Matthew 13:53-58 - Rejected At Nazareth

⁵³ When Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

⁵⁴ and when he was come into his native country, he taught them in their synagogue, in such a manner that they cry'd out with astonishment, how came this man by all this wisdom, and extraordinary power? ⁵⁵ is not this the carpenter's son? is not Mary his mother? and James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas, are they not his brothers? ⁵⁶ and his sisters, don't they live just by us? how came he then by all this? ⁵⁷ and they were scandaliz'd at him. but Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honour, except in his own country and in his own family. ⁵⁸ and he did not many miracles there, because of their incredulity.

¹ Jesus leaving that place, went into his own country, attended by his disciples. ² when the sabbath was come, he preach'd in the synagogue, to the great astonishment of many, who upon hearing his discourse, said, how came he by all this? what strange endowment of knowledge is this, that he should work such miracles? ³ is not he the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses, of Juda and Simon? are not these his sisters, who are here with us? and they were scandalized at him.

⁴ but Jesus said to him, a prophet is never despis'd, except in his own country, among his own kindred, and in his own family: ⁵ so that excepting the cure of a few sick by the imposition of hands, he would not work any miracle there, ⁶ they were so marvellously incredulous. so that He went all about to teach in the neighbouring villages.

¹⁶ being come to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; according to his custom, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, and standing up to read, ¹⁷ they delivered to him the book of the prophet Esaias, and upon opening the book, that passage occurr'd, where it is written,

¹⁸ "the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, ¹⁹ to proclaim the favourable year of the Lord."

²⁰ then he closed the book, and returning it to the minister, he sat down: and as the eyes of the whole synagogue were fix'd with attention upon him, ²¹ he undertook to show them, how the passage they had heard, was actually then accomplished.

²² They all applauded him, and were surprized, that what he said, was delivered with so much grace. but they objected, is not this the son of Joseph?

²³ upon which he said, no doubt you will urge me with this proverb, "physician heal thy self. what we have heard you perform'd in Capernaum, do likewise here in your own country."

²⁴ but in truth, added he, no prophet was ever well received in his own country. ²⁵ I assure you, though there were many widows in Israel, when the heaven had furnished no rain for three years and a half, and a great famine spread through all the land: ²⁶ yet to none of them was Elias sent, except to one widow in Sarepta, a city of Sidon. ²⁷ and there were many lepers in the time of Elisha the prophet: yet none of them obtain'd a cure, except Naaman the Syrian.

²⁸ upon hearing this, the whole synagogue were incensed against him. ²⁹ and breaking up the assembly, they drove him out of the city, to the precipice of the hill, upon which it was built, in order to throw him headlong down. ³⁰ but he pass'd thro' the midst of them and went away.