in the encounters with Christ (see 11:14-16; John 9:16).  That Christ is rejected in His own country is a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets, such as Elijah and Elisha.  It foreshadows Christ's rejection by the whole Jewish nation at His trial before Pilate (John 19:14-15).  But Jesus accepts death according to the Father's will, not according to the will of those who will seek to persecute Him.  But here in today's reading, His hour of the Passion has not yet come (see John 8:20).

Notable in today's passage is Christ's emphasis on faith in God the Father -- and particularly in God's word, as it is living and active and presented to us, as opposed to what we learn from ancestors, custom, habit, and the condition of the society.  What is familiar is incorrect here, because God's word (and Christ is the Word, see John 1:14) intervenes, and is present and living, standing in front of them.  And it is this that they cannot accept.  His familiar townspeople and neighbors know one thing, and God is presenting to them another.  They ask, "Is this not Joseph's son?"  Jesus is already well-known and well-received around Galilee.  The Gospel tells us that He is preaching in the synagogues, and is glorified by all.  But in His hometown of Nazareth, they know one thing and that is what they're sticking to.  They demand a proof, a sign, some great sign such as has been done elsewhere, as in Capernaum.  Jesus goes on the offensive, pushing for recognition of spiritual truth as it's been given in the Scriptures.  He tells them that there were many widows in Israel at the time of a great famine, but Elijah was sent to none of them, only a widow of Sidon, a foreigner, named Zarephath (1 Kings 17:9-16).   He reminds them also that at the time of Elisha there were many lepers in Israel, but Elisha was sent to none of them, and healed only Naaman the Syrian, another foreigner (2 Kings 5).  They understand what He's telling them about themselves.  Their outrage is clear; they wish to kill Him, to throw Him out of the city, and even over a cliff.  But God's intervention in our own lives could be met with the same outrage.  God will always come to call us to the truth, and to the reality of our own circumstances.  While the greatest of blessings come from above, even every good and perfect gift (James 1:17), God's blessings and love also come with the truth about ourselves:  where we need to go, what we need to do, how we need to step up to our own calling.  It may well give us correction, and even rebuke.  It will always ask us to expand the way we see things, and our own outlook on life.  The way that God is calling Christ's townspeople now is to recognition of the Christ in their midst, even as one of their own, whom they cannot recognize as anything but Jesus, the son of Joseph.  He announces Himself and His identity to them, but they cannot accept it.  They are outraged at what He claims for Himself.  They must be wondering how He can presume to tell them anything.  That Christ says to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country" is of such profound importance to our faith as given by Christ that it is found in all four Gospels.  Luke's Gospel has so far given us an emphasis on the pull of nationalism as opposed to the call of God to the recognition of holiness.  But this profound surprise and outrage goes even deeper than that.  It tells us something about God's work among us, in all of our communities and in our lives.  We can't rely on what is old and familiar.  The work of repentance itself is always a call to the new, the untried, what we don't know yet -- to reconsider how we've always done things, and to be willing to take the risk of change.  That is what faith is all about.  When we put our trust in God, we go where we are called, even if it is frightening, even unthinkable.  Have you ever been in a circumstance that called upon you to "step up" and try something new?  Has God called you to take a risk in trust and in faith?  Where has your prayer life led you?  Consider Christ's strong and harsh words, provoking such an impact of rage and wrath from His own townspeople.  You may find the same in your own life, but take heart and know where you are going, in faith.